List of Liberal Party and Liberal Democrats (UK) general election manifestos
This is a list of the British Liberal Party, SDP–Liberal Alliance, and Liberal Democrats general election manifestos since the 1900 general election.
From 1900 to 1918, the Liberal general election manifesto was usually published as a form of a short personal address by the leader of the Party. From 1922, the party usually published a more formal document.
From the 1900 election to the 1979 election the party went to the polls as the Liberal Party. In 1983 and 1987, the party went to the polls under the banner of the "Alliance", as a result of the pact between the Liberals and the Social Democratic Party, which formed as a breakaway from Labour in 1981. Since 1992 it has competed as the Liberal Democrats, due to the merger of the Liberals and the SDP in 1988.
From 2010 to 2015, the Liberal Democrats, having signed an agreement with the Conservatives, served as junior partner in the first coalition government since the Second World War.
Election | Leader | Election winner | Manifesto title | Link to text |
---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | Jo Swinson | Conservative | Stop Brexit, Build a Brighter Future | [1] |
2017 | Tim Farron | Hung (Conservative) | Change Britain's Future | [2] |
2015 | Nick Clegg | Conservative | Stronger Economy. Fairer Society. Opportunity for Everyone. | [3] |
2010 | Nick Clegg | Hung (Conservative-led coalition) | Change That Works for You | [4] |
2005 | Charles Kennedy | Labour | The Real Alternative | [5] |
2001 | Charles Kennedy | Labour | Freedom, Justice, Honesty | [6][7] |
1997 | Paddy Ashdown | Labour | Make the Difference | [8][9] |
1992 | Paddy Ashdown | Conservative | Changing Britain for Good | [10][11] |
1987 | David Steel | Conservative | Britain United – The Time Has Come | [12][13] |
David Owen | ||||
1983 | David Steel | Conservative | Working Together for Britain | [14][15] |
Roy Jenkins | ||||
1979 | David Steel | Conservative | The Real Fight Is for Britain | [16][17] |
October 1974 | Jeremy Thorpe | Labour | Why Britain Needs Liberal Government | [18][19] |
February 1974 | Jeremy Thorpe | Hung (Labour) | Change the Face of Britain | [20][21] |
1970 | Jeremy Thorpe | Conservative | What a Life! | [22][23] |
1966 | Jo Grimond | Labour | For All the People: The Liberal Plan of 1966 | [24][25] |
1964 | Jo Grimond | Labour | Think for Yourself | [26][27] |
1959 | Jo Grimond | Conservative | People Count | [28][29] |
1955 | Clement Davies | Conservative | Crisis Unresolved | [30][31] |
1951 | Clement Davies | Conservative | The Nation's Task | [32][33] |
1950 | Clement Davies | Labour | No Easy Way: Britain's Problems and the Liberal Answers | [34][35] |
1945 | Archibald Sinclair | Labour | 20 Point Manifesto of the Liberal Party | [36][37] |
1935 | Herbert Samuel | National Government | 1935 Liberal Party General Election Manifesto | [38] |
1931 | Herbert Samuel | National Government | Liberal Address to the Nation | [39] |
1929 | David Lloyd George | Hung (Labour) | David Lloyd George's Election Address | [40] |
1924 | H. H. Asquith | Conservative | The Liberal Manifesto | [41] |
1923 | H. H. Asquith | Hung (Labour) | A Call to the Nation | [42] |
1922 | H. H. Asquith | Conservative | Manifesto to the Nation | [43] |
1918 | H. H. Asquith | Hung (Conservative-dominated coalition) | Herbert Asquith's Election Address | [44] |
December 1910 | H. H. Asquith | Hung (Liberal with Irish Nationalist support) | Herbert Asquith's Election Address | [45] |
January 1910 | H. H. Asquith | Hung (Liberal with Irish Nationalist support) | Herbert Asquith's Election Address | [46] |
1906 | Henry Campbell-Bannerman | Liberal | Henry Campbell-Bannerman's Election Address | Archived July 22, 2002, at the Wayback Machine |
1900 | Henry Campbell-Bannerman | Conservative | Manifesto of the National Liberal Federation | [47] |
See also
Liberalism portal
- List of Conservative Party (UK) general election manifestos
- List of Labour Party (UK) general election manifestos
Further reading
- Iain Dale, Liberal Party general election manifestos, 1900–1997, Routledge, 2000, ISBN 0-415-20591-3