President of the Liberal Democrats

UK party leader

President of the Liberal Democrats

Incumbent
The Lord Pack

since 1 January 2020

Member of| Federal Board
Reports to| Liberal Democrats
Appointer| Liberal Democrats
Term length| 3 Years; Renewable once
Formation| 1988
First holder| Ian Wrigglesworth
Deputy| Vice President of the Liberal Democrats

The president of the Liberal Democrats chairs the Federal Board of the Liberal Democrats of the United Kingdom.

The responsibilities of the president are similar to that of chairman of the Conservative Party or chairman of the Labour Party,[citation needed] although the role is elected by the membership for a fixed term.

They are elected in an all-member ballot by Liberal Democrat party members for a three-year term (previously two-year terms). They may serve a maximum of two three-year terms. The next scheduled contest will occur in Autumn 2025 with the winner beginning their term of office on 1 January 2026. The election is conducted using the single transferable vote.

The current president is Mark Pack, Baron Pack, who was elected in 2019 and took office on 1 January 2020.

## Eligibility to stand

[edit]

In order to be a candidate for president, the candidate must be a member of the Liberal Democrats and secure the nomination of not less than 200 members in not less than 20 local parties (including, for this purpose, the specified associated organisations representing youth or students).[1]

## List of party presidents to date

[edit]

Term  | Name(s)  | Constituency (where applicable)

|
|

1989–90  |  | Ian Wrigglesworth | N/A (served as MP 1974–1987)
1991–94  |  | Charles Kennedy | Ross, Cromarty and Skye
1995–98  |  | Bob Maclennan | Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
1999–00  |  | Baroness Maddock | N/A
2001–04  |  | Lord Dholakia | N/A
2005–08  |  | Simon Hughes | North Southwark and Bermondsey
2009–10  |  | Baroness Scott of Needham Market | N/A
2011–14  |  | Tim Farron | Westmorland and Lonsdale
2015–19  |  | Baroness Brinton | N/A
2020–  |  | Lord Pack | Non-parliamentarian until appointed to the Lords in 2025.[2]
| Member of the House of Commons

|

| Member of the House of Lords
| Non-parliamentarian

## Election results

[edit]

### Elections in the 2020s

[edit]

#### 2022

[edit]

Mark Pack was re-elected president of the Liberal Democrats.[3]

Candidate  | First round

|

Votes  | %
Mark Pack | 4,968 | 54.5%
Lucy Nethsingha | 2,194 | 24.2%
Liz Webster | 1,936 | 21.3%
Turnout/Total | 9,099 | 14.05%[3]

### Elections in the 2010s

[edit]

#### 2019

[edit]

Mark Pack was elected president of the Liberal Democrats.[4]

Candidate  | First round

|

Votes  | %
Mark Pack | 14,381 | 58.6%
Christine Jardine | 10,164 | 41.4%
Turnout/Total | 24,545 | 23.1%[5]

#### 2016

[edit]

Sal Brinton was returned unopposed.[6][7]

#### 2014

[edit]

Candidate  | First round

|

Votes  | %  | Transfers  | Votes  | %
Sal Brinton | 7,865 | 46.86 | +2,323 | 10,188 | 62.40
Daisy Cooper | 4,530 | 26.98 | +1,608 | 6,138 | 37.59
Liz Lynne | 4,389 | 26.14 |
Turnout/Total | 16,784 | 38.9 |

There were 25 spoilt/rejected ballots.[8]

#### 2012

[edit]

Tim Farron was returned unopposed.[9]

#### 2010

[edit]

Candidate  | First round

|

Votes  | %
Tim Farron | 14,593 | 52.98
Susan Kramer | 12,950 | 47.01
Turnout/Total | 27,543 | 41.9

There were 64 spoilt/rejected ballots.

### Elections in the 2000s

[edit]

#### 2008

[edit]

Candidate  | First round

|

Votes  | %
Ros Scott | 20,736 | 72.04
Lembit Öpik | 6,247 | 21.70
Chandila Fernando | 1,799 | 6.25
Turnout/Total | 28,782 | 47.8

There were 49 spoilt/rejected ballots.[10]

#### 2006

[edit]

Simon Hughes was returned unopposed.

#### 2004

[edit]

Candidate  | First round

|

Votes  | %
Simon Hughes | 24,333 | 70.86
Lembit Öpik | 10,002 | 29.13
Turnout/Total | 34,335 | 29.13

There were 144 spoilt/rejected ballots.[11]

#### 2002

[edit]

Navnit Dholakia was returned unopposed.

#### 2000

[edit]

Navnit Dholakia was returned unopposed.

### Elections in the 1990s

[edit]

#### 1998

[edit]

Diana Maddock was returned unopposed.

#### 1996

[edit]

Bob Maclennan was returned unopposed.

#### 1994

[edit]

Candidate  | First round

|

Votes  | %
Bob Maclennan | 18,080 | 53.77
Don Foster | 8,979 | 26.61
Martin Thomas | 6,561 | 19.51
Turnout/Total | 33,620 | 33.4

There were 114 spoilt/rejected ballots.

#### 1992

[edit]

Candidate  | First round

|

Votes  | %
Charles Kennedy | 25,956 | 70.45
Martin Thomas | 10,813 | 29.35
Turnout/Total | 36,840 | 36.2

There were 71 spoilt/rejected ballots.

#### 1990

[edit]

Candidate  | First round

|

Votes  | %
Charles Kennedy | 24,648 | 84.24
Tim Clement-Jones | 4,818 | 16.11
Brian Grocott | 436 | 1.45
Turnout/Total | 29,902 | 36.3

There were 55 spoilt/rejected ballots.

