123-697: Related: Women The European Union Referendum Act 2015 ( c. 36 ) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that made legal provision for a consultative referendum to be held in the United Kingdom and Gibraltar , on whether it should remain a member state of the European Union or leave the bloc altogether. The Bill was introduced to the House of Commons by Philip Hammond , Foreign Secretary on 28 May 2015. Two weeks later,
246-467: 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
369-490: 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
492-837: 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
615-631: A command paper which later became known as the Referendum Act 1975 and was passed by both Houses. The Bill became law when it received Royal Assent on 17 December 2015. In accordance with the Act and the public duty of the Electoral Commission, a guide was posted to every household in the UK and Gibraltar in the week beginning of 16 May 2016 by HM Government . The leaflet was titled: "Why
738-661: A few years the issue was largely settled but, with the approval by Parliament of the Single European Act , the Maastricht Treaty and the Lisbon Treaty , there were calls from eurosceptic Members of Parliament for a new UK referendum on continued membership. Conservative Party leader David Cameron announced in January 2013, in what became known as "The Bloomberg speech ", a proposal to undertake
861-572: 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
984-461: 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
1107-525: A manifesto commitment of the Conservative Party at the general election of May 2015 , and was one of the most significant pieces of legislation that was passed by the 2015–17 Parliament . It required the Secretary of State to appoint the day on which the referendum should be held, although it could not be any later than 31 December 2017 and, on 20 February 2016, David Cameron announced that
1230-665: A member of the EU, to be conducted by the Electoral Commission and overseen by an appointed "Chief Counting Officer" (CCO) and a "deputy chief counting officer" (DCCO) who declared the final result for the United Kingdom. By regulation the Act ordered the Secretary of State (in this case the Prime Minister) to appoint a date for the holding of the referendum, as long as the date was no later than 31 December 2017, and not on 5 May 2016 or 4 May 2017. The Electoral Commission
1353-662: A member of the European Union Leave the European Union and in Welsh : A ddylai'r Deyrnas Unedig aros yn aelod o'r Undeb Ewropeaidd neu adael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd? with the responses (to be marked with a single (X)): Aros yn aelod o'r Undeb Ewropeaidd Gadael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd Originally the Bill set out the question that was to appear on ballot papers as: Should the United Kingdom remain
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#17327652714851476-434: A member of the European Union? and in Welsh : A ddylai'r Deyrnas Unedig aros yn aelod o'r Undeb Ewropeaidd? permitting a simple YES / NO answer. The original proposed question was similar to the question voters were asked in the original 1975 EC membership referendum . However, during subsequent research by the Electoral Commission in their assessment which was published in September 2015 found that "members of
1599-522: A private member's bill by Conservative MP James Wharton to legislate an in-out referendum by the end of 2017 was blocked in the House of Lords . The proposals were contained in the Conservative Party manifesto for the 2015 general election ; the Labour and Lib Dem parties had also made previous election manifesto commitments to an EU referendum but no commitment was made by these parties to
1722-647: A renegotiation of the terms of the UK's membership of the EU, and subsequently to hold a UK referendum on its membership of the Union. However, at the time of Cameron's speech, the Conservative Party was in Coalition government with the Liberal Democrats who, along with the Labour Party, were at the time opposed to any new referendum being held. The Conservative Party did not have an overall majority and
1845-539: 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,
1968-488: 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
2091-412: 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,
2214-428: 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,
2337-466: Is the public body under the terms of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 that was given the task to raise public awareness ahead of polling day, and to oversee the conduct of the referendum. This Act required a referendum to be held on the question of the UK's continued membership of the European Union before the end of 2017. The Bill did not contain any requirement for
2460-404: 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
2583-457: 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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#17327652714852706-467: 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
2829-425: 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 ,
2952-475: The European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 . Following the referendum result and the verdict of the R (Miller) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union case in January 2017 the UK Government led by Prime Minister Theresa May passed the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Act 2017 which legally allowed the UK to formally begin the process and formally notified the European Union of
3075-575: 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
3198-522: The House of Lords who are not normally eligible to vote in general elections ). The final number of eligible voters was published after 9 pm on Thursday 23 June 2016 by the Electoral Commission. The national result was declared by Chief counting officer (CCO) and the then chair of the Electoral Commission Jenny Watson at Manchester Town Hall on Friday 24 June 2016 at 07:20 BST after all 382 voting areas and
3321-561: 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 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
