Liberal Democrat Leaders

EDM number 982 in 1998-99, proposed by Anthony Steen on 03/11/1999.

That this House take note of the appointment of the honourable Member for Newbury as the new leader of the Liberal Democratic Party 'outside Westminster', reported in the local journal, Newbury Weekly News (21st October) as saying that the Right honourable Member for Ross, Skye and Inverness West 'will be leading the party in Westminster and I will be leading it outside of Westminster'; regards it as unusual for the contender who came last in the leadership contest actually to lead the party everywhere except in Parliament; notes that the Liberal Democrats make statements about absolutely anything to get column inches in the local press, and make statements of opposing points of view on any chosen subject, at any moment, in order to curry favour with absolutely everybody; considers it a well-established LibDem principle to dress up a humiliating and serious defeat as a glorious victory; and calls upon Her Majesty's Government to make clear whether the Leader of the Liberal Democrats outside Westminster, in addition to the Leader of the Liberal Democrats at Westminster, will be invited to attend the Joint Cabinet Committee.

This motion has been signed by a total of 10 MPs.