All the latest breaking news on the UK political party, the Liberal Democrats. Browse The THEGAYUK’s complete collection of features and commentary on the Liberal Democrats.
As a reminder to where Scottish MPs stood on one of the most recent and important pieces of legislation affecting the LGBT+ community in the UK, we’ve listed all the MSPs who voted for same-sex marriage in 2014.
Here is the full list of MSPs who voted for same-sex marriage in Scotland.
CONSERVATIVES
Jackson Carlaw (West Scotland)
Ruth Davidson (Glasgow)
Annabel Goldie (West Scotland)
John Lamont (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire)
Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands)
John Scott (Ayr)
SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY
George Adam (Paisley)
Clare Adamson (Central Scotland)
Christian Allard (North East Scotland)
Colin Beattie (Midlothian North and Musselburgh)
Marco Biagi (Edinburgh Central)
Chic Brodie (South Scotland)
Keith Brown (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane)
Margaret Burgess (Cunninghame South)
Aileen Campbell (Clydesdale)
Roderick Campbell (North East Fife)
Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley)
Angela Constance (Almond Valley)
Bruce Crawford (Stirling)
Graeme Dey (Angus South)
Nigel Don (Angus North and Mearns)
Bob Doris (Glasgow)
James Dornan (Glasgow Cathcart)
Jim Eadie (Edinburgh Southern)
Annabelle Ewing (Mid Scotland and Fife)
Linda Fabiani (East Kilbride)
Joe FitzPatrick (Dundee City West)
Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North)
Rob Gibson (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross)
Jamie Hepburn (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth)
Fiona Hyslop (Linlithgow)
Adam Ingram (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley)
Colin Keir (Edinburgh Western)
Bill Kidd (Glasgow Anniesland)
Richard Lochhead (Moray)
Kenny MacAskill (Edinburgh Eastern)
Gordon MacDonald (Edinburgh Pentlands)
Derek Mackay (Renfrewshire North and West)
Mike MacKenzie (Highlands and Islands)
Michael Matheson (Falkirk West)
Stewart Maxwell (West Scotland)
Joan McAlpine (South Scotland)
Mark McDonald (Aberdeen Donside)
Christina McKelvie (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse)
Aileen McLeod (South Scotland)
Fiona McLeod (Strathkelvin and Bearsden)
Stuart McMillan (West Scotland)
Alex Neil (Airdrie and Shotts)
Gil Paterson (Clydebank and Milngavie)
Dennis Robertson (Aberdeenshire West)
Shona Robison (Dundee City East)
Michael Russell (Argyll and Bute)
Alex Salmond (Aberdeenshire East)
Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast)
Kevin Stewart (Aberdeen Central)
Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow Southside)
John Swinney (Perthshire North)
David Torrance (Kirkcaldy)
Maureen Watt (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine)
Paul Wheelhouse (South Scotland)
Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin)
John Wilson (Central Scotland)
LABOUR
Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton)
Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife)
Richard Baker (North East Scotland)
Jayne Baxter (Mid Scotland and Fife)
Claudia Beamish (South Scotland)
Neil Bibby (West Scotland)
Sarah Boyack (Lothian)
Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh Northern and Leith)
Kezia Dugdale (Lothian)
Mary Fee (West Scotland)
Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn)
We have divided the main issues into six sections:
Education: specific classes and lessons in sex and relationship education and a commitment to tackle bullying.
Crime: a specific look into tackling hate crime on the basis of sexual/gender orientation. Better support for domestic violence victims and survivors.
Workplace: a specific look into tackling inequality in the workplace.
Healthcare: a specific look into policies affecting mental, sexual health, PrEP and transgender/intersex issues.
In politics: What laws will be amended and changed to fully equalise the LGBT community.
On the world stage: What will the next government do to show that the UK is a beacon of LGBT rights?
We have also only taken parties that have a national footprint.
CONSERVATIVES
Number of mentions of LGBT: 0
Education: No specific mentions of LGBT+ sex or relationship education
Crime: No specific mention of LGBT+ but pledged: “push forward with our plan for tackling hate crime committed on the basis of religion, disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity”
Workplace: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Healthcare: No specific mention of healthcare reforms for LGBT people – including PrEP.
