The list that follows is the Liberal Democrats frontbench team led by

Paddy Ashdown Jeremy John Durham Ashdown, Baron Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon, (27 February 194122 December 2018), better known as Paddy Ashdown, was a British politician and diplomat who served as Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 1988 to 1999. Internati ...

, who was party leader from 1988 to 1999. Initially known as a frontbench team, the Lib Dems began to refer to their Frontbench Team as a "Shadow Cabinet" during the leadership of Ashdown's successor,

Charles Kennedy Charles Peter Kennedy (25 November 1959 – 1 June 2015) was a British Liberal Democrat politician who served as Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 1999 to 2006, and was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ross, Skye and Lochaber from 1983 ...

, although the use of the term is controversial.

Liberal Democrat Frontbench team

*Leader of the Liberal Democrats -

*Deputy Leader with responsibility for the strategic direction of the Party in Parliament -

Alan Beith Alan James Beith, Baron Beith, (born 20 April 1943) is a British Liberal Democrat politician who represented Berwick-upon-Tweed as its Member of Parliament (MP) from 1973 to 2015. From 1992 to 2003 he was Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democr ...

*Chief Whip and Shadow Leader of the House - Paul Tyler *Deputy Whip - Andrew Stunell *Whips - **

Edward Davey Sir Edward Jonathan Davey (born 25 December 1965) is a British politician who has served as Leader of the Liberal Democrats since 2020. He served in the Cameron–Clegg coalition as Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change from 2012 ...

Donald Gorrie Donald Cameron Easterbrook Gorrie OBE (2 April 1933 – 25 August 2012) was a Scottish Liberal Democrat The Scottish Liberal Democrats ( gd, Pàrtaidh Libearal Deamocratach na h-Alba, sco, Scots Leeberal Democrats) is a liberal, federalist ...

Adrian Sanders Adrian Mark Sanders (born 25 April 1959) is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Torbay in Devon from 1997 until his defeat in the 2015 general election. Early life Sanders is the ...

*Party President - Robert Maclennan *Agriculture and Rural Affairs -

*Food - Paul Tyler *Fisheries - Andrew George *Constitution - Robert Maclennan *Spokesman for English Regions -

Nick Harvey Sir Nicholas Barton Harvey (born 3 August 1961) is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He was the member of parliament (MP) for North Devon from 1992 to 2015 and the Minister of State for the Armed Forces from 2010 to 2012. Early life an ...

*Scotland -

Jim Wallace James Robert Wallace, Baron Wallace of Tankerness, (born 25 August 1954) is a Scottish politician serving as a Liberal Democrat life peer in the British House of Lords since 2007 and Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland ...

*Wales -

Richard Livsey Richard Arthur Lloyd Livsey, Baron Livsey of Talgarth (2 May 1935 – 16 September 2010) was a British Liberal Democrat politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Brecon and Radnorshire from 1985 to 1992, and again from 1997 to ...

*Culture, Media and Sport/Civil Service - Robert Maclennan *Arts and Broadcasting - Robert Maclennan *Tourism - Ronnie Fearn *Sport - Nigel Jones *Disabled People -

Paul Burstow Paul Kenneth Burstow (born 13 May 1962) is a British former politician who served as the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Sutton and Cheam for 18 years, from 1997 to 2015, when he was defeated by Paul Scully. He was appointed Minis ...

*Education and Employment - Don Foster *Nursery Education and Schools; Labour market statistics - Don Foster *Further, higher and adult education -

Phil Willis George Philip Willis, Baron Willis of Knaresborough (born 30 November 1941, Burnley) is a politician in the United Kingdom. He is a Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords, and was Member of Parliament (MP) for Harrogate and Knaresboroug ...

*Employment and training -

Paul Keetch Paul Stuart Keetch (21 May 1961 – 24 May 2017) was a Liberal Democrat politician and lobbyist who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Hereford from 1997 to 2010. Early life He went to Hereford High School for Boys (now Aylestone Busines ...

*Environment and Transport - ** Matthew Taylor **

Norman Baker Norman John Baker (born 26 July 1957) is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Lewes in East Sussex from the 1997 general election until his defeat in 2015. In May 2010 he was appointed ...

Tom Brake Thomas Anthony Brake (born 6 May 1962) is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Carshalton and Wallington in London from 1997 to 2019. He was appointed Director of the cross party pressure group Unloc ...

**Sir Robert Smith **Andrew Stunell *Foreign Affairs, Defence and Europe - Menzies Campbell *Foreign and Commonwealth, Europe and Defence - Menzies Campbell *Defence - Mike Hancock *Europe - David Heath *International Development -

Jenny Tonge Jennifer Louise Tonge, Baroness Tonge (''née'' Smith; born 19 February 1941) is a politician in the United Kingdom. She was Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament (MP) for Richmond Park in London from 1997 to 2005. In June 2005 she was made a ...

*Health -

Simon Hughes Sir Simon Henry Ward Hughes (born 17 May 1951) is a former British politician. He is now the Chancellor of London South Bank University, an External Adviser to The Open University, and UK Strategic Adviser to Talgo. Hughes was Deputy Leader ...

*Future of the NHS - Simon Hughes *Public Health - Peter Brand *NHS Staff, organisation and planning -

Evan Harris Evan Leslie Harris (born 21 October 1965) is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Oxford West and Abingdon from 1997 to 2010, losing his seat in the 2010 general election by 176 votes to Conservative ...

*Home and Legal Affairs - Alan Beith *Home Affairs - Alan Beith *Community relations and urban affairs - Richard Allan *Legal Affairs (Attorney General; Solicitor General; Lord Chancellor) - ** John Burnett ** Bob Russell *Local Government and Housing - Paul Burstow *Local Government (Social Services and Community Care) - Paul Burstow *Local Council Liaison - Paul Burstow **

Jackie Ballard Jacqueline Margaret Ballard (née Mackenzie; born 4 January 1953) has been a charity senior manager, politician and journalist in the United Kingdom. Her former roles include Director General of the RSPCA, Chief Executive of RNID and Chief Exec ...

*Trade and Industry - David Chidgey *Employment, Social Chapter and Minimum Wage - David Chigley *Science and Technology - David Chigley *Competition - Nigel Jones *Small Business - ** Colin Breed ** Brian Cotter *Treasury - **

Malcolm Bruce Malcolm Gray Bruce, Baron Bruce of Bennachie, (born 17 November 1944) is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Gordon from 1983 to 2015 and was the chairman of the International Development Select Commit ...

Vince Cable Sir John Vincent Cable (born 9 May 1943) is a British politician who was Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2017 to 2019. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Twickenham from 1997 to 2015 and from 2017 to 2019. He also served in the Cabinet as ...

*Wales - **

Lembit Opik Lembit is an Estonian masculine given name. A variant is Lembitu. It sometimes also may be a surname. Lembit may refer to: *Lembitu (died 1217), Estonian elder and military leader from Sakala County *Lembit Arro (born 1930), Estonian politician ...

*Women - Jackie Ballard *Young People - Lembit Opik

Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords

*Leader in the Lords - The Lord Jenkins of Hillhead *Chief Whip - The Lord Rodgers of Quarrybank

External links

Weekly Information Bulletin: 28 November 1998
www.parliament.uk {{UK Liberal Democrats Ashdown Politics of the United Kingdom 1990s in the United Kingdom 1988 establishments in the United Kingdom 1999 disestablishments in the United Kingdom British shadow cabinets 1997 in British politics