'We are back!': The chronicle of the Liberal Democrats as it secures a record-breaking tally in UK election

Edward Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, has called the party’s performance “record-breaking” as the Lib Dems secured 72 seats in the 2024 UK general elections. This marks the party’s best performance since 1923, and a significant improvement from their 2019 election performance, when they only secured 11 seats in the UK House of Commons.

Several key Conservative Party ministers, including UK Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, UK Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, UK Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, and UK Science Secretary Michelle Donelan, lost their seats to Liberal Democrat challengers.

Although the party had aimed to unseat UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in Godalming and Ash, he managed to retain his position with a slim majority of 891 votes.

However, the Liberal Democrats succeeded in Witney, formerly represented by ex-UK Prime Minister David Cameron, and in Maidenhead, the seat previously held by Theresa May.

With the performance of a century, we look back at the journey of the Liberal Democrats party, characterised with their flashing orange colour aimed at balancing different kinds of liberalism - social, economic, and political.

Liberal Democrats came later, first there was the Liberal Party

The roots of the Liberal Democrats trace back to the formation of the Liberal Party in 1859, with origins that stretch further back to the ideological struggles of the English Civil War.

The 17th century saw the establishment of two key parliamentary groupings: the Whigs and the Tories. The Whigs, inspired by the Glorious Revolution of 1688, supported the supremacy of Parliament over the monarchy, contrasting with the Crown-defending Tories.

In the late 18th century, the American Revolution and the French Revolution sparked renewed debate about governance. Under Charles James Fox, Britain’s first foreign secretary, the Whigs opposed then-Prime Minister William Pitt’s authoritarian measures during the Napoleonic Wars and began embracing a more popular agenda.

This led to the Great Reform Act of 1832, which started extending the franchise and necessitated politicians to engage with ordinary electors and radical elements outside Parliament.

The Liberal Party officially formed on June 6, 1859 when Whigs, Peelites (Robert Peel supporters), and Radicals united to overthrow a minority Conservative government. This union was solidified by the Peelites’ support for free trade, appealing to radicals and the working classes by keeping food cheap and making exports easier.

The ascent of the Liberal Party (1859-1911)

From its formation, the Liberal Party governed Britain for most of the next thirty years, benefitting from franchise extensions in 1867 and 1885.

William Ewart Gladstone, a four-time UK prime minister, was a key figure. Known for financial innovations, Gladstone replaced tariffs and customs duties with income tax and established parliamentary accountability for government spending. His support from Nonconformists came from his stance on religious questions affecting basic liberties and education.

Gladstone’s government, after winning the 1868 UK general election, disestablished the Church of Ireland, passed the first Education Act, and introduced the secret ballot. His return to power in 1880 saw the Liberals focus on Irish peace, attempting (unsuccessfully) to pass a home rule bill, which split the party and led to electoral defeat in 1886.

Internal divisions over economic and social policies further weakened the party until Henry Campbell-Bannerman unified it, leading to a landslide victory in 1906. The Liberal government of 1906-15, led by Former Prime Ministers Herbert Asquith and Lloyd George, and Winston Churchill (he had a four year stint as a Liberal MP), laid the foundations of the modern welfare state with reforms like labour exchanges, state-paid old-age pensions, and national insurance.

The decline of the Liberal Party (1916-1957)

World War I strained the Liberal ascendancy. The split in 1916 over war direction, with Lloyd George replacing Asquith as prime minister, left the party divided. Subsequent elections saw Liberal factions competing against each other, and the party’s grassroots organisation disintegrated, allowing Labour to capture votes from newly enfranchised working-class and women voters.

Despite reuniting around free trade for the 1923 election, supporting a minority Labour government polarised political choices, relegating Liberals to a distant third place in 1924. Attempts at a comeback under Lloyd George in 1929 were unsuccessful, and the Great Depression further split the party.

By 1957, only five Liberal MPs remained, and the party’s influence had dwindled, though Liberal thinkers like John Maynard Keynes and William Beveridge continued to shape post-war government policies.

The short-lived revival of Liberal Party (1956-1987)

Revival began with Jo Grimond’s leadership in 1956, who capitalised on dissatisfaction with the long-ruling Conservatives. The Liberals saw by-election successes and a second revival in the 1970s under Jeremy Thorpe. Community politics, adopted in 1970, empowered local communities and increased local authority representation.