In politics: Nothing specific to LGBT+
On the world stage: “We will expand our global efforts to combat extremism, terror, and the perpetration of violence against people because of their faith, gender or sexuality”.
LABOUR
Number of mentions of LGBT: 11
Education: Teachers will be given training on how to deal with bullying.
They’ll also ensure that new guidance is issued on relationships and LGBT-inclusive sex education.
Crime: Labour pledges to bring the law on LGBT hate crimes into line with hate crimes based on race and faith, by making them aggravated offences.
Workplace: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Healthcare: Labour has pledged that it will work to “reverse the damage done to mental health services under this Tory government, which is particularly hitting services for LGBT and BAME communities”.
Labour also pledges that frontline healthcare professionals receive ongoing training to understand and meet the needs of LGBT patients and service users.
And PrEP? Well, they pledge that “NHS England completes the trial programme to provide PrEP as quickly as possible, and fully roll out the treatment to high-risk groups to help reduce HIV infection”.
In politics: They pledge to reform the Gender Recognition Act, which will protect trans people by changing the protected characteristic of ‘gender assignment’ to ‘gender identity’. They also pledge to remove outdated language such as “transexual”.
On the world stage: Labour have announced that they will “appoint dedicated global ambassadors for women’s rights, LGBT rights and religious freedom to fight discrimination and promote equality globally”
LIBERAL DEMOCRATS
Number of mentions of LGBT: 5
Education: The Lib Dems have promised to review sex education in schools saying that they will include lessons on sexual consent, LGBT+ relationships and issues surrounding explicit images and content.
Crime: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Workplace: The Lib Dems want companies with more than 250 employees to publish data on their employment of BAMEs LGBTs and pay gaps.
Healthcare: The Liberal Democrats have promised to ensure that “LGBT+ inclusive mental health services receive funding and support”. They also want to make PrEP available on the NHS.
In politics: The Lib Dems pledge to introduce legislation that will allow for all-BAME and all LGBT+ parliamentary shortlists.
On the world stage: The Liberal Democrats pledge a commitment to promoting the “decriminalisation of homosexuality around the world and advancing the cause of LGBT+ rights”.
UKIP
Number of mentions of LGBT: 1
n education: UKIP will end sex education in primary schools. Will look into whether further legislation is required to tackle cyberbullying.
On health: Nothing specific to the LGBT+ community, but promised to increase funding for mental health. Will also hold a review into editorial codes of the media, to promote “healthy body images”.
On politics: UKIP pledge to test the social attitudes of those who are seeking to immigrate to the UK. They wrote,
“…we do not believe in treating women or gay people as second-class citizens, and we hold to a fundamental belief in democracy and free speech. UKIP’s points-based immigration system will, therefore, include one further major principle: we will test the social attitudes of migration applicants to foster community cohesion and protect core British values”.
UKIP also will repeal Labour’s Human Rights legislation and remove the UK from the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights”. They will replace with a new UK Bill of rights.
On crime: Nothing specific to the LGBT+ community.
On the world stage: Nothing specific to the LGBT+ community
THE GREEN PARTY
Number of mentions of LGBT: Have released an entirely separate LGBT+ Manifesto.
They have released an entire LGBT+ manifesto. Which includes the following pledges:
Education: Sexual and relationship education for all students. Require every school to have an anti-bullying programme. Provide teachers with training to provide LGBT+ inclusive education.
Crime: Greens pledge to “Combat all forms of antiLGBTIQA+ prejudice and violence through improved hate crime protections”.
Workplace: Noting specific to LGBT+
Healthcare: Wide-ranging policies affecting the Trans and Intersex community. Including, giving people “personal autonomy in all medical decisions” and “Improve access to medical services and gender identity clinics, particularly for trans and non-binary young people.” They have said they would also, “Protect the welfare state in the face of Government cuts and preserve the vital security net many LGBTIQA+ people rely upon”.
In politics: Has pledged to make same-sex marriage “truly equal” to include pension rights. They will also open civil partnerships to opposite-sex couples. Will “Apologise to and pardon all 50,000–100,000 people convicted of consenting adult same-gender sexual relations under antisodomy laws that have now been repealed.”