3444-525: The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 , political parties were permitted to provide funding for the referendum, although their spending was limited according to their performance at the 2015 general election and, under the rules, the political parties were limited to the maximum of each amount as follows: All other political parties who received less than 5% of the national vote share had their maximum spending limited to no more than £700,000. Unless individuals are officially registered with
3567-599: 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
3690-715: 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
3813-591: 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
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3936-485: 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
4059-759: 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,
4182-561: The 12 regions of the United Kingdom had declared their results. Of the voting areas a total of 263 returned majority votes in favour of leaving the European Union whilst 119 returned majority votes in favour of continued European Union membership including every council area within Scotland on a national turnout of 72% and in the voting regions Scotland, Northern Ireland and Greater London voted to remain whilst all other regions including Wales voted to leave. The Act made no provision for
4305-531: 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
4428-432: 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
4551-445: 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
4674-469: 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
4797-497: 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
4920-625: The Chief Counting Officer or Regional Counting Officers. The right to vote in the referendum applied to UK and Gibraltar residents who were British, Irish and Commonwealth citizens, in accordance with the provisions of the Representation of the People Act 1983 and the Representation of the People Act 2000 . Members of the House of Lords were able to vote in the referendum. Citizens of other EU countries resident in
5043-550: 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
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5166-467: The Electoral Commission, the maximum limit for spending in the referendum was to be no more than £10,000. The question that appeared on ballot papers in the referendum before the electorate under the Act was (in English): Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union? with the responses to the question to be marked with a single (X): Remain
5289-598: The European Communities Act and restate in UK law all enactments previously in force under EU law . This bill was expected to be introduced in the May 2017 parliamentary session and enacted before or during the Article 50 negotiations. It would not come into force until the date of exit. It would smooth the transition by ensuring that all laws remain in force until specifically repealed. This ultimately became
5412-591: 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
5535-486: The Government believes that voting to remain in the European Union is the best decision for the UK". This leaflet stated: "This is your decision. The government will implement what you decide". The Act legislated that the official referendum campaign period up until polling day would be of ten weeks' duration (which in the event ran from 15 April to 23 June 2016), with an official "purdah" period lasting four weeks (in
5658-508: The Government unilaterally) to decide whether, when, and how the UK should set aside legislation (in this case, the European Communities Act 1972 that makes the UK a member of the EU). The court held that the referendum was "advisory for the lawmakers in Parliament", enabling the electorate to influence Parliament in its policy decisions. In interpreting the intent of the Act, the court considered
5781-440: 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
5904-439: 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
6027-577: 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
6150-498: 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
6273-699: 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
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#17327652714856396-493: 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
6519-524: 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
6642-526: 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
6765-590: The UK Government to implement the results of the referendum, nor set a time limit by which a vote to leave the EU should be implemented. Instead, this was a type of referendum known as a pre-legislative or consultative referendum, which enables the electorate to voice an opinion which then influences the Government in its policy decisions. The referendums held in Scotland (1997) , Wales (1997) and Northern Ireland (1998) are examples of this type, where opinion
6888-404: The UK were not allowed to vote unless they were citizens of Ireland, Malta or Cyprus . The same Acts only permitted UK nationals who had lived overseas for less than 15 years to vote, thus excluding a large number of British Europeans who were directly concerned, from voting either. This meant that a total of around 46.5 million people would be eligible to cast a vote in the referendum. Voting on
7011-470: 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
7134-910: The United Kingdom's intention to leave both the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community by triggering Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union on Wednesday 29 March 2017. List of female members of the European Parliament for the United Kingdom Related: Women This is a list of women who were members of the European Parliament representing the United Kingdom . As well as those elected at European elections , it includes members appointed as delegates between 1973 and 1979. Liberal Democrats (UK) The Liberal Democrats (colloquially known as
7257-422: 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 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
7380-494: 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,
