150-644: Young Liberals is the youth and student organisation of the British Liberal Democrats . Membership is automatic for members of the Liberal Democrats aged under 30. It organises a number of Fringe events at the Liberal Democrat Conference , which is held twice each year. Young Liberals exists to campaign on issues affecting young people and students, with branches across the UK. The organisation
300-459: A Fixed Term Parliament Bill , and end income tax for those earning less than £10,000 a year. The Conservatives also agreed to shelve their plans to replace the Human Rights Act 1998 with a proposed British Bill of Rights . The Conservatives refused to agree to Lib Dem demands for a referendum on proportional representation, instead offering a referendum on a switch from first-past-the-post to
450-462: A Green New Deal . One trend over time with Alliance's vote is that in contrast to 1973, when Alliance support was dispersed across Northern Ireland, Alliance has increasingly polled best in the Greater Belfast hinterland. For example, the 1977 elections, while representing an overall increase for Alliance, masked a sharp decline in vote share in many Western councils. In the 12 councils covering
600-593: A Vanguard -style Ulster republic would lead to disaster for all our people." The party's prominence increased in 1972 when three members of the Northern Ireland House of Commons defected to Alliance. The MPs were drawn from across Northern Ireland's political divide and included Bertie McConnell , an independent Unionist , the Ulster Unionist Phelim O'Neill and Tom Gormley who sat as an independent Nationalist . In 1973, Lord Dunleath joined
750-490: A leadership election . Between June and October 2019, the total number of MPs rose from 11 to 21, following eight defections from other parties, one by-election win, and Lloyd retaking the whip. The defections were mainly former MPs of Change UK , with Chuka Umunna and Sarah Wollaston joining directly from the party, whereas Heidi Allen , Luciana Berger , and Angela Smith joined after subsequently being part of The Independents . The remaining defectors were three of
900-483: A Motion of commendation, Motion of censure or Motion of no confidence in an officer. Motions of commendation and censure are non-binding opinions of conference passed by a simple majority, expressing either positive or negative opinion on the actions of an officer. Motions of no confidence are binding motions which if passed have the effect of removing an officer from their position and require a two thirds majority in order to pass. All Conferences following Manchester 2021,
1050-466: A basis that can be used to manage the conflict whilst working to ultimately create a non-sectarian political system for Northern Ireland. It believes that the consociational power-sharing structure established by the agreement may not be capable of providing long-term stability, citing various reservations such as the entrenchment of pre-existing divisions as well as the inability to adapt to demographic changes. Its 2022 manifesto stated "Alliance supports
1200-599: A bridge between the Protestant and Catholic sections of the community and heal the divisions in Northern Ireland society. The Party's founding principles were expressly in favour of Northern Ireland remaining part of the United Kingdom, although, in contrast to other unionist parties, that was expressed in socio-economic rather than ethnic terms. On 5 February 1973, prior to the 1973 Northern Ireland border poll ,
1350-553: A by-election for Coleraine Borough Council . In the 2007 Northern Ireland Assembly elections , Alliance put in a strong media campaign and polled 5.2%, up from 3.6% in the previous election and gaining a seat in Belfast South following the successful candidature of Anna Lo , the first ethnic Chinese public representative in a national assembly anywhere in Western Europe. In an election cycle where many pundits had predicted that
1500-490: A civil partnership under the Civil Partnership Act 2004 . The council adopted his recommendation, although it was later reversed on legal advice. His position ran against Alliance policy, which had been strongly supportive of the introduction of civil partnership laws, and he was publicly criticised by other senior party members. The then party chair and future MLA, Lisburn councillor Trevor Lunn , who had also opposed
1650-737: A coalition government, Blair was interested in cooperation with the Lib Dems. In July 1997, he invited Ashdown and other senior Lib Dems to join a Cabinet Committee on constitutional affairs. Privately, Blair offered the Liberal Democrats a coalition but later backed down amid fears that it would split his own Cabinet. The joint Committee launched the Independent Commission on the Voting System in December; its report, published in October 1998, proposed
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#17328549945391800-649: A common language, sharing some form of Christianity, and not separated by distinguishable racial or physical characteristics. Alliance does not view unionism and nationalism as distinct communities, but as "political positions". Furthermore, Alliance sees identity as an individual matter, one that is fluid and open to change over time. In a 2014 document, the Alliance stated: We acknowledge that people identify with and belong to religious, ethnic, cultural and regional communities. These however are not permanent or stable but are open and fluid. People...can belong to many groups, have
1950-489: A complex identity, and have loyalties to different structures and levels of government. Because of this stance, Alliance is at times referred to as representing a "third tradition" or "third force" within Northern Irish politics that is outside of Nationalism and Unionism. As Alliance have moved to an ideologically liberal perspective, and Northern Ireland society has become more diverse, support for diversity has become
2100-557: A formal apology for breaking this promise in September 2012. Shortly after the 2015 general election, Liberal Democrat leadership contender Norman Lamb conceded that Clegg's broken pledge on university tuition had proven costly. In the May 2011 local elections and the elections for the Welsh Assembly and Scottish Parliament, the Liberal Democrats suffered heavy defeats. Clegg admitted that
2250-538: A key Alliance platform, with Anna Lo MLA elected as the first ethnically East Asian parliamentarian in Northern Ireland and the party promoting a number of openly gay spokespeople. In July 2005, Seamus Close , then an MLA and Lisburn councillor for the party and its former deputy leader, proposed that the Lisburn Council deny gay couples access to the council's designated wedding facility if they were seeking
2400-457: A less centralised economy. This distinguishes the party from many liberal parties elsewhere in Europe that are instead dominated by classical liberalism . By comparison, the Liberal Democrats support a mixed economy and have sometimes opposed privatisation. The party spans the centre and centre-left , and has emphasised each aspect at different times. The public have traditionally viewed
2550-476: A non-communal candidate in a European election since 1979. In the early years of the peace process, the centre ground was relentlessly squeezed in Northern Ireland politics. The support for Gilliland's candidature, which was also supported by parties such as the Workers' Party and Northern Ireland Conservatives, reflected a desire to reunite the fragmented and weakened non-communal bloc in Northern Ireland politics. In
2700-527: A republic was formed. According to a 1999 survey, two-thirds of party members supported retaining the monarchy. In the 1990s, there was an anti-royalist contingent within the party; in 1993, the party conference announced support for removing the royal prerogative , and the 2000 conference backed calls for the monarch to be removed as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England . At its 2003 conference,
2850-534: A requisition submitted to the Young Liberals Federal Executive signed by 40 full members, including at least 4 members of each State Organisation. The Special Conferences debates business specified in the requisition, although additional business may be taken at the discretion of the Executive. The threshold of a Special Conference used to be significantly higher, standing at 200 members, however with