On the world stage: The Greens have said, “The Green Party would speak out against those countries that discriminate against, marginalise and kill LGBTIQA+ citizens, and work with countries leading the way in recognising and protecting” the LGBT+ community.
SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY
Number of mentions of LGBT: 5
Education: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Crime: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Workplace: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Healthcare: The SNP will support efforts to ensure PrEP becomes available on NHS to any who needs it in the UK.
In politics: The SNP pledge to push the UK Government to extend the Turing Bill pardon to gay men convicted of same-sex activity who are still alive today.
They also pledge to ensure that same-sex couple have equal pension rights and “protected characteristics are expanded to ensure all LGBTI people are fully protected from discrimination and harassment”.
On the world stage: The SNP pledge to reform the detention and asylum system for LGBT+ people escaping countries where homosexuality is still illegal. They also pledge to remove “unfair and invasive demands for ‘proof’ of sexuality or gender identity”.
They also say,
“SNP MPs will support the establishment of a special envoy to promote the rights of LGBTI people throughout the world, as an integral part of UK foreign policy – helping to alleviate the discrimination and persecution faced by LGBTI people in Chechnya and across the world”.
Plaid Cymru
Number of mentions of LGBT: 0
Education: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Crime: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Workplace: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Healthcare: No specific mention of healthcare reforms for LGBT people – including PrEP.
In politics: Has pledged to publish a “human rights charter” to provide human rights regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation.
On the world stage: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Democratic Unionist Party
Number of mentions of LGBT: 0
Education: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Crime: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Workplace: Nothing specific to LGBT+
Healthcare: No specific mention of healthcare reforms for LGBT people – including PrEP.
The Liberal Democrats are the latest political party to unveil their manifesto ahead of June’s snap General Election. We find out what pledges have been made to the UK’s LGBT community.
The Liberal Democrats manifesto mentions “LGBT” just five times unlike Labour’s which mentioned it 11 times. So what are the promises and pledges should the Lib Dems become our next Government.
Healthcare
The Liberal Democrats have promised to ensure that “LGBT+ inclusive mental health services receive funding and support”. They also want to make PrEP available on the NHS.
Education
The Lib Dems have promised to review sex education in schools saying that they will include lessons on sexual consent, LGBT+ relationships and issues surrounding explicit images and content.
Workplace
The Lib Dems want companies with more than 250 employees to publish data on their employment of BAMEs LGBTs and pay gaps.
Politics
The Lib Dems pledge to introduce legislation that will allow for all-BAME and all LGBT+ parliamentary shortlists.
On the world stage
The Liberal Democrats pledge a commitment to promoting the “decriminalisation of homosexuality around the world and advancing the cause of LGBT+ rights”.
The general election is a month away from today, but the big news last week was the already-scheduled local elections which took place throughout the country on Thursday.
The Tories, rather predictably, swept the local councils. Meanwhile, there hasn’t been this much Labour shock and pain since Sonia Fowler unexpectedly gave birth on EastEnders. The party suffered heavy losses throughout the country, while the Liberal Democrats similarly failed to accomplish the surge they were hoping. Likewise, UKIP was virtually wiped out by a Conservative Party which has annexed their pro-Brexit, anti-globalist agenda.
The full results in England show a Conservative Party in ascendency and virtually every other party losing ground to them, which bodes well for Theresa May as we look towards the next few weeks. That’s still to come, though, and four weeks is an eternity in politics. Meanwhile, let’s look back on the big gay week that was.
The biggest news undoubtedly comes from two hotly contested and highly anticipated inaugural mayoral races. In the former Labour heartland of the West Midlands, gay Conservative Party candidate Andy Street made history as the first openly gay metro mayor in the country’s history. In the final round, he narrowly defeated former Labour MP Sion Simon with a majority of just over 4,000 votes.
Still, the historic nature of Mr Street’s victory coupled with the fact that a Tory won in the West Midlands makes this accomplishment even more remarkable. It is also no doubt terrifying for Jeremy Corbyn. He is desperately trying to be the party of tolerance and openness while also holding on to the traditional working class heartlands which aren’t quite as keen on his metropolitan inclusiveness.
