18/12/2007

Clegg Elected To Head Lib Dems

Nick Clegg has been elected the new leader of the Liberal Democrats.

He beat Chris Huhne by a narrow margin, polling 20,988 votes to his rival's 20,477, after a two-month contest sparked by the resignation of Sir Menzies Campbell.

The 40-year-old beat Chris Huhne to become the party's third leader in two years - in a contest that turned out to be even closer than expected.

Mr Clegg, an ex-journalist and former Euro MP, won 20,988 votes to the 20,477 votes cast for Mr Huhne by members.

In his acceptance speech Mr Clegg said he wanted his leadership to be about "ambition and change", saying "we want to change politics and change Britain".

He said he wanted to mark the "beginning of Britain's liberal future".

(BMcC)

Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

23 September 2009
Lib Dem 'Not A Wasted Vote' Says Clegg
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has urged discontented Labour voters to switch to 'yellow' rather than 'blue'. Mr Clegg, speaking from his party's conference in Bournemouth, said a vote for the Lib Dems was not a wasted one, claiming the Tories should not be allowed to 'sleepwalk' into government. "You don't think we're contenders.
01 March 2013
Lib Dems Win Eastleigh By-Election
The Conservative party has been pushed into third place in the Eastleigh by-election, behind the Liberal Democrats and the UK Independence Party. Liberal Democrat Mike Thornton won the by-election in what Nick Clegg described as a "stunning victory", secured "against the odds".
04 November 2014
Lib Dem MP Says Working For Home Secretary Is Like 'Walking Through Mud'
Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker has said that working for the Home Secretary Theresa May was a "constant battle" and like "walking through mud". Mr Baker made the comments as he resigned from his post as a Home Office minister. He added that he felt Theresa May considered that she was in a "Conservative government with a few Lib Dems in it".
22 April 2010
Clegg Critised In Lead Up To Next TV Debate
Gordan Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg are preparing for the second of three ministral TV Debates. The Lib Dem leader has come under recent attack over political donations and policies with the party claiming he is being "smeared" ahead of the second TV debate.
23 May 2011
UK Pylon Design Challenge Launched
Architects, designers, engineers and students are being challenged to rethink one of the most crucial but controversial features of modern Britain: the electricity pylon.