3000-488: A successful campaign, the party made the biggest gain in seats in its history, winning a party high of 72 seats. The Liberal Democrats have an ideology that draws on both the liberal and social democratic traditions. The party is primarily social liberal , supporting redistribution but sceptical of increasing the power of the state, emphasising the link between equality and liberty. The party supports investment and progressive taxation, but also promotes civil liberties and
3150-412: A three-way marginal. Alliance was seriously damaged by the 1981 Irish Hunger Strike , which deeply polarised Northern Ireland politics, and led to the emergence of Sinn Féin as a serious political force. The party supported the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement , and despite claims that this would fatally damage its soft unionist support, Alliance rebounded to pick up 10.0% of the vote in Northern Ireland in
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#17328549945393300-412: A week to the state pension for people over the age of 75. In 2003, it outlined plans for devolving control of schools to local councils. In the mid-1990s and early 2000s, it stated that such increases in education spending would be funded through higher taxes. These included a 50% tax on those earning over £100,000 a year, and raising the basic rate of income tax by one penny in the pound. In 2003,
3450-491: Is a liberal and centrist political party in Northern Ireland . Following the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election , it was the third-largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly , holding seventeen seats, and broke through by achieving third place in first preference votes in the 2019 European Parliament election and polling third-highest regionally at the 2019 UK general election . The party won one of
3600-646: Is a member of the Liberal International and Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe , and is aligned with the Liberal Democrats in Great Britain . The party was formed in April 1970 as an alternative to the established parties. In the context of a rapidly worsening political crisis, it aimed not only to present an alternative to what they perceived as sectarian parties and expressly aimed to act as
3750-689: Is also responsible for overseeing Alliance Societies at Northern Ireland universities. Young Liberals Northern Ireland does not organise in any of Northern Ireland's Universities, encouraging members to become active within Alliance Youth societies. Alliance Youth actively campaign on issues affecting young people, and aim to shape policy of the main party in these areas. Previous campaigns have focused on racism, child poverty, and human trafficking, as well as specific domestic issues facing young people, such as mental health care, tuition fees, sustainable transport , LGBT rights and homelessness. Alliance Youth
3900-417: Is run by young people and acts as a pressure group within the Liberal Democrats. Social liberalism , economic liberalism , social justice , internationalism and pro-Europeanism are important components of the group's political philosophy. The constitution of the Liberal Democrats requires an affiliated youth and student wing. Accordingly, Young Liberals is a Specified Associated Organisation (SAO) of
4050-428: Is the centre-left Beveridge Group , inspired by William Beveridge . The Beveridge Group has been associated with both social liberals and social democrats within the party, including former Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy . The Liberal Democrats support institutional reform in the United Kingdom, including the decentralisation of state power, reform of Parliament, and electoral reform. At its 1993 conference,
4200-660: The 1987 United Kingdom general election . John Alderdice polled 32.0% of the vote in East Belfast , while Alliance came within 15,000 votes of both the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin across Northern Ireland. He would go on to become leader after the election, replacing John Cushnahan. In 1996 Alderdice accepted a peerage, becoming the Alliance Party's only representation in Parliament. Lord Alderdice took
4350-404: The 2008 local elections it gained 34 seats, beating Labour in terms of vote share. The following year, the party was damaged by the expenses scandal as several Lib Dem MPs and peers were found to have misused their expenses; Campbell for example was revealed to have claimed nearly £10,000 in expenses for luxury home furnishings. In the build-up to the 2010 general election , Clegg took part in
4500-636: The 2019 general election , from 7.9% to 16.8% of Northern Ireland, over-taking the SDLP and UUP to come third overall. The party re-gained a seat in the House of Commons ( North Down , previously held by the retiring independent Sylvia Hermon ), and was second in another four constituencies. Long became Stormont's justice minister in January 2020, holding the position throughout the COVID-19 pandemic . In March 2022, Long told
4650-453: The 2023 local elections , gaining 405 councillors and winning control of 12 more councils. They also overturned a 19,000 Conservative majority in the 2023 Somerton and Frome by-election to elect Sarah Dyke as their 15th MP. In the 2024 local elections , Davey said he was confident of toppling the "Tory Blue Wall in Surrey". The Lib Dems finished in second place behind Labour and ahead of
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4800-415: The 2024 general election , where despite only a small vote share increase to 12.2 per cent, the party won 72 seats, their highest total ever, and returned to being the third largest party in the House of Commons for the first time since 2015. A centrist to centre-left political party, the Liberal Democrats ideologically draw upon both liberalism and social democracy . Different factions have dominated
4950-425: The 21 rebel Conservative MPs who had the whip withdrawn for voting against the government on a piece of legislation which would prevent a no-deal scenario on 31 October 2019: Antoinette Sandbach , Sam Gyimah , and Phillip Lee . The latter physically crossed the floor during the debate on the legislation, effectively removing the majority of the first Johnson government. Heading into the 2019 general election ,
5100-955: The Alliance Party . The Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) each had their own separate student and youth wings , including the Young Liberals and the Young Social Democrats. In 1988, the Liberal Party and the SDP merged to form the Liberal Democrats . Within England , the National League of Young Liberals merged with the Young Social Democrats to form Young Liberal Democrats of England. Additionally
5250-561: The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). Naomi Long was the first MP from the Alliance Party since Stratton Mills , who joined the party from the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) in 1973. However, the DUP regained the seat at the 2015 general election , following an electoral pact with the UUP. In the 2019 general election , Alliance regained its presence in the House of Commons when Stephen Farry won
5400-648: The Good Friday Agreement but maintains a desire for the reform of the political system towards a non-sectarian future and, in the Northern Ireland Assembly, it is designated as neither Unionist nor Irish nationalist , but "Other" or "United Community". The Alliance Party won its first seat in the UK House of Commons in the 2010 general election , unseating the former East Belfast MP Peter Robinson , First Minister of Northern Ireland and leader of
5550-659: The House of Commons ; the Conservatives, led by Margaret Thatcher , won the election. Within the Labour Party, many centrists were uncomfortable with the growing influence of the hard left , who were calling for the UK to leave the European Economic Community and unilaterally disarm as a nuclear power . In January 1981, four senior Labour MPs— Bill Rodgers , Shirley Williams , Roy Jenkins , and David Owen , known as
5700-556: The Liberal Democrat whip on wider UK and European issues but remained free from the whip's control on issues impacting Northern Ireland. In 1988, in Alliance's keynote post-Anglo Irish Agreement document, Governing with Consent , Alderdice called for a devolved power-sharing government. Throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, Alliance's vote stabilised at between 7% and 10%. After the IRA and loyalist ceasefires in 1994, Alliance became