It wasn’t all bad news for Labour, though. Andy Burnham won the Manchester mayoral race. The former Secretary of State for Health and the politician with the most beautiful eyes (or is it just me?) won just over 63% of the vote, making him one of the most important Labour leaders in the country. He stood against Jeremy Corbyn for the party leadership in 2015, when his own questionable history on LGBT equality was made an issue by opponents. Mr Burnham has since said that his support for gay rights has led to rifts in his family, but that he does unequivocally support equality.
This is especially important as hate crimes have soared in Greater Manchester over the past few years, increasing by a third between November 2014 and October 2015. How Mr Burnham addresses the safety of the LGBT community, particularly in Manchester’s Gay Village, will be of vital interest to the local community and the LGBT activists across the nation.
The local elections were, as I said, the major story of the week – but they weren’t the only one. Of particular interest is the happenings in Ilford North, a key marginal constituency in North London. The seat is currently held by openly gay Labour MP Wes Streeting, a former NUS president and critic of Jeremy Corbyn. Before 2015 it was represented by Conservative Lee Scott, who is standing to take back the constituency this year. In an effort to help him do this, Ukip have decided not to stand a candidate of their own and instead back Mr Scott. Meanwhile, the Greens announced last week they are also standing down in order to back Mr Streeting.
Ilford North looks poised to become a – perhaps the – key Brexit battleground in London, if not the whole of England. Mr Streeting supported the Remain campaign but now accepts that Brexit is happening – though he’s hardly supporting the Hard Brexit of Theresa May. Ukip, on the other hand, see in Mr Lee and Mrs May two people who will support their vision of a Britain free from Europe and cracking down on immigration – that is, the Hard Brexit everyone keeps banging on about.
By standing down, Ukip all but guarantees Mr Lee’s victory. They took over 4,000 votes in 2015 – far more than Mr Streeting’s slim majority of 589. Looking at the results of the local elections, we see that the Conservatives have basically gobbled up Ukip like a late-night kebab.
It’s worth asking why the Conservative Party – long derided by Ukip as too pro-Europe – is suddenly so appealing to them under Theresa May. The Tories’ Brexit strategy is so similar to Ukip’s own platform that they’re willing to stand down, which should worry anyone who doesn’t want a Brexit harder than Tom Daley’s tushy.
While we’ll undoubtedly be talking about Ilford North more as the campaign carries on, there were some stories that flew under-the-radar this week but which are of particular interest to the LGBT community. The Tories selected former LGBT+ Conservatives vice chair Emma Warman to contest the relatively safe Green seat of Brighton Pavilion, currently represented by the Greens’ only MP (and co-leader), Caroline Lucas. Elsewhere in Brighton, the Tories are standing a woman who claims to be able to heal the deaf by prayer against openly gay Labour MP Peter Kyle. (No, seriously, they are.) Labour is standing openly trans Sophie Cook against anti-equality Tim Loughton in the Tory safe seat of East Worthing and Shoreham. And SNP MP John Nicholson claims an opponent accused him of hiring his wife to manage his constituency office. Only one problem: Mr Nicholson is openly gay and partnered. “My boyfriend will be so angry when he finds out,” he tweeted.
So that’s the second big gay week that was of this general election. If you’ve any tips you’d like me to consider for next week, please don’t hesitate to get in touch at skylar.baker-jordan@thegayuk.com. Until then, no matter which colour of the rainbow your rosette is, have a gay ole’ time out on those doorsteps.
In a flash poll taken by THEGAYUK, readers were split on whether a politician’s views on gay sex were an important consideration to them.
CREDIT: Ocus-Focus-bigstock
When asked if a politician’s views of what LGBT people do or don’t do in bed was a sin, an equal number of those surveyed answered yes and no. A flash poll undertaken by THEGAYUK showed that 47 percent of people thought that a politician’s views on the subject was an important factor to consider, whilst 47 percent did not. Six percent were unsure.
The poll comes after the leader of Liberal Democrats, Tim Farron was asked about his views on homosexuality. The committed Christian has been asked over and over on whether he considers homosexuality sinful.
