Three years ago I drafted a personal and probably slightly eccentric list of the most influential liberal and Liberal Democrat figures in the UK.
How the political world has changed since then! At that point Ming Campbell was still the leader (albeit that he had already announced his resignation). The economic crisis was but a whisper away, though the scale of it was still unclear. The prospect of Liberal Democrat ministers at Westminster seemed gloomy indeed.
Alas some of the figures I named have died, others have forsworn their previously liberal allegiance. Yet, new Liberal Democrats can still be found- the list is therefore quite a bit different than it was three years ago. The order is rather random too...
HM The Queen
Nick Clegg MP- Deputy Prime Minister
Vince Cable MP- Business Secretary and best selling author
Danny Alexander MP- Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Chris Huhne- Energy & Environment Secretary
Graham Watson- Leader of the European Liberals, ALDE
Amartya Sen- Winner of the Nobel Prize for Economics
Simon Hughes MP- Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats
Chris Fox, Chief Executive of the Liberal Democrats
Mike Moore- Secretary of State for Scotland
David Laws MP
Jeremy Browne MP- Minister of State at the Foreign Office
Baroness (Ros) Scott- President of the Liberal Democrats
Nick Harvey- Minister of State at the MoD
Lord (Tom) McNally - Minister of State and Department of Justice
Alistair Carmichael MP- Deputy Chief Whip
Norman Lamb MP- Chief Advisor to Nick Clegg
Professor Steve Webb MP- Minister of State at the Department of Work & Pensions
Sarah Teather MP- Minister of State at the Department of Education
Lynne Featherstone MP- PuSS- Home Office
Paul Burstow MP- Minister of State at the Department of Health
Edward Davey MP- PuSS Department of Business
Norman Baker MP- PuSS Department of Transport
Andrew Stunnell MP- PuSS Department of Communities & Local Government
Lord (Paddy) Ashdown- former leader
Fiona Hall - Leader UK Lib Dem MEPs
Lord (David) Steel- former leader
David Heath MP - Deputy Leader of the House of Commons
Lord (Jim) Wallace - Advocate General for Scotland
Tavish Scott MSP- Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats
Adair Turner- former head of the CBI
Edward Lucas- International Editor, The Economist
Kirsty Williams AM- Leader Welsh Liberal Democrats
Jo Swinson MP- Deputy Leader Scottish Liberal Democrats
Lord (Alex) Carlile- Government Legal Advisor
Lord (Iain) Vallance- Former Chairman BT
Baroness (Shirley) Williams
Alison Suttie- Leaders Office
Colin Firth- Actor
Daniel Radcliffe- Actor
Sandi Toksvig- wit and broadcaster
Lord (Tim) Clement Jones- Party Treasurer
Lord (Tim) Razzall- Peers Representative Federal Executive
Lord Avebury- Veteran Campaigner
Lady (Julia) Neuberger- Progressive Rabbi
Sir Menzies Campbell QC MP- former leader
Charles Kennedy MP- former leader
Alan Beith MP- Longest serving MP
Malcolm Bruce- Chairman of International Development Select Committee
Roger Williams MP
Olly Grender- media guru
Lord (Navnit) Dholakia- past President
Jonny Oates- campaigns director
Sam Brittan- Economist
Mike Smithson- Political Betting Blogmaster
Craig Harrow- Convenor Scottish Party
Jonathan Calder- Liberal Blogfather
Richard Reeves- former head of Demos
Duncan Brack- Chatham House and Party Veteran
Janet Street-Porter
Rosie Boycott- former editor The Independent
Tim Farron MP- Candidate for President of the Party
Philippe Legrain- globalisation guru
Susan Kramer- former MP and likely candidate for London Mayor
Dee Doocey AM- London guru
Iain Smith MSP- former Scottish Minister
Lord (David) Shutt- Fundraiser and Lords whip
Ross Finnie MSP
Mike Rumbles MSP
Lord (Tony) Greaves
Baroness (Sarah) Ludford MEP
Lord (Dominic) Addington
Julian Huppert MP- Scientist
Richard Kemp- LGA Head
Cllr. Jenny Dawe- Leader City of Edinburgh
Dorothy Thornhill- Long serving elected Mayor of Watford
Cllr. David Faulkner- Leader City of Newcastle-on-Tyne
Cllr. Barbara Janke- Leader City of Bristol
Cllr. Carl Minns- Leader City of Hull
Cllr Derek Osborne- Leader LB Kingston on Thames
Cllr. John Stewart- Leader City of Aberdeen
Cllr. Gerald Vernon-Jackson- Leader City of Portsmouth
Cllr Sian Reid- Leader City of Cambridge
Cllr. Jeff Reid- Leader of Northumberland County Council
Duncan Borrowman- Long serving member Federal Executive
Lord (David) Aliiance- Businessman
Martin Wolf- Journalist and economic Liberal
Lord Lester- Lawyer
Baroness (Kishawer) Faulkner
Qassim Afzal- Long serving member Federal Executive and PPC
Richard Grayson- Academic and PPC
Mark Pack- Blogger
Don Foster MP
Neil Fletcher- Lib Dem rep on COSLA
Paul Marshall- Investor and Centre Forum Sponsor
Alex Cole-Hamilton- Scottish Activist
Eamonn Butler- CEO The Adam Smith Institute
Lord Wallace of Saltaire
Stephen Tall- Blogger
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