5850-1077: The National League of Young Liberals (NLYL), founded in 1903 and the Union of Liberal Students (ULS), founded in 1920. Young Liberals is the main party, organised in Great Britain on a federal basis, comprising Welsh Young Liberals in Wales , Scottish Young Liberals in Scotland and English Young Liberals in England . The federal organisation of Young Liberals organises liaisons with Liberal Democrats and affiliated organisations. The Federal Executive (current positions: Chair, Vice-Chair, Events Officer, Campaigns Officer, Communications Officer, Finance Officer, International Officer, Policy Officer, Membership Development Officer, Accessibility, Diversity and Standards Officer and Non Portfolio Officer,) operates alongside committees for Conferences, Policy and International affairs. These committees, barring ex officio members such as representatives from state organisations and delegates from
6000-649: The Northern Ireland Assembly , which followed the Sunningdale Agreement , the party polled 9.2% and won eight seats. After the elections, Alliance entered the power sharing Northern Ireland Executive . Oliver Napier became Legal Minister and Head of the Office of Law Reform and Bob Cooper took the junior role of Minister for Manpower Services. In its manifesto for the elections to the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention in 1975,
6150-638: The Renew Europe group in the European Parliament. The Liberal Party had existed in different forms for over 300 years. During the 19th and early 20th century, it had been one of the United Kingdom's two dominant political parties, along with the Conservative Party . Following World War I , it was pushed into third place by the Labour Party and underwent a gradual decline throughout the rest of
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6300-683: The September 11 attacks in the United States and the launch of the U.S.-led War on terror , the Liberal Democrat MPs backed the government's decision to participate in the United States invasion of Afghanistan . The party was more critical of Blair's decision to participate in the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003; Kennedy joined the large anti-war march in London. With the Conservatives backing
6450-671: The Union of Liberal Students merged with the Students for Social Democracy to form the Student Liberal Democrats. Within Scotland , a separate organ was formed from the Scottish Liberal Students , the Scottish Young Liberal Democrats, which also included students of all ages. Liberal Democrat Youth and Students (LDYS) was itself created in 1993 from the merger of the Student Liberal Democrats and
6600-633: The Welsh Assembly . The party campaigned for a Remain vote in the referendum on United Kingdom membership of the European Union in June 2016. After the Leave vote, the Liberal Democrats sought to mobilise the 48% who voted Remain, and the party's membership rose again, reaching 80,000 by September. The 2017 local election results saw a loss of about 40 council seats. In the 2017 general election , during which
6750-480: The euro . The Liberal Democrats have promoted further environmental protections and opposed British military ventures such as the Iraq War . The Liberal Democrats are historically strongest in northern Scotland , south-west London, South West England , and mid Wales . Membership is primarily made up of middle-class professionals and the party's composition has a higher proportion of university educated members than
6900-666: The " Gang of Four "—issued the Limehouse Declaration in which they announced their split from Labour. This led to the formal launch of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in March. One of its first decisions was to negotiate an electoral arrangement with the Liberals, facilitated between Jenkins, who was the first SDP leader, and Steel. The new alliance initially did well in opinion polls. The SDP and Liberals agreed to contest alternating parliamentary by-elections; between 1981 and 1982,
7050-627: The 1970s. Spring 2008 saw LDYS renamed as Liberal Youth , at an event hosted by the Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg . The federal Conference is the sovereign body of the Young Liberals and has power to determine policy and direction. The federal Young Liberals usually hosts two conferences a year, a conference in the Winter and a training weekend known as 'Activate' in the Summer, which also acts as
7200-522: The 1999 elections for the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly. In both, the Lib Dems came fourth and became Labour's junior coalition partners. The MP Simon Hughes was initially seen as Ashdown's most likely successor, but was defeated in the contest by Charles Kennedy . To reduce the impact of more leftist members who tended to dominate at conferences, Kennedy proposed that all members—rather than just conference delegates—should vote for
7350-432: The 2015 local elections , held the same day. Membership of the Liberal Democrats rose from 45,000 to 61,000 as the party prepared to hold its 2015 party leadership ballot . On 16 July 2015, Tim Farron was elected to the leadership of the party with 56.5% of the vote, beating opponent Norman Lamb . In the May 2016 local elections , the Liberal Democrats gained a small number of council seats, though they lost ground in
7500-445: The 2018 local elections and 704 councillors in the 2019 local elections . In the 2019 European Parliament election the party ran with an anti-Brexit message seeking the support of those who wish the UK to remain in the EU, using the slogan " Bollocks to Brexit " which attracted considerable media attention. In that election, the party gained 20% of the popular vote and returned 16 MEPs. In May, Cable stood down as leader, triggering
7650-414: The 20th century. In the 1970s, the Liberal leader David Steel began contemplating how an alliance with other parties could return it to political power. In 1977, he formed a pact with Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan to back Callaghan's government in a motion of no confidence . This angered many Liberals and damaged them electorally. In the 1979 general election , the Liberals lost three seats in
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#17328549945397800-404: The 5 May 2005 United Kingdom general election , they contested 12 seats and polled 3.9% of the vote. In the simultaneous elections to Northern Ireland's local authorities, they polled 5.0% of first preference votes and had 30 Councillors elected, a gain of two seats relative to the previous elections. The 2006–2007 period saw some signs of an Alliance upturn, topping the poll and gaining a seat in
7950-443: The Alliance Party conference in Belfast that the DUP and Sinn Féin were "addicted to crisis and conflict", and hoped that her party could bring an end to the "binary system" at Stormont. The Alliance Party fought the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election on a platform of reforming the Stormont institutions, health transformation, integrated education , a Green New Deal and tackling paramilitarism . Alliance would go on to win
8100-439: The Alliance Party stated "Alliance supports the constitutional position of Northern Ireland as an integral part of the United Kingdom. We know that this belief is shared by the overwhelming majority of our people and that provocative debate about it has been the primary cause of all our most fundamental troubles. The link is in the best economic and social interests of all the people of Northern Ireland, and we will maintain that only
8250-435: The Alliance Party would struggle to hold on to the six seats it won in the 2003 election, the party pulled off a credible performance which included Deputy Leader Naomi Long doubling her share of the vote in Belfast East. In 2008, during the deadlock between Sinn Féin and the DUP over the devolution of policing, the two parties came to an agreement that the Minister of Justice would not come from either party. The Alliance Party
8400-430: The Alternative Vote system. The coalition introduced an emergency budget to attack the fiscal deficit. After joining the coalition poll ratings for the party fell, particularly following the government's support for raising the cap on tuition fees with Liberal Democrat MPs voting 27 for, 21 against and eight abstaining. The Liberal Democrats had made opposing tuition fees a major message of their campaign, with all of