Labour’s defeat in 1979 led to the formation of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 1981 by moderate Labour leaders. The SDP formed an Alliance with the Liberal Party, achieving significant electoral success in the 1983 and 1987 elections despite internal tensions.

Enter Liberal Democrats (1988-2000)

The Alliance parties merged on 3 March 1988 to form the Social & Liberal Democrats, later renamed the Liberal Democrats. Paddy Ashdown became the first leader, steering the party through a difficult period marked by internal disputes and poor electoral performance.

However, the party slowly recovered, achieving significant by-election victories and winning 18 seats in the 1992 general election.

Under Ashdown’s leadership, the party’s policies on taxation for education, environmentalism, and other issues gained traction. The 1997 UK election saw the Liberal Democrats win 46 seats, the highest number for a third party since 1929, despite a slight drop in vote share.

Ashdown’s controversial attempt to work closely with Labour, dubbed “the project,” helped achieve constitutional reforms but ended with Blair’s refusal to commit to electoral reform.

Three leaders in four years (2001-2005)

Charles Kennedy succeeded Ashdown in 1999, focusing on replacing the Conservatives as the main opposition. The Liberal Democrats opposed the Iraq War in 2003, gaining popularity for their stance.

By the 2005 general election, they won 62 seats with 22 per cent of the vote, the highest number since 1923. However, dissatisfaction with Kennedy’s leadership style and his alcoholism led to his resignation in January 2006.

Menzies Campbell succeeded Kennedy but struggled with the role, leading to his resignation in October 2007. Nick Clegg won the leadership election, stabilising the party and performing well in local elections.

Lib Dems form the government…well sort of (2008-2010)

The 2008 financial crisis transformed the political scene, necessitating changes in Liberal Democrat policies. Tensions arose between economic and social liberals, but the leadership maintained support for cutting the public deficit and prioritising public expenditure.

The 2010 election saw the Liberal Democrats secure 23 per cent of the vote but lose six seats.

The hung parliament led to a coalition with the Conservatives, with Nick Clegg as deputy prime minister. Key policies implemented included raising the income tax threshold, the pupil premium, and investment in renewable energy.

However, constitutional reform efforts largely failed, and the party’s compromises, particularly on university tuition fees, damaged public trust.

And then came disaster (2010-2015)

Despite predictions of short-lived coalition, the government lasted a full term, achieving economic recovery and growth. Key Liberal Democrat policies were implemented, including mental health prioritisation, same-sex marriage legislation, and the Green Investment Bank.

However, the party struggled with public visibility and communication of its successes, particularly regarding tuition fees.

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The 2015 general election was disastrous, with the party reduced from 57 to 8 MPs. Nick Clegg resigned, replaced by Tim Farron. The party saw a membership surge, though wider electoral support was slow to return.

Long road to recovery in the UK (2015-2024)

Tim Farron led the party’s strong campaign for a ‘remain’ vote in the 2016 EU referendum, which, despite the vote to leave, boosted party membership. Vince Cable succeeded Farron in 2017, stabilising the party amidst parliamentary stalemate over Brexit.

In 2019, the party’s “stop Brexit” platform led to success in the European elections but overconfidence hampered the December general election, resulting in the loss of leader Jo Swinson’s seat. Edward “Ed” Davey was elected leader in 2020, overseeing successful local elections and by-election victories.

Lib Dems are back! (July 5, 2024)

With a deeply unpopular Conservative government, the Liberal Democrats secured a record-breaking number of seats.

This election saw the Liberal Democrats adopt an unconventional campaign strategy, featuring leader Davey in a series of attention-grabbing stunts, such as descending a waterslide and bungee-jumping.

The party concentrated its efforts on a select number of constituencies, primarily targeting Conservative-held areas in southern England.

Following the exit poll late on Thursday (local time), Davey stated that the party was “on course for our best results in a century.” Davey himself expanded his majority from 11,000 to 17,000 in his Kingston and Surbiton constituency.

The Liberal Democrats are now poised to return to the UK House of Commons as the third largest party, surpassing the Scottish National Party (SNP), a position they haven’t held since 2015, when voter backlash against their coalition with David Cameron’s Conservatives was severe.

Lib Dems deputy leader Daisy Cooper, who significantly increased her majority in St Albans by nearly 14,000 votes, spoke to BBC, declaring, “We are back in British politics.”

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With inputs from agencies