### Elections in the 1980s

[edit]

#### 1988

[edit]

Candidate  | First round

|

Votes  | %
Ian Wrigglesworth | 28,638 | 50.22
Des Wilson | 21,906 | 38.41
Gwynoro Jones | 6,479 | 11.36
Turnout/Total | 57,023 | 71.2

There were 448 spoilt/rejected ballots.

## See also

[edit]

* 2017 Liberal Democrats leadership election
* 2017 Liberal Democrats deputy leadership election

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "The Federal Constitution of the Liberal Democrats" (PDF). September 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
2. ^ "Lord Pack". UK Parliament. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
3. ^ a b "The results of the 2022 Presidential Election". Liberal Democrats. 16 November 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
4. ^ "Meet our new party president". Liberal Democrats. 2019-12-14. Retrieved 2019-12-14.
5. ^ Based on party membership reported as 106,575 - https://www.markpack.org.uk/143767/liberal-democrat-membership-figures/
6. ^ "Lib Dems publish timetable for 2016 Party President election". 19 September 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
7. ^ "Sal Brinton re-elected unopposed as Lib Dem President". 10 November 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
8. ^ "Lib Dems elect new party president". BBC News. 29 November 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
9. ^ "Tim Farron". 10 May 2017. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
10. ^ Summers, Deborah (10 November 2008). "Defeated Öpik vows to back Lib Dem president". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
11. ^ "Hughes is new Lib Dem president". 2 September 2004. Retrieved 31 January 2018 - via news.bbc.co.uk.

* v
* t
* e

Liberal Democrats

Leadership

| Leaders|

* Steel (Liberal) (1988)
* Maclennan (SDP) (1988)
* Ashdown (1988–1999)
* Kennedy (1999–2006)
* Campbell (2006–2007)
* Clegg (2007–2015)
* Farron (2015–2017)
* Cable (2017–2019)
* Swinson (2019)
* Davey (from 2020)

|

Deputy leaders|

* Johnston (1988–1992)
* Beith (1992–2003)
* Campbell (2003–2006)
* Cable (2006–2010)
* Hughes (2010–2014)
* Bruce (2014–2015)
* Swinson (2017–2019)
* Davey (2019–2020)
* Cooper (from 2020)

Leaders in the Lords|

* Seear (Liberal) (1988)
* Diamond (SDP) (1988)
* Jenkins (1988–1997)
* Rodgers (1997–2001)
* Williams (2001–2004)
* McNally (2004–2013)
* Wallace (2013–2016)
* Newby (from 2016)

Presidents|

* Wrigglesworth (1989–1990)
* Kennedy (1991–1994)
* Maclennan (1995–1998)
* Maddock (1999–2000)
* Dholakia (2001–2004)
* Hughes (2005–2008)
* Scott (2009–2010)
* Farron (2011–2014)
* Brinton (2015–2019)
* Pack (from 2020)

Leadership elections

| Leadership|

* 1988 (Ashdown)
* 1999 (Kennedy)
* 2006 (Campbell)
* 2007 (Clegg)
* 2015 (Farron)
* 2017 (Cable)
* 2019 (Swinson)
* 2020 (Davey)
* 2024 (Davey)

|

Deputy leadership|

* 2003 (Campbell)
* 2006 (Cable)
* 2010 (Hughes)
* 2014 (Bruce)
* 2017 (Swinson)
* 2019 (Davey)

Frontbench team

* Leader of the Liberal Democrats
* Deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats
* Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson
* Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson

Structure

| MPs and Frontbench|

* Current members of Parliament
* Frontbench team
* Chief whip

|

Frontbench in opposition|

* Frontbench Team of Paddy Ashdown (1997–1999)
* Frontbench Team of Charles Kennedy (1999–2006)
* Frontbench Team of Menzies Campbell (2006–2007)
* First Frontbench Team of Vince Cable (2007)
* Frontbench Team of Nick Clegg (2007–2010)
* Frontbench Team of Tim Farron (2015–2017)
* Second Frontbench Team of Vince Cable (2017–2019)
* Frontbench Team of Jo Swinson (2019)
* Frontbench Team of Ed Davey (2020-present)

State parties|

* English Liberal Democrats
* Scottish Liberal Democrats
* Welsh Liberal Democrats

Regional parties|

* London Liberal Democrats
* Northern Ireland Liberal Democrats

Conference|

* Liberal Democrat Conference

Committees|

* Federal Board

SAOs|

* LGBT+ Liberal Democrats
* Young Liberals (English Young Liberals, Scottish Young Liberals, Welsh Young Liberals/Rhyddfrydwr Ifanc Cymru)

Related organisations

* Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
* Beveridge Group
* Christian Forum
* Friends of Israel
* Friends of Turkey
* History Group
* Liberal Reform
* Social Liberal Forum

History and related topics

* Liberal Democrat Headquarters (UK)
* List of MPs (past and present)
* General election manifestos
* Gang of Four
* Limehouse Declaration
* Glee Club (UK politics)
* The Land (song)
* Liberator (magazine)
* National Liberal Club
* Whig Party
* Peelites
* Liberal Party
* Scottish Liberal Party
* Coalition Coupon
* Independent Liberal Party (Asquith)
* National Liberal Party (Lloyd George)
* Independent Liberals (Lloyd George)
* National Liberal Party ("Simonites")
* Lib–Lab pact
* Liberal Leave
* One more heave
* Social Democratic Party
* SDP–Liberal Alliance
* Southport Resolution
* The Orange Book
* Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition agreement
* For a Fair Deal

Breakaway parties

* Liberal Party (UK, 1989)

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