From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base
1988 Social and Liberal Democrats leadership election
Election in the United Kingdom
Election in the United Kingdom
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| election_name | 1988 Social & Liberal Democrats |
| leadership election | |
| type | presidential |
| ongoing | no |
| previous_year | 1976 (Liberal) |
| ← 1982 (SDP) | |
| next_election | 1999 Liberal Democrats leadership election |
| next_year | 1999 |
| election_date | |
| turnout | 71.9% |
| 1blank | First pref. |
| 2blank | Percentage |
| image1 | ASHDOWN Paddy.jpg |
| image1_size | 160x160px |
| candidate1 | Paddy Ashdown |
| 1data1 | 41,401 |
| 2data1 | 71.9% |
| image2 | Alan Beith (2008).jpg |
| image2_size | 160x160px |
| candidate2 | Alan Beith |
| 1data2 | 16,202 |
| 2data2 | 28.1% |
| title | Leader |
| before_election | David Steel & Bob Maclennan |
| after_election | Paddy Ashdown |
leadership election ← 1982 (SDP) The 1988 Social and Liberal Democrats leadership election was called following the formation of the then Social and Liberal Democrats (later changing their name to Liberal Democrats). It was intended to replace the two interim leaders, David Steel and Robert Maclennan, with a single figurehead better able to represent both the former members of the Liberal Party and of the Social Democratic Party.
There were two candidates and all members of the party were balloted using the Alternative Vote preference system. The election was won by Paddy Ashdown, who served as leader until his stepping down in 1999. The campaign occurred in a party which was still coping with the merger and saw a vituperative attack on Ashdown in a letter written by Alex Carlile, a Beith-supporting MP.
Candidates
At the close of nominations on the 24 June 1988, the following had been successfully nominated.
[[Paddy Ashdown]]
Supporters included:
- MPs: Malcolm Bruce, Archy Kirkwood, Charles Kennedy Matthew Taylor, Richard Livsey, Ronnie Fearn, Menzies Campbell. Leading SDP supporters included Tom McNally (formerly James Callaghan's speechwriter), Lindsay Granshaw, Anne Sofer, Denis Sullivan, David Marquand, Roy Jenkins, Shirley Williams
- Other notable supporters: Timothy Clement-Jones (Past Chair of the Liberal Party), Des Wilson (Campaigner for Social Justice), Alan Leaman (Co-author of the Youth Charter)
[[Alan Beith]]
Supporters included:
- MPs: Geraint Howells, Cyril Smith, Alex Carlile, David Alton
- Lords: Lord Mackie
- Other notable supporters: Richard Wainwright (former Liberal MP), Annette Penhaligon (Widow of David Penhaligon MP and influential figure in the Liberal Party), Andrew Gifford (David Steel's Head of Office), Rev. Roger Roberts (Influential Welsh Liberal)
Results
| Candidate | Votes | % | Social and Liberal Democrats}}" | Social and Liberal Democrats}}" | Turnout | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paddy Ashdown | 41,401 | 71 | |||||
| Alan Beith | 16,202 | 29 | |||||
| 57,790 | 71.9 |
References
Bibliography
- Issue 24 of the Journal of Liberal History contains an article by Harriet Smith about the campaign
References
- "1988 Leadership Campaign".
- (2006). "Charles Kennedy". Politicos.
This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.
Ask Mako anything about 1988 Social and Liberal Democrats leadership election — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.
Research with MakoFree with your Surf account
Create a free account to save articles, ask Mako questions, and organize your research.
Sign up freeThis content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.
Report