8550-495: The Conservatives in terms of seats. The Liberal Democrats gained Tunbridge Wells council and Dorset Council . They notably added more council seats than any other party over the last parliament, gaining more than 750 in the last five years, largely in southern England . The Liberal Democrats entered the 2024 general election with its manifesto policies including reforming Carer's Allowance , free personal care in England, votes at 16 and proportional representation . After
8700-402: The DUP in 2010. The party lost the seat to the DUP by 2,500 votes, after a Unionist pact, whilst the Alliance vote increased by 6% across the constituency. The 2019 Northern Ireland local elections saw a substantial increase in the Alliance vote and resulted in 53 councillors being elected, with the only council not having any Alliance representation being in Mid Ulster. The balance of power in
8850-470: The European Union. In December 2018, the MP for Eastbourne , Stephen Lloyd , resigned the Liberal Democrat Whip, saying that his party's position on Brexit was inconsistent with his pledge to his constituency that he would "respect the result" of the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum . Although Lloyd remained a Liberal Democrat member, this took the number of sitting Liberal Democrat MPs down to 11. The party gained 76 councillors in
9000-403: The Federal Young Liberals. Active members communicate with their local Youth Chair, who liaises with the parent party's representatives and with the federal Young Liberals executive. In this way the activities of young and student members remain formally independent from but closely engaged with the Liberal Democrats. Young Liberals have had an active branch in Northern Ireland since 2010, under
9150-402: The Good Friday Agreement, and endorses its underlying principles, its structures, and its interlocking relationships. However, we have always supported reform of the structures of government and, in light of recent developments, the case for reform is stronger than ever." The Alliance Party was founded by moderate Unionists in the New Ulster Movement in April 1970 in response to the emergence of
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#17328549945399300-440: The Labour government's decision to go to war, the Lib Dems were the only major party opposing it. In following years, Lib Dem MPs increasingly voted against the Labour government on a range of issues. Much of this Lib Dem opposition to the government came from their members in the House of Lords. In the 2003 local elections , the party secured about 30% of the vote, its highest ever result. In 2004, The Orange Book anthology
9450-439: The Lib Dems' public support. In retrospect the move to oust Kennedy was seen as a "graceless" move and a turning point for the Lib Dems, who after 2010 would lose many of the left-leaning voters that Kennedy won over from Labour in 2005, "reeling in disgust from the decision to go into coalition" with the Conservatives (which Kennedy staunchly opposed). In March 2006, Menzies Campbell succeeded Kennedy as party leader. Campbell
9600-467: The Liberal Democrats gained councillors in all countries of Great Britain, with the largest gain of any party in England with 194 new councillors. One month later, the Liberal Democrats contested and won the Tiverton and Honiton by-election with its candidate Richard Foord , overturning a majority of over 24,000 and breaking the record for the biggest overturning of a majority in British by-election history. The Liberal Democrats saw considerable gains in
9750-441: The Liberal Democrats is Leonard Hobhouse , and there is substantial overlap between the party's platform and the form of social democracy advocated by Anthony Crosland in The Future of Socialism . The party's egalitarianism is based on the concept of equality of opportunity . The party has been sceptical of positive discrimination , including in its process for selecting political candidates. The party has frequently debated
9900-462: The Liberals in Brecon and Radnor and Ryedale . Both parties lost seats in the 1987 general election . In the wake of this, Steel called for the SDP and Liberals to merge into a single party. At the grassroots, various local constituency groups had already de facto merged. In the SDP, Jenkins, Rodgers, Williams, and the MP Charles Kennedy supported the idea; Owen and the MPs Rosie Barnes and John Cartwright opposed it. The SDP's membership
10050-426: The North Down seat vacated by the independent unionist, Sylvia Hermon . Earlier that year, the party's leader, Naomi Long , won the party's first seat in the European Parliament in the last European election before Brexit . Under Long's leadership, the Alliance Party exceeded expectations in the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election and gained numerous seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly. The Alliance Party
10200-442: The Post being chosen over Alternative Vote by approximately two-thirds of voters. In May 2011, Clegg revealed plans to make the House of Lords a mainly elected chamber, limiting the number of peers to 300, 80% of whom would be elected with a third of that 80% being elected every five years by single transferable vote . In August 2012, Clegg announced that attempts to reform the House of Lords would be abandoned due to opposition for
10350-400: The SDP came close in Warrington and won Crosby and Glasgow Hillhead . At the 1983 general election , the Liberals gained five additional seats although the SDP lost many that they had previously inherited from Labour. After the 1983 election, Owen replaced Jenkins as head of the SDP. Several gains were made in subsequent by-elections: the SDP won in Portsmouth South and Greenwich and
10500-410: The September 1988 conference it adopted the short form name "the Democrats" and in October 1989 changed its name to "Liberal Democrats". The bird of liberty was adopted as its logo. In 1989, its election results were poor: it lost 190 seats in the May 1989 local elections and secured only 6.4% of the vote in the 1989 European Parliament elections , beaten to third position by the Green Party . This
10650-434: The Troubles. As Alliance viewed the situation, the major problem of Northern Ireland was the division between Protestants and Catholics. It contended that the turmoil had its origins in that division and not in the partition of Ireland . The party's founding members resolved to change the "traditional mould" of sectarian politics in Northern Ireland, by launching a party deliberately set out to win support from both sections of
10800-470: The UK's first televised party leaders debate; he was generally considered to have performed well, with pundits referring to an ensuing "Cleggmania". In the election, the Lib Dems secured 23% of the vote and 57 seats; the Conservatives were the largest party but lacked a majority. The Conservatives and Lib Dems formed a coalition government, with Clegg becoming Deputy Prime Minister. Four other Lib Dems—Cable, Huhne, Danny Alexander , and David Laws —entered
10950-563: The UUP (11.4%) for the first time. During the 2016 elections to the Assembly , in spite of initially confident predications from David Ford that Alliance would see a surplus of up to 11 seats, the party's share of the popular vote stagnated somewhat, from 7.7% in 2011 to 7.0%. Ultimately, its 8 MLAs from their original respective constituencies were returned to Stormont for the fifth Assembly term. Ford later resigned as Alliance Party leader on 6 October 2016, on his 15th anniversary as leader of
11100-578: The United Kingdom , with 72 members of Parliament (MPs) in the House of Commons . They have 78 members of the House of Lords , four members of the Scottish Parliament , one member in the Welsh Senedd , and more than 3,000 local council seats. The party holds a twice-per-year Liberal Democrat Conference , at which party policy is formulated. In contrast to its main opponents' rules, the Liberal Democrats grant all members attending its Conference
11250-469: The Young Liberal Democrats of England who had shared many resources in the run-up. The merger talks were overseen by a committee which included Sarah Gurling . LDYS reorganised into a federal structure in 2000 and then admitted Scottish Young Liberal Democrats as its Scottish federal unit in 2002—forming a single Britain-wide organisation for the first time since the combined ULS-NLYL committees of