7503-418: 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
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#17327652714857626-444: 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
7749-408: 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
7872-406: The day of the referendum was from 07:00 to 22:00 BST ( Western European Summer Time ) (07:00 to 22:00 Central European Summer Time in Gibraltar) in some 41,000 polling stations staffed by over 100,000 officials. Each polling station was specified to have no more than 2,500 registered voters. Also under the provisions of the Representation of the People Act 2000 postal ballots were also permitted in
7995-404: The division of his party. However, the election proved indecisive, and marked the end of Heath's premiership as Prime Minister; Wilson became PM, and called a second election later in the year. Following the October 1974 general election , the Labour Party formed a minority administration and held the referendum on continued membership the following year, which was approved by 67% of voters. For
8118-504: 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
8241-436: 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, 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 ,
8364-766: The event running from 27 May until polling day) during which all government and public bodies were not permitted to comment or publish information specifically related to the subject of the referendum. Under this Act and the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 , the Electoral Commission had the authority to designate and to provide funding for two official lead campaign groups, one for "Remain" and one for "Leave". Each designated group had access to grants worth up to £600,000 as well as television spots and free leaflet drops. The Act declared that these designated groups were not permitted to spend overall more than £7 million. The Act permitted other registered campaign groups to participate but that their overall spending
8487-413: The following regions and declared the results for their regions as used under the European Parliamentary Elections Act 2002 : The Gibraltar results were fed into the South West England regional count. The regions each declared their results once all local voting areas had declared their local results early on Friday 24 June 2016. There was no provision under the Act for any national or regional recounts by
8610-404: 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
8733-713: 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
8856-578: The holding of any such referendum in the event they won the 2015 general election. On the Bill's second reading, on 9 June 2015, MPs voted by 544 to 53 in favour of the principle of holding a referendum with only the Scottish National Party opposing the Bill, and by 316 votes to 53 on its third reading in the Commons on 7 September 2015. The Act legislated for a referendum to be held in the United Kingdom and Gibraltar on whether to remain
8979-442: The holding of the referendum on that date. On Tuesday 21 June 2016, the Electoral Commission announced the provisional official number of eligible voters who were entitled to vote in the referendum on Thursday 23 June in each of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom and Gibraltar following the closing date for registration on Thursday 9 June 2016 (these figures include all Commonwealth and Irish citizens along with members of
9102-454: The instructions of the "Counting officers (CO)." It was the first time that a United Kingdom referendum was counted overnight as both the previous 1975 EC Referendum and the 2011 AV Referendum were counted during the course of the following day after polling stations closed. The Act also made provision for the results from the "voting areas" to fed into twelve "regional counts" to be overseen by Regional Counting Officers who were appointed in
9225-507: 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,
9348-541: 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
9471-525: 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
9594-432: 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
9717-570: The minimum age to 16 years was rejected. On the morning of Saturday 20 February 2016 Prime Minister David Cameron held a special cabinet meeting in 10 Downing Street with his fellow Ministers (the first such meeting to be held on a Saturday since 3 April 1982 at the start of the Falklands War ). Following the meeting, he announced outside the door of No 10 that the referendum would be held on Thursday 23 June 2016. On Monday 22 February 2016, Parliament enacted secondary legislation to authorise
9840-495: The new system of voting without further legislation, provided that the boundary changes also provided for in the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011 were also implemented. In the event, there was a substantial majority against any change. The 1975 referendum was held after the re-negotiated terms of the UK's EC membership had been agreed by all EC Member States and the terms set out in
9963-664: 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
10086-507: 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
10209-471: 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
10332-537: 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
10455-438: 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 ,
10578-468: 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,
10701-537: 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
10824-579: 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
10947-437: 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 ,
11070-432: 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,
11193-540: 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
11316-499: 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
11439-601: 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
11562-527: 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
11685-768: 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
11808-510: 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
11931-448: 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