“I tell you what, I am very proud to have gone through that lobby behind him there in the Coalition Government where the Liberal Democrats introduced gay marriage, equal marriage and, indeed, did not go as far as it should have done in terms of recognising transgender rights.
Replying to our poll, would be members of the electorate were keen to point out that “straight answers” to a simple question would be “refreshing” and that religious views would only be a problem if politicians wanted to “enforce that belief through politics”.
Guardian writer, Owen Jones however Tweeted,
“Tim Farron refusing to say whether gay sex is a sin is horribly damaging to young LGBT people struggling with their sexuality.
“So many LGBT people fear rejection by society. Hearing a national politician refuse to say whether gay sex is sinful causes hurt.”
The leader of the Liberal Democrats Tim Farron has yet again dodged a question about his thoughts on the morality of homosexuality.
Tim Farron, leader of the Liberal Democrats has once again failed to answer whether he thinks homosexuality is a sin or not, during an interview on Channel 4 with Cathy Newman.
Mr Farron who identifies as a Christian was unable to answer a question on whether he thought homosexuality was a sin. Ms Newman asked the 46-year-old politician, “A while back I asked you if you thought that homosexuality was a sin and you struggled to answer.
“Now you’ve had a while to consider that question, what is the answer?”
Mr Farron replied, “I don’t think I struggled to answer it at all, Cathy. I think I’m not in the position to make theological announcements over the next six weeks.
“I’m not going to spend my time talking theology or making pronouncements.”
The question follows on from an interview in 2015 where she asked, “Do you think as a Christian, that homosexual sex is a sin?” He was so evasive with his answer, Ms Newman asked him three times.
“One of the reasons I joined the liberals was because of lesbian and gay rights. Friends of mine were gay and I saw how they were treated and bullied. I want a society where people are valued for who they are.”
Tim Farron has commented on the detention and torture of gay men in Chechnya.
Commenting on reports that Chechnya has opened concentration camps for gay men, Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said:
“These reports from Chechnya are truly horrifying, and represent an extreme manifestation of increasing homophobic brutality and intolerance in Putin’s Russia.
“The UK government must strongly condemn this disgusting violence, and use every possibly opportunity to raise this with the Russian government, as well as in the UN and other international bodies.
“The UK must work with those who share our values to stop the mindless targeting of the LGBT community, which is still prevalent in too many countries across the world. Only through defending universal human rights will we ever hope to achieve a world in which every person can live, work and flourish without discrimination.
“It is disappointing that Boris Johnson has failed to stand up for these people by not visiting Russia after Trump told him to stay at home.”
John Leech, the former MP for Manchester Withington, has declared war on Tinder and Grindr, accusing the companies of a “serious and shocking lapse in care.”
The prominent Liberal Democrat has launched a campaign publicly calling on the dating apps Tinder and Grindr to display safety notices and dramatically increase the safety of users after a spike in related sexual assaults. Mr Leech wrote to the two leading applications after discovering that neither provided any notice of safety before allowing users to speak with complete strangers.
His demands come after he uncovered that 58 incidents across Greater Manchester, including rape and serious violence, were linked to the two apps.
John Leech, who will now lead a campaign to get dating apps to display safety notices, stressed his concerns saying:
“It is completely unacceptable that neither of the two leading dating apps display safety alerts or notices at any point from download to real life use, not even anything as simple as meeting somewhere public and letting a friend know where you’re going.
“Something as serious as rape has an enormous and life-shattering impact on so many lives, from the victim to their friends, family and co-workers. One is too many, but 17 in Greater Manchester is just unacceptable and these dating apps need to start taking preventative steps immediately.
“Tinder and Grindr should not be let off the hook over such a serious and shocking lapse in care to their users.
“They must introduce safety alerts immediately and dramatically increase the safety of users, and they must do it now.”
John Leech’s heavy words come as a Freedom of Information enquiry made by the former MP revealed that more than 58 crimes across Greater Manchester have been linked to the use of dating apps Tinder and Grindr, including rape and serious violence.
Of the 28 incidents related to Grindr, four resulted in rape, with a further ten other sexual offences. Theft, non-sexual violence and drug trafficking were also reported.
A much higher number of 13 out of the 30 reported Tinder incidents resulted in rape, with other violent offences making up a further 15.