11400-494: The best way to solve economic problems. Most were against either further privatisation or further nationalisation, although they were overwhelmingly favourable to increasing taxation and government spending. The membership was also heavily against additional restrictions on trade unions. Liberal Democrat policy has generally been favourable to social welfare spending. During the 2000s, the party made pledges for major investment into health, education, and public services. In 1995,
11550-496: The capital of Belfast , is held by the party after an increase to 10 seats and becoming the 3rd party, at Belfast City Hall. Several Alliance members have held the position of Lord Mayor of Belfast , including Long and (from 2021 to 2022), Kate Nicholl . Alliance Youth is the youth and student movement of the Alliance Party. Alliance members who are under 25 years old automatically become members of Alliance Youth if they choose to share their details at registration. Alliance Youth
11700-418: The change from the first past the post electoral system to an alternative vote top-up system . This was not the Lib Dems preferred option—they wanted full proportional representation —although Ashdown hailed it as "a historic step forward". Many Lib Dems were concerned by Ashdown's growing closeness with Labour; aware of this, he stepped down as party leader in 1999. Before he did so, the party took part in
11850-509: The coalition Cabinet. Of the 57 Liberal Democrat MPs, only two refused to support the Conservative Coalition agreement, with former party leader Charles Kennedy and Manchester Withington MP John Leech both rebelling against. Many Lib Dems opposed the move, with some favouring a coalition deal with Labour. As part of the coalition agreement, the Conservatives agreed to Lib Dem demands to introduce elected health boards, put forward
12000-408: The coalition badly damaged the party's electoral standing, and they lost 48 of their 56 MPs at the 2015 general election , which relegated them to fourth-largest party in the House of Commons. Under the leaderships of Tim Farron , Vince Cable and Jo Swinson , the party was refocused as a pro-Europeanist party opposing Brexit . In the 2019 general election , the party garnered 11.5 per cent of
12150-475: The constitutionally mandated Annual General Meeting. At conferences policy motions which shape YL policy and amendments to the organisations constitution are debated, alongside training and speaker sessions. In addition, during each conference there is an Executive Scrutiny session, whereby members of the executive submit reports to conference on their activities and actions in their job. After each report motions on officers are debated, wherein any member can submit
12300-642: The eight who contested their seats in the 2019 general election all lost their seats. However, the party did gain 4.2% in the vote, rising to 11.6%. Swinson herself narrowly lost her East Dunbartonshire constituency to the Scottish National Party's Amy Callaghan , forcing her to resign as leader the next day in accordance with the Liberal Democrat Constitution which mandates that the leader must also serve as an MP. Deputy Leader Ed Davey and Party President Sal Brinton then jointly assumed
12450-454: The election campaign, the party had urged a break from "orange and green politics" and was vocal in its opposition to Brexit using the slogan "Demand Better". In the 2019 European election , Naomi Long became the Alliance Party's first ever MEP , receiving the second of three seats allocated to Northern Ireland and securing the best ever result for Alliance with 18.5% of first-preference votes. The party greatly increased its vote share at
12600-409: The executive, are elected by the Young Liberals membership via an all-member ballot, terms beginning on 1 November and are responsible to Conference. The English, Scottish and Welsh representatives are elected by the memberships of the state organisations - English Young Liberals , Scottish Young Liberals and Welsh Young Liberals . There is an Honorary President and six Honorary Vice-Presidents of
12750-765: The executive. Committees are chaired by the Officer that is responsible for that area, for example the Policy Officer chairs the Policy Committee, and the other members of the committee are made up of members elected by the membership alongside the Officers and, with the exception of the International Committee and Diversity Committee, representatives from each of the three state organisations. Young Liberals Branches are organised under regions and nations, themselves under
12900-443: The first in person conference following the COVID-19 pandemic , are held as hybrid conferences. Hybrid conferences allow members to join in debates via Confera, an in-house developed and bespoke software package (and mobile app) which allows hybrid participation and voting in democratic events. In addition to the two ordinary Conferences, the Young Liberals may also hold additional "Special Conferences". The Special Conferences require
13050-476: The first non-nationalist party to enter into talks with Sinn Féin, as an active participant in the Northern Ireland peace process negotiations leading to the Good Friday Agreement , which it strongly supported. Alliance polled poorly in the 1996 elections for the Northern Ireland Forum , and the 1998 election for the Northern Ireland Assembly winning around 6.5% of the vote each time. This did enable
13200-516: The former counties of Londonderry, Tyrone, Armagh and Fermanagh their vote only rose in Omagh, it remained static in Magherafelt and fell in the other ten councils (these being Fermanagh, Dungannon, Cookstown, Strabane, Londonderry, Limavady, Coleraine, Newry & Mourne, Armagh and Craigavon.) Overall in these 12 councils the number of Alliance councillors fell from 18 in 1973 to ten in 1977. In contrast, in
13350-455: The former minister, Chris Huhne . The party's candidate, Mike Thornton , had been a local councillor for the party, and held the seat. In eighteen other by-elections held throughout the 2010 to 2015 Parliament, the party lost its deposit in 11; in the Rochester and Strood by-election held on 20 November 2014, it came fifth polling 349 votes or 0.9% of the total votes cast, the worst result in
13500-774: The history of the party. In the 2013 local elections , the Liberal Democrats lost over 100 council seats. In the 2014 local elections , they lost another 307 council seats and ten of their eleven seats in the European Parliament in the 2014 European elections . In the 2015 general election , the party lost 48 seats in the House of Commons, leaving them with only eight MPs. Prominent Liberal Democrat MPs who lost their seats included former leader Charles Kennedy , former deputy leaders Vince Cable and Simon Hughes , and several cabinet ministers. The Conservatives won an outright majority. Clegg then announced his resignation as party leader. The party lost over 400 council seats in
13650-527: The importance of parties such as Alliance which are not aligned to either of these two blocs. In the 2003 Assembly elections , Alliance held all their seats, while the Women's Coalition lost both of theirs. Alliance's vote fell to just 3.7%. In the European Parliament Elections in 2004 , Alliance gave strong support to Independent candidate John Gilliland who polled 6.6% of the vote, the highest for
13800-556: The introduction of all-women shortlists in selection, but not implemented them. The Liberal Democrats support a range of constitutional reforms, including by advocating a decentralised federal structure for the United Kingdom, including devolving power to the regions of England . The party supported devolution to Scotland and Wales enacted by the Labour government under Tony Blair . The party has consistently supported electoral reform to produce more proportional results. On social issues,
13950-534: The late winter and spring which saw many politicians infected, the party's board initially pushed the leadership election back to May 2021. The decision was reversed in May 2020 to hold the leadership election in July 2020. On 27 August 2020, Ed Davey was elected as leader of the party, by a margin of almost 18,000 votes. On 13 September 2020, Daisy Cooper was announced as the party's new Deputy Leader. In September 2020, it
