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Top 100 Most Influential Liberals

Stephen Tall has started an interesting thread over at Lib Dem voice:

Who are the most influential Liberals in the UK?

Well, I can certainly make a case for many individuals, but I am interested to hear what other people think (Omissions or errors are my own and these are people who are British and are either open supporters of the Liberal Democrats or are thought to support the party (some may be controversial... :-) ).

HM The Queen
Nick Clegg MP/Chris Huhne MP
Vince Cable MP
Graham Watson MEP, Leader of ALDE
Lord Rennard- Chief Executive of the Liberal Democrats
Sir Menzies Campbell QC MP
Amartya Sen- Winner of the Nobel Prize for Economics
Lord Ashdown of Norton sub Hambdon- former High Rep to Bosnia and Party Leader
Simon Hughes MP
Martin Wolf- Respected Economist and journalist
Richard Dawkins- Militant Atheist
Shami Chakraborty- Head of Liberty (formerly NCCL)
Adair Turner- (former Head CBI)
Charles Kennedy MP
David Laws MP
Lord Steel of Aikwood
Lady Williams of Crosby
Lord Navnit Dholakia
Lembit Opik MP
Nicol Stephen MSP
Edward Davey MP
Paul Marshall- Founder Centre Forum, co editor, The Orange Book
Norman Baker MP
Malcolm Bruce MP- Mentor to many in the new generation & 2nd longest serving Lib Dem MP
Professor Steve Webb MP
Paul Burstow MP- Chief Whip
Lord Avebury- veteran human rights campaigner & victor of Orpington
Norman Lamb MP
Lynne Featherstone MP
Danny Alexander MP
Dr Evan Harris MP
David Heath MP
Lord Carlile- Government Legal Advisor
Lord Tom McNally
Alastair Carmichael MP
Lord Lester- Legal Campaigner
Lord Tim Razzall
Susan Kramer MP
Jo Swinson MP
Lord Wallace of Saltaire- academic and foreign affairs specialist
Lord Alliance- business tycoon
Julia Goldsworthy MP
Roger Williams MP
Lady Neuberger- Progressive Rabbi
Nick Harvey MP
Don Foster MP
Edward Lucas- The Economist journalist
Jeremy Browne MP
Lord Vallance- former CEO of BT
Lord Clement Jones- Party Treasurer
Alan Beith MP
Eamon Butler- CEO, The Adam Smith Institute
Sir Robert Smith Bt MP
Tavish Scott MSP
Mike Rumbles MSP
Ross Finnie MSP
Nick Harvey MP
Saj Karim MEP
Brian Paddick
Iain Smith MSP
Lord Paul Tyler
Mike German AM
Jonathan Calder- Columnist and blogger
Peter Black AM
Lord Tope AM
Baroness Ludford MEP
Lord Tony Greaves
Baroness Jane Bonham-Carter
Baroness Joan Walmsley
Tessa Munt- Member of the Federal Executive
Baroness Scott of Needham Market
Baroness Emma Nicolson MEP
Bill Newton Dunn MEP
Elspeth Attwooll MEP
Lord Robert Maclennan of Rogart
David Walter- Author
Lord Hugh Dykes
Lord Richard Holme of Cheltenham
Roy Thomson- Scottish stalwart and member of the Federal Executive
Baroness Jenny Tonge
Lord Dominic Addington
Sandi Toksvig- comic
Stephen Tall
Baroness Kishawer Falkner of Margravinie
Craig Harrow- Scottish Campaigner
Serena Tierney- Campaigner
Liz Lynne MEP
Baroness Ray Michie of Gallanach
Lord Robin Teverson- former MEP
Baroness Diana Maddock
Lord Rupert Redesdale
Marie Louise Rossi- Co-founder The Peel Group
Janet Street Porter- Journalist and style commentator
Rosie Boycott- Former editor, The Independent
Lib Dem bloggers
John Hemming MP
Jeremy Thorpe- Former Leader
Claire Rayner- Columnist & agony aunt
Gordon Lishman- director of Age Concern.
Chris Davies MEP
Barry Norman- film critic
Andy Kershaw- World music guru
John Cleese- comic and writer
Phillippe Legrain- author and former Britain in Europe economist
Nicolas Parsons- Presenter of Just a Minute