John Leech, who now stands as the sole opposition on Manchester Council, added,
“I am extremely concerned to see that Manchester has one of the highest numbers of incidents, and in what I would desperately like to be seen as a safe and welcoming city, these numbers are distressingly high and must be tackled immediately.
“I fear that these worrying incidents are just the beginning of a much wider issue surrounding a serious lack of sexual and relationship education that must also be confronted.
“In an evolving and increasingly digital age where many people have found their perfect match through these dating apps, the real dangers of online dating must also be highlighted to ensure that these horrific and life-shattering crimes are avoided.”
Across the country, officers reported at least 162 sexual offences, including 63 rapes, linked to the two apps, which are used by more than 60 million people.
Tinder launched as a smartphone app in 2012 and Grindr, used largely by gay and bisexual men, in 2009.
Jane Brophy, the Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of Greater Manchester, said,
“These numbers are a serious cause for concern, and as more and more people use these apps we must get better at tackling the safety of users.”
Committing to tackling the concerning rise, Jane Brophyadded,
“Seeing an increase in sexual, health and relationship education, and a decrease in these assaults will be part of my plan to step forward for Greater Manchester.”
The Lord Brian Paddick has slammed the Psychoactive Substances Bill, which could make so called “legal highs” including Poppers illegal as “ridiculous”.
The newly elected leader of the Liberal Democrats has failed to quash fears about his moral views on homosexuality after failing to answer whether he thought gay sex was a sin or not.
During an interview on Channel 4 news earlier this week, Cathy Newman asked the new leader “Personally, do you think as a Christian, that homosexual sex is a sin?”
Christians “do not go around forcing their views on other people” he answered and failed to answer the question. Cathy Newman then quoted a Leviticus quote, to which he responded: “My faith is based upon my belief that Jesus Christ is who he said he is”
So evasive was he over the question she asked three times.
The Brian Paddick backed Tim Farron was elected the new leader of the Liberal Democrats after former Deputy Prime Minister and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg stood down.
Tim Farron has come under pressure after abstaining on the gay marriage vote.
Stewart McDonald MP for Glasgow South Tweeted,
“Sorry Tim, but it’ll take a lot more than sound bites to convince anyone that you’re serious about LGBT equality.”
@PaulBrandITV@timfarron Sorry Tim, but it'll take a lot more than sound bites to convince anyone that you're serious about LGBT equality.
Guardian columnist Giles Fraser suggested that if Tim Farron thought that gay sex was sinful that the future of the party was in trouble and that he was “utterly lost as a LibDem leader”.
If @timfarron really thinks gay sex is sinful then he is utterly lost as LibDem leader. And the LibDem's can only go further down.
In 2007 Tim Farron voted against the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations in 2007, a law which protects against discrimination based on sexual orientation in the provision of goods and services. The law was used to bring Asher’s Bakery in Northern Ireland to account for refusing to make a cake with a pro-gay marriage slogan on it.
The Brian Paddick backed candidate, Tim Farron has won the leadership battle to front the Liberal Democrats. Tim Farron is the party’s former president.
Speaking about Farron’s record on equality issues Paddick remarked,
“Tim Farron has come under a lot of criticism from people who either deliberately or simply misread Tim’s position when it came to votes in the House of Commons on equal marriage,
“He did ask for a change in the timetable to allow more discussion over complex issues around people who have honestly held beliefs who are currently employed as registrars, for example, who would feel very uncomfortable because it conflicts with their faith to conduct an equal marriage ceremony. He felt not enough time had been allowed in the parliamentary time belt to discuss those issues.”
Tim Farrow had been up against Norman Lamb who said,
“This leadership election has energised and united our party. Tim Farron will be a passionate leader of our party, championing social justice and leading from the front in our campaign to rebuild the liberal voice in our country. I will give him my full backing.”
A statement released by the Lib Dems said:
“We are delighted to announce that Tim Farron has been elected as Leader of the Liberal Democrats.
“In an all-member ballot for the leadership, 56% of members voted with the result revealed this afternoon.
“Tim Farron received 56.5% of the votes and in second place Norman Lamb received the backing of 43.5%.”