14100-511: The merger; finally, the memberships of both parties were balloted and both produced support for unification. Those in both parties opposed to unification split to form their own breakaway groups, in the form of the Liberal Party and the Continuing SDP . The Social and Liberal Democrats were formally launched on 3 March 1988. Steel and Maclennan initially became joint interim leaders. At
14250-482: The minds of the public." The Lib Dems calls for devolution or home rule for Scotland and Wales were enacted by Blair's Labour government in the late 1990s. The 1993 conference also called for the introduction of a bill of rights into the British constitution. Its 2001 manifesto included a commitment to lowering the voting age from 18 to 16. In 2013, an internal pressure group in the party called Liberal Democrats for
14400-555: The name of Liberal Youth Northern Ireland, which operates as the youth branch of the Northern Ireland Liberal Democrats. Since 2014, it has become an official branch of Young Liberals, though for administrative purposes it is a branch of the English Young Liberals rather than a separate state branch. Liberal Youth Northern Ireland maintains a close working relationship with Alliance Youth , the youth wing of
14550-410: The organisation, who are elected by the membership to work alongside the executive to support the organisation, advise and often act as a form of institutional memory as well as give the Executive guidance and to act as spokespeople within the wider party. In addition to the Executive, there are four committees which are responsible for the administration and implementation of its area, working alongside
14700-519: The other major political parties of the United Kingdom. The party is a federation of the English , Scottish , and Welsh Liberal Democrats . The party is in a partnership with the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland , while still organising there. Internationally, the party is a member of the Liberal International and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party , with its MEPs formerly affiliated to
14850-688: The parties merged as the Social and Liberal Democrats , adopting their present name just over a year later. Under the leadership of Paddy Ashdown and later Charles Kennedy , the party grew during the 1990s and 2000s, focusing its campaigns on specific seats and becoming the third-largest party in the House of Commons. In 2010, under Nick Clegg 's leadership, the Liberal Democrats were junior partners in David Cameron 's Conservative-led coalition government , in which Clegg served as deputy prime minister . Although it allowed them to implement some of their policies,
15000-498: The party advocated continued membership of the European single market and a referendum on the Brexit withdrawal agreement , the Liberal Democrats' vote share dropped 0.5% to 7.4%, its lowest percentage ever, but produced a net gain of four seats. Farron then resigned; in July 2017 Vince Cable was elected leader unopposed . He called for a second referendum on the UK's relationship with
15150-471: The party announced a plan to put £2 billion into education, including nursery places for under fives, while its 2005 manifesto included a commitment to use £1.5 billion to decrease class sizes in schools. In the 2000s, the party also pledged to abolish tuition fees for university students, and in the build-up to the 2010 general election, Clegg pledged that under a Lib Dem government this would be achieved over six years. In 2004, it pledged to add £25
15300-530: The party as centre-left, though during the Cameron–Clegg coalition they were seen as centrist. On economic issues, the party has usually been positioned between the Conservatives and the Labour Party , though typically closer to the Labour Party. There is a degree of ideological diversity among members of the Liberal Democrats, with a wide range of opinions on most subjects. A key ideological influence on
15450-438: The party at different times, each with its own ideological bent, some leaning towards the centre-left and others the centre. The party is a member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party (ALDE), and Liberal International . It calls for constitutional reform, including a change from the first-past-the-post voting system to proportional representation . Emphasising stronger protections for civil liberties ,
15600-524: The party had councillors in only half of Northern Ireland's 18 constituencies. However, this rose to 13 in 2011 after gains in Coleraine, Craigavon, Down and elsewhere. Having had around 30 councillors for a decade, the party won 44 seats in 2011. In the 2010 elections, the Alliance gained the Westminster seat of Belfast East, and gained a 22.6% swing there; in 2011 it re-emphasised that result, winning two out of
15750-631: The party had taken "big knocks" due to a perception that the coalition government had returned to the Thatcherism of the 1980s. As part of the deal that formed the coalition, it was agreed to hold a referendum on the Alternative Vote , in which the Conservatives would campaign for First Past the Post and the Liberal Democrats for Alternative Vote . The referendum, held on 5 May 2011, resulted in First Past
15900-566: The party has advocated for the United Kingdom's continued membership of the European Union. The party supports liberal interventionism , and supported the war in Afghanistan , later opposing the 2003 invasion of Iraq due to its lack of support from the United Nations . The party has also faced internal division over the issue of nuclear weapons . The party has a number of factions representing different strains of liberal thought. Although
16050-472: The party in the House of Lords . Stratton Mills , who had been elected as an Ulster Unionist / Conservative MP at Westminster for North Belfast also joined that year, becoming the party's sole MP between 1973–74 and did not have another MP until 2010. Its first electoral challenge was the District Council elections of May 1973 when they managed to win 13.6% of the votes cast. In the elections to
16200-493: The party is liberal and progressive. It has consistently supported LGBT rights and drug reform. The party is internationalist and pro-European. They have consistently supported policies of European integration, including long-term advocacy of the United Kingdom adopting the euro , though they have opposed the establishing of a European army . Both before and after the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum ,
16350-427: The party joined the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party as an associate member. Alliance increased its vote share by 5 percentage points in the 2019 local elections and broke out of its traditional Greater Belfast heartlands by taking seats on Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council and Derry City & Strabane District Council where the party had not previously been represented. During
16500-432: The party polled well, with one poll showing the party with 20% (within 4% of Labour) as late as 28 October. Nonetheless, during the campaign period the party's fortunes dwindled, and leader Jo Swinson received negative reviews. In the election, the Liberal Democrats lost ten seats from the previous parliament and one from the previous election, returning 11 MPs. Of the nine new MPs who joined between June and October 2019,
16650-592: The party promotes social-liberal approaches to issues like LGBT rights , drug liberalisation , education policy and criminal justice . It favours a market-based economy supplemented with social welfare spending. The party has been described as progressive , and is internationalist and pro-European , and supported the People's Vote for the continued UK membership of the European Union and greater European integration , having previously called for adoption of
16800-492: The party put forward plans for the introduction of fixed term parliaments , something it would later secure in the coalition government of 2010 to 2015. Also in 1993, it proposed state funding for political parties. The Liberal Democrats have long included a commitment to proportional representation in their manifestos. According to the New Statesman , this is the "one policy with which the Liberal Democrats are identified in
16950-399: The party still gained 14 seats overall, increasing its councillor total to 67. Over the past 40 years (and particularly since the mid-1990s), Alliance's political philosophy has veered away from non-sectarian unionism towards a more liberal, neutral position on the question of either a united Ireland or continued union with Great Britain. Alliance supports the Good Friday Agreement as