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Comments

Anonymous said…
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=9426357164

Are you on facebook, Cicero? If so check out this group for Bruce fans.
4:39 pm
Liberal Polemic said…
I love the way the Queen comes top of the list, as though it is in order of precedence :o)
5:01 pm
Nich Starling said…
I'm surprised Norman lamb does not feature. i think he came 5th in the list of "media tarts", Lib dems who get the most publicity.
5:25 pm
Cicero said…
Yes- Quite Right Nich- He should be there- somewhere in the teens I think...
6:00 pm
Anonymous said…
I'm sure Craig Harrow would be amused to see himself in the top 100! And one minor correction, Julia Neuberger is a Liberal or Progressive Rabbi - she's not Reform

Jon Sacker
9:27 pm
Anonymous said…
So basically anybody and everybody who's a member...
9:36 pm
Cicero said…
OK Jon- I can edit that.

I put Craig in because he is quite likely to end up in the Scottish Prliament and he is indicative of several figures, lke iobhan Mathers and Chales Dundas who I respect- and I hought it would make him laugh.

Ordovicius, well there are around 70,000 members I think, so a list o around 100 is not that many
10:11 pm
Anonymous said…
Aymartha Sen - surely Amartya Sen?

Somehow I would have wanted to see Jeremy Browne on that list, as a future prospect. And he is a member of the advisory board of the think tank Reform.

Maybe you could have also nicked some of the suggestions about influential non-partisan intellectuals from the LDV comments.
10:37 pm
Alex S said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
2:54 am
Alex S said…
I would add the liberal economist Sam Brittan - not sure how influential he is in Lib Dem circles but his ideas (on things like immigration and land value tax as well as the 'standard' free-market fare) *should* gain greater currency in the party in my opinion.

Among journalists I would add Henry Porter (for his passionate defence of civil liberties), Simon Jenkins (for his tireless advocacy of localism) and I'd second Martin Wolf (economic liberalism) and add Hamish Mcrae.

I'd also include Jeremy Browne MP because, although he lacks experience, he seems more prepared to grasp the nettle on reform of public services - that, wherever possible, power needs to be devolved all the way down to individuals and not only local government - than just about any other Lib Dem MP.

Among bloggers, it's probably invidious to name names but I'd add the estimable Stephen Tall and whole-heartedly agree with Jonathan Calder.

More controversially, are there any MPs in other parties who influence Lib Dem thinking (in the way Iain Dale mischievously included David Laws and Nick Clegg in the list of most influential Tories)? I leave that question open...
3:07 am
Anonymous said…
Jasper Gerrard and Henry Porter
10:48 am
Anonymous said…
http://www.newstatesman.com/200710250010

Nicholas Blincoe
10:49 am
Anonymous said…
How incredibly London-centric!

Liberals wield massive influence throughout the country. I would suggest in local government start with Richard Kemp, who I think still leads the Local Government Association group but is also incredibly influential in terms of training and oversight of local government. There are many others.
3:49 pm
Cicero said…
Well, jon, I would dispute the idea that a list which includes so many MEPs MSPs and AMs was London-centric exactly, but take your point that many Lib Dem councillors are extremely influential. Certainly we have representation on COSLA which is pretty significant in Scotland. However most local councillors influence is limited to their local area, henc Stephen Tall is in the list as a blogger, not because he is Depute Lord Mayor of Oxford.
5:19 pm
Cicero said…
Anon- typ corrected, Jeremy Browne added
5:25 pm
Anonymous said…
Not sure about all those MSPs and MEPs (who do they influence ...?).

Support the inclusion of Hamish McRrae.

I'm surprised that Mike Smithson (Political Betting) is not on there. See:
http://politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2004/03/24/about-politicalbettingcom/

And what about the Elephant?
3:59 pm
Anonymous said…
Or indeed or namesake Jonathan Oates - who is the Party's Director of Strategy...
10:55 am
Matt Wardman said…
I knew there was one more:

Craig Murray.
11:39 am
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
1:32 pm
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
5:53 pm
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