12054-413: 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
12177-426: The precedents of previous UK referendums. As a consequence, the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill 2017 was introduced into Parliament to gain Parliament's consent for the invocation of Article 50 . European Union law remains enforceable in the United Kingdom until or unless the European Communities Act 1972 is repealed. In October 2016, Theresa May promised a " Great Repeal Bill ", which would repeal
12300-409: 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
12423-434: The public feel the wording was not balanced and there was a perception of bias" and proposed a change in the wording of the question. The proposed change was accepted by the government, shortly before the Bill's third reading. Under the provisions of the Act, the designation of a "voting area" (also known by some as "Counting areas") on the day of the referendum was to be overseen by "Counting officers" (CO) who were to declare
12546-554: The referendum and were sent out to eligible voters some three weeks ahead of the vote (2 June 2016). Residents of the Isle of Man , and the other Crown Dependencies Jersey and Guernsey , were not eligible to vote in the referendum, as those territories are not part of the UK [nor of the EU]. The minimum age for voters in the referendum was 18 years, in accordance with Representation Acts (above). A House of Lords amendment proposing to lower
12669-631: The referendum would take place on 23 June 2016. In the referendum , the electorate voted by 51.9 per cent to 48.1 per cent in favour of leaving the EU, on a 72 per cent national turnout. The Act became spent upon the conclusion of the referendum. On 1 January 1973, the United Kingdom and Gibraltar joined what was then known as the European Communities , under terms negotiated by the then Conservative Prime Minister Edward Heath . In accordance with British constitutional convention , specifically that of parliamentary sovereignty , accession
12792-420: The result of the referendum. In the event of a "Leave" vote, it was expected that the government would decide whether, when, and under what circumstances, the UK would invoke Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union to begin a two-year process of negotiations for Britain to leave the EU. Since the Act was also silent on the question of executive prerogative , the question of whether the government or Parliament
12915-418: The result to be legally binding on the government or on any future government; legally it was merely advisory. The result of the referendum required a single majority vote of the United Kingdom and Gibraltar with no super majorities, no double majorities of the constituent countries, nor any minimum turnout threshold required for the vote to pass. The Act did not specify any specific consequences that would follow
13038-509: The results of their local areas within the United Kingdom and Gibraltar as follows: There were a total of 382 voting areas. 326 in England, 32 in Scotland, 22 in Wales and single areas for Northern Ireland and Gibraltar. The local counts in the voting areas began from 22:00 BST ( Western European Summer Time ) on Thursday 23 June 2016 after all polling stations had closed. Recounts within "voting areas" were permitted when circumstances require under
13161-448: The second reading of the Bill was supported by MPs from all parties except the SNP ; the Bill subsequently passed on its third reading in the Commons on 7 September 2015. It was approved by the House of Lords on 14 December 2015, and given Royal Assent on 17 December 2015. The Act came partly into force on the same day and came into full legal force on 1 February 2016. The Act gave effect to
13284-655: 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
13407-420: 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
13530-436: 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
13653-473: 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 ,
13776-405: 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
13899-461: Was entitled to invoke Article 50 was the subject of court proceedings ( Miller's case) . James Eadie QC, acting for the government, submitted in his address to the court that, because the Act is silent, it would imply that Parliament chose not to limit prerogative powers in this matter. On 3 November 2016, the High Court in London ruled that it is the responsibility of Parliament (and not of
14022-473: 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
14145-547: 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
14268-464: Was limited to a maximum of £700,000. Spending by unregistered groups was limited by the Act to a maximum of £10,000. The Electoral Commission announced the official "Remain" and "Leave" designated groups before the beginning of the official campaign period (on 13 April 2016) ahead of the deadline on 14 April 2016: Britain Stronger in Europe for "Remain" and Vote Leave for "Leave". Under the Act and
14391-478: 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
14514-563: Was not subject to approval by referendum. Both the Conservative Party and the Labour Party were divided over the issue, and the European Communities Act 1972 was passed due to sufficient Labour abstentions to counteract the number of rebel Tories. In the run-up to the February 1974 general election , the Labour Party manifesto promised a referendum "on renegotiated terms", which its leader Harold Wilson hoped would end
14637-508: 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
14760-407: 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
14883-406: Was tested before legislation was introduced. The UK does not have constitutional provisions which would require the results of a referendum to be implemented, unlike, for example, Ireland, where the circumstances in which a binding referendum should be held are set out in its constitution . In contrast, the legislation which provided for the referendum held on AV in May 2011 would have implemented
15006-622: 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,
15129-408: 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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