17100-422: The party to win six seats in the Assembly, although this was somewhat of a let-down given that it had been expected to do much better. John Alderdice resigned as party leader in 1998 to take up the post of the Assembly's Presiding Officer . He was replaced by Seán Neeson , who himself resigned as party leader in September 2001. Neeson was replaced by David Ford , a member of the Assembly for South Antrim . It
17250-583: The party underwent a period of consolidation, particularly on local councils. In the 1994 local elections , it came second, pushing the Conservatives into third place. In the 1994 European Parliament elections , it gained two Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). In 1993, the party was damaged by allegations of racism on the Liberal Democrat-controlled council in Tower Hamlets; it faced additional problems as its distinctive centrist niche
17400-523: The party's MPs, including Nick Clegg, signing the Vote for Students pledge to oppose any increase in student tuition fees prior to the 2010 general election. In November 2010, The Guardian accessed internal party documents on the subject written prior to the election. These revealed that the party had planned to abandon the tuition fee policy after the election had taken place, as part of any hypothetical coalition agreement with either major party. Clegg later made
17550-764: The party's Youth and Student League put forward a motion calling for the abolition of the monarchy and the introduction of an elected head of state . The 2000 party conference produced a call for the 1701 Act of Settlement to be reformed so as to allow the heir to the throne to marry a Roman Catholic, while the party's 2001 manifesto called for the disestablishment of the Church of England. The party's endorsement of secularism dates back to 1990, with standing policy favouring total separation of church and state . The 1999 membership survey found that most favoured free markets and individual responsibility; they were nevertheless split on whether or not they regarded private enterprise as
17700-401: The party's chairman, Jim Hendron , stated that: "Support for the position of Northern Ireland as an integral part of the United Kingdom is a fundamental principle of the Alliance Party, not only for economic reasons but also because we firmly believe that a peaceful solution to our present tragic problems is only possible within a United Kingdom context. Either a Sinn Fein all-Ireland republic or
17850-512: The party's conference approved plans for a local income tax of 3.5 pence in the pound that would replace council tax ; the party believed that this would result in 70% of the population paying less tax. In 2006, the party abandoned its plans for a 50% tax on the highest earners, and also put forward plans to cut income tax but balance the books by increasing tax on air travel and introducing a carbon tax. Alliance Youth The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland ( APNI ), or simply Alliance ,
18000-500: The party's federal executive and federal policy committees. In 2001, Kennedy suspended the Joint Cabinet Committee with Labour. The media characterised him as "Inaction Man" and accused him of lacking a clear identity and political purpose; later criticism also focused on his alcoholism. In the 2001 general election , the party fielded 639 candidates and made a net gain of 6, bringing its total of seats to 52. Following
18150-493: The party's stance on rejoining the EU, he said "We are not a rejoin party, but we are a very pro-European party." This caused anger to some Liberal Democrat members and a few days after Davey wrote a blog post clarifying his position. He stressed the Liberal Democrats were "committed to the UK being members of the European Union again" and insisted that members may have "misinterpreted" what he said on The Andrew Marr Show and that once he
18300-491: The party. On 26 October 2016, Naomi Long officially became the new leader of the Alliance Party. In the snap 2017 Assembly election , Alliance increased its vote share to 9.1% and retained all eight of their MLA seats in a reduced Assembly. For the 2017 general election , the party advocated a confirmatory referendum on the Brexit withdrawal agreement and remaining in the European Single Market . In April 2018,
18450-515: The party. It is granted voting rights on various Liberal Democrat committees, such as the Party's Federal Board . Young Liberals is affiliated to both the International Federation of Liberal and Radical Youth (IFLRY) and European Liberal Youth . Its predecessors include Liberal Youth, founded in 2008, and Liberal Democrat Youth & Students, founded in 1990. The earliest organisations were
18600-458: The people of Northern Ireland have the right to decide any change by voting in a referendum." Alliance's vote increased significantly in the 1977 local elections , when it obtained 14.4% of the vote and had 74 Councillors elected. In 1979, Party Leader Oliver Napier came closer than Alliance had previously come to electing a Westminster MP, polling just 928 votes short of Peter Robinson 's winning total in East Belfast , albeit placing third in
18750-435: The population. The party's founding principles were an attempt to address the "fundamental fears" of Protestants being coerced into a united Ireland, and of Catholics being condemned to second-class citizenship within Northern Ireland. The distinguishing feature of Alliance is its belief in the legitimacy of a distinctive Northern Irish community, one that has more in common than what divides it, with most inhabitants speaking
18900-413: The positions of acting co-leaders of the party. Brinton was at the end of the year (31 December 2019) replaced by Mark Pack as Party President and acting co-leader while Mike Dixon remains the party CEO. The Liberal Democrats' federal board set out a timetable in January 2020 which stated that a new party leader would be elected in July 2020. Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom in
19050-409: The proposals by backbench Conservative MPs. Claiming the coalition agreement had been broken, Clegg stated that Liberal Democrat MPs would no longer support changes to the House of Commons boundaries for the 2015 general election. The Lib Dem Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Chris Huhne in 2011 announced plans for halving UK carbon emissions by 2025 as part of the "Green Deal" which
19200-525: The rest of the region Alliance increased their number of councillors from 45 to 60. The party won eight council seats across Belfast in 1985. Although that has now recovered to six (from three in 2001), the six are entirely from South and East Belfast. Both seats in the Falls Road area of West Belfast were lost after the death and resignation of their councillors there in 1987 while their seat in North Belfast
19350-406: The right to vote on party policy, under a one member, one vote system. The party also allows its members to vote online for its policies and in the election of a new leader. In 1981, an electoral alliance was established between the Liberal Party , a group which descended from the 18th-century Whigs , and the Social Democratic Party (SDP), a splinter group from the Labour Party . In 1988,
19500-608: The six MLA seats available. In 2014, the party gained one seat in the Belfast Council area, this coming in North Belfast when Nuala McAllister ousted Sinn Féin. Outside of the capital the party's vote held up, and with the exception of Patrick Brown winning in Rowallane, there were no outstanding results. In the 2015 Westminster elections, the party directed their resources at retaining the East Belfast seat Naomi Long had gained from
19650-643: The social liberals, represented by the Social Liberal Forum (often abbreviated to the SLF), are the majority, factions that advocate for more economically liberal positions include Liberal Reform (often abbreviated to LR) and the "Orange Bookers", named after The Orange Book: Reclaiming Liberalism ; The Orange Book is most often associated with former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg , who contributed to it, along with former Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable and incumbent leader Ed Davey . Additionally, there
