Robert Maclennan, Baron Maclennan of Rogart

The Right Honourable The Lord Maclennan of Rogart PC
Official portrait of Lord Maclennan of Rogart
President of the Liberal Democrats
In office 1 January 1995 – 31 December 1998
Leader	Paddy Ashdown
Preceded by	Charles Kennedy
Succeeded by	Diana Maddock
Leader of the Liberal Democrats Acting
In office 3 March 1988 – 16 July 1988 Serving with David Steel
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Paddy Ashdown
Leader of Social Democratic Party
In office 28 August 1987 – 16 July 1988
Preceded by	David Owen
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Undersecretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection
In office 4 March 1974 – 4 May 1979
Prime Minister	Harold Wilson James Callaghan
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Member of Parliament for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross Caithness and Sutherland (1966–1992)
In office 31 March 1966 – 7 June 2001
Preceded by	George Mackie
Succeeded by	John Thurso
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
Incumbent
Assumed office 19 July 2001 Life Peerage
Personal details
Born	(1936-06-26) 26 June 1936 Glasgow, United Kingdom
Political party	Labour (Before 1981) Social Democratic (1981–1988) Liberal Democrats (1988–present)
Alma mater	Balliol College, Oxford Trinity College, Cambridge Columbia University

Robert Adam Ross Maclennan, Baron Maclennan of Rogart, PC (born 26 June 1936, Glasgow), known popularly as Bob Maclennan, is a British Liberal Democrat life peer. He was the last leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), serving during the negotiations that led to its merger with the Liberal Party in 1988. He then became joint interim leader of the new party, known as the Social and Liberal Democrats (SLD) before later becoming the Liberal Democrats.

Early life

MacLennan's father, Sir Hector MacLennan, was a renowned gynaecologist and obstetrician. His mother, Isobel Adam, was also a doctor and public health activist. He was educated at Glasgow Academy; Balliol College, Oxford; Trinity College, Cambridge; and Columbia University, New York City. He is the brother to David MacLennan, Elizabeth MacLennan, and Kenneth MacLennan.

In Parliament

MacLennan, then SDP leader, addressing the Liberal Assembly in 1987

He became Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency of Caithness and Sutherland in 1966, and serving until 1997; and for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross after boundary changes, from 1997 to 2001.

He was first elected as a member of the Labour Party and served as a junior minister in the Labour government of 1974–1979, but in 1981 defected to become a founder member of the SDP. He was one of the few SDP MPs to keep their seats in the 1983 general election. After his stint as SDP Leader in 1988, he served as a front bench spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, and as their president from 1994 until 1998.

He was appointed to the Privy Council in 1997.

After his retirement at the 2001 General Election, he was raised to the House of Lords, elevated to a life peer as Baron Maclennan of Rogart, of Rogart in Sutherland. He was the party's Cabinet Office and Scotland spokesman in the House of Lords until 2015.

Styles of address

• 1936–1966: Mr Bob Maclennan
• 1966–1997: Mr Bob Maclennan MP
• 1997–2001: The Rt Hon Bob Maclennan MP
• 2001: The Rt Hon Bob Maclennan
• 2001–present: The Rt Hon The Lord Maclennan of Rogart PC

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Robert Maclennan
• Lord Maclennan of Rogart profile at the site of Liberal Democrats