19800-420: The start, it claimed 19 MPs, 3,500 local councillors, and 100,000 members. In its first leadership election, Paddy Ashdown defeated Alan Beith . Ashdown saw the Liberal Democrats as a radical, reforming force, putting forward policies for introducing home rule for Scotland and Wales, proportional representation, transforming the House of Lords into an elected Senate, and advancing environmental protections. At
19950-467: The success of Online Conferences it was lowered as they could be held online with ease. Liberal Democrats (UK) The Liberal Democrats (colloquially known as the Lib Dems ) are a liberal political party in the United Kingdom, founded in 1988. They are based at Liberal Democrat Headquarters , near Westminster , and the current leader of the party is Ed Davey . They are the third-largest party in
20100-502: The third highest number of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly, 4.5% more of the vote than they did in the 2017 election and also gaining nine seats. In all, the 2022 election saw the party win 17 seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly, more than double the number of seats than what they previously had after the 2017 Northern Ireland Assembly election . The 2023 Northern Ireland local elections were, in Long's own words, "a mixed bag", but
20250-587: The three Northern Ireland seats in the European Parliament , and one seat, North Down , in the House of Commons, the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Founded in 1970 from the New Ulster Movement , the Alliance Party originally represented moderate and non-sectarian unionism . However, over time, particularly in the 1990s, it moved towards neutrality on the Union , and came to represent wider liberal and non-sectarian concerns. It supports
20400-592: The use of the wedding facility for civil partnerships, resigned as chair later that year, stating that "I always thought the Alliance Party was a broad enough church that we could support some difference of opinion. But it appears that in terms of equality issues, that we just can't." The party's liberal ideology has also pushed the party towards a general favourable position on abortion, immigration and LGBT rights. The party also supports an integrated education system where Catholics and Protestants are educated together, improving healthcare in Northern Ireland, and legislating
20550-436: The vote on an anti-Brexit platform, but this did not translate into seat gains, with Swinson losing her own seat. However, the party gained hundreds of seats on local councils under the leadership of Ed Davey , being especially successful in the 2022 , 2023 , and 2024 local elections . Davey is the party's first leader since Ashdown in the 1990s to win four by-elections in the space of one Parliament. This success continued at
20700-509: The vote. In the 2010 general election , the party won its first seat in Westminster, with Naomi Long taking the seat of sitting First Minister Peter Robinson . The 2011 Northern Ireland Assembly Election resulted in eight Assembly members being returned with a gain in Belfast East . It overtook the UUP on Belfast City Council. In a poll conducted in November 2012, Alliance (on 11.6%) overtook
20850-465: Was able to clarify "people were completely relaxed". Under Davey, the Liberal Democrats seized the traditional Conservative constituency of Chesham and Amersham in a by-election in which Sarah Green overturned a 16,000 majority in June 2021 and then repeated a similar feat in North Shropshire in December 2021 when Helen Morgan overturned a 23,000 majority. In the 2022 local elections ,
21000-405: Was balloted on the idea: after it produced 57.4% in favour of the merger, Owen resigned as leader, to be replaced by Bob Maclennan . A Liberal conference in September found delegates providing a landslide majority for the merger. Formal negotiations launched that month and in December it produced a draft constitution for the new party. In 1988, Liberal and SDP meetings both produced majorities for
21150-473: Was in his late sixties; in October he resigned and Vince Cable became acting leader. In December 2007, Nick Clegg narrowly beat Chris Huhne to take the party's leadership. Clegg's reshuffle of the leadership team was seen by many as a shift to the right; under Clegg, the party moved away from the social democratic focus it displayed previously. It rebranded itself as a party that would cut rather than raise taxes and dropped its hard pro-EU position. In
21300-537: Was in the 2010 Liberal Democrat manifesto. The Lib Dems lost over 300 councillors in the 2012 local elections , leaving them with fewer than 3,000 for the first time in the party's history. In June 2012, it was reported that membership of the party had fallen by around 20% since joining the coalition. In February 2013, the party won a by-election in Eastleigh , the Hampshire constituency that had previously been held by
21450-458: Was lost in 1993, regained four years later and lost again in 2001. In the neighbouring areas of Dunmurry Cross (Twinbrook/Dunmurry) and Macedon (Rathcoole) Alliance lost their councillors in 1989 and 1994 respectively; on the other hand, the party won three out of seven seats in Victoria in 2011, the first time since 1977 that the party had won three council seats in the same electoral area. By 2005,
21600-536: Was not popular with voters and faced a resurgent Conservative Party under new leader David Cameron ; in the May 2007 local elections , the party experienced a net loss of nearly 250 seats. In that year's Scottish Parliament election, the Scottish National Party (SNP) secured the largest vote and the Lib Dem/Labour coalition ended. Campbell was frustrated at the constant media focus on the fact that he
21750-584: Was predicted that Alliance would suffer electorally as a new centrist challenger established itself in Northern Irish politics, the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition . Another problem for the APNI was that the rules of the Assembly require major votes (such as the election of the First Minister and deputy First Minister ) to have the support of both a majority of unionist and nationalist MLAs, thus diminishing
21900-508: Was published. Written largely by centre-right economists in the party, it sparked discussions about Liberal Democrat philosophy and brought criticism from the party's social-liberal wing. In the 2005 general election , the Lib Dems secured 62 seats, the most the Liberals had had since 1923. Kennedy however faced growing calls within the party to resign after admitting that he had been treated for alcoholism; in January 2006 he stepped down under pressure even though his admission wasn't damaging to
22050-468: Was revealed by the party's new campaigning chief that the Liberal Democrats had started planning a four-year drive to woo "soft conservatives ". Cooper said the party could find a route forward by appealing to voters that had always thought of themselves as conservatives but who opposed the current direction of the Conservative Party under Boris Johnson . When Davey was asked by Andrew Marr about
22200-448: Was the obvious choice but party leader David Ford said "it's a very definite and a very emphatic no". Ford further stated, "this executive is incompetent, it's time they got on with doing the job that they were set up to do". Following further negotiations, Ford assumed office on 12 April 2010. At the 2009 European elections , Alliance candidate Ian Parsley achieved the party's best European election vote share in 30 years with 5.5% of
22350-658: Was the worst election result for an established third party since the 1950s. Its prospects were buoyed after it won the 1990 Eastbourne by-election , followed by-election victories in Ribble Valley and Kincardine and Deeside . In the 1991 local elections it secured a net gain of 520 seats. In the 1992 general election , it secured 17.8% of the vote and 20 seats in the House of Commons: nine of these were in Scotland and five were in Southwest England. Between 1992 and 1997,
22500-408: Was threatened by the rise of Tony Blair and New Labour , a project which pushed Labour to the centre. At the 1997 general election , it fielded 639 candidates, securing 46 MPs, the greatest number that the Liberals had had since 1929. These were concentrated in Southwest England, Southwest London, and areas of Scotland. Although Blair's Labour won a landslide victory in 1997 and did not require
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