Liberal Democrat frontbench team
The Liberal Democrats are a political party in the United Kingdom. While in opposition, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats appoints a frontbench team of Members of Parliament, Peers, Members of the Scottish Parliament and Members of the National Assembly for Wales, to speak for the party on different issues. Their areas of responsibility broadly corresponded to those of Government ministers. The frontbench team is divided into departmental sub-units, the principal ones being the economy, foreign policy, and home affairs. Sometimes the frontbench team consists of more than just the principal positions.
Status
Formerly, the Liberal Democrats frontbench team did not use the term 'Shadow Cabinet', with a number of front bench spokespeople covering areas rather than directly shadowing specific Cabinet portfolios. Under Charles Kennedy's leadership, and with the increase in numbers of Liberal Democrat MPs, the senior members of the frontbench team referred to themselves as a Shadow Cabinet. This was controversial, because in the two-party political system that dominated UK politics in the 20th century, the term 'Shadow Cabinet' referred to senior members of the frontbench team of the largest single opposition party in the House of Commons. This party, known as the Official Opposition, has constitutional status, although its Shadow Cabinet does not. Following Kennedy's decision to change the nomenclature, the UK Parliament's website used for a time the term 'Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet' in place of the old term 'Frontbench Team'.This is not without contention, and was disputed by the Conservative Party, who were then the Official Opposition. However, the official listing at the Parliament website is explicit in using the term 'Shadow Cabinet'. In 2001, Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown said the following in the House of Commons:
Brown returned to this theme, comparing his frosty relationship with the official Shadow Chancellor George Osborne with his apparently warm relationship with Vince Cable.
The Official Opposition receives support for its official function which is denied to smaller opposition parties, although they, along with every parliamentary party, do receive Short Money. While the Opposition Leader and Chief Whips draw salaries, smaller opposition parties do not. The Official Opposition also has the exclusive use of facilities within Parliament.
Following the 2010 general election and the confirmation of Conservative David Cameron as Prime Minister on 11 May 2010, a coalition cabinet was formed that included Liberal Democrat ministers. Thus the Liberal Democrats entered the Cabinet again for the first time since the 1920s.
Following the 2015 general election, the Liberal Democrats were reduced to just eight seats in the House of Commons, falling into joint fourth place with the Democratic Unionist Party behind the Scottish National Party for the first time. As a result of this, Parliament's website listed the SNP's frontbench team in lieu of the Liberal Democrat frontbench team.
Current Liberal Democrat frontbench team
After Jo Swinson's defeat in the 2019 election, and the defeat or retirement of several other members, Ed Davey appointed a new frontbench team as Acting Leader in January 2020.Current Frontbench Team
Other Roles and Spokespeople
Previous frontbench teams
Previous team key-members in summary:| Party | Date | Leader | Economy | Foreign affairs | Home affairs |
| Liberal | April 1966 | Jo Grimond | Richard Wainwright | James Davidson | Unknown |
| Liberal | January 1967 | Jeremy Thorpe | Richard Wainwright | James Davidson | Unknown |
| Liberal | June 1970 | Jeremy Thorpe | John Pardoe | Russell Johnston | Unknown |
| Liberal | 1975 | Jeremy Thorpe | John Pardoe | David Steel | Unknown |
| Liberal | May 1976 | Jo Grimond | John Pardoe | David Steel | Unknown |
| Liberal | July 1976 | David Steel | John Pardoe | Jeremy Thorpe | Unknown |
| Liberal | 1977 | David Steel | John Pardoe | Jeremy Thorpe | Emlyn Hooson |
| Liberal | May 1979 | David Steel | Richard Wainwright | Russell Johnston | |
| Liberal | October 1981 | David Steel | Richard Wainwright | Russell Johnston | Bill Pitt |
| Liberal | June 1983 | David Steel | Richard Wainwright | Russell Johnston | |
| Liberal | 1985 | David Steel | David Penhaligon | Alan Beith | |
| Liberal | January 1987 | David Steel | Alan Beith | ||
| Liberal | June 1987 | David Steel | Alan Beith | Russell Johnston | |
| Liberal Democrats | March 1988 | David Steel and Robert Maclennan | Alan Beith | Russell Johnston | Robert Maclennan |
| Liberal Democrats | July 1988 | Paddy Ashdown | Alan Beith | Russell Johnston | Robert Maclennan |
| Liberal Democrats | July 1989 | Paddy Ashdown | Alan Beith | David Steel | Robert Maclennan |
| Liberal Democrats | July 1994 | Paddy Ashdown | Malcolm Bruce | Menzies Campbell | Alan Beith |
| Liberal Democrats | August 1999 | Charles Kennedy | Matthew Taylor | Menzies Campbell | Simon Hughes |
| Liberal Democrats | June 2003 | Charles Kennedy | Vince Cable | Menzies Campbell | Mark Oaten |
| Liberal Democrats | January 2006 | Menzies Campbell | Vince Cable | Menzies Campbell | Mark Oaten |
| Liberal Democrats | January 2006 | Menzies Campbell | Vince Cable | Menzies Campbell | Alistair Carmichael |
| Liberal Democrats | March 2006 | Menzies Campbell | Vince Cable | Michael Moore | Nick Clegg |
| Liberal Democrats | October 2007 | Vince Cable | Vince Cable | Michael Moore | Nick Clegg |
| Liberal Democrats | December 2007 | Nick Clegg | Vince Cable | Ed Davey | Chris Huhne |
| Liberal Democrats | May 2010 | Nick Clegg | David Laws | Jeremy Browne | The Lord McNally |
| Liberal Democrats | May 2010 | Nick Clegg | Danny Alexander | Jeremy Browne | The Lord McNally |
| Liberal Democrats | September 2012 | Nick Clegg | Danny Alexander | Lynne Featherstone | Jeremy Browne |
| Liberal Democrats | October 2013 | Nick Clegg | Danny Alexander | Lynne Featherstone | Norman Baker |
| Liberal Democrats | November 2014 | Nick Clegg | Danny Alexander | Menzies Campbell | Lynne Featherstone |
| Liberal Democrats | January 2015 | Nick Clegg | Danny Alexander | Tim Farron | Lynne Featherstone |
| Liberal Democrats | May 2015 | Nick Clegg | Norman Lamb | Tim Farron | The Lord McNally |
| Liberal Democrats | July 2015 | Tim Farron | The Baroness Kramer | Tom Brake | Alistair Carmichael |
| Liberal Democrats | October 2016 | Tim Farron | The Baroness Kramer | Tom Brake | The Lord Paddick |
| Liberal Democrats | May 2017 | Tim Farron | Sir Vince Cable | Tom Brake | The Lord Paddick |
| Liberal Democrats | June 2017 | Tim Farron | Sir Vince Cable | Jo Swinson | Ed Davey |
| Liberal Democrats | July 2017 | Sir Vince Cable | Vacant | Jo Swinson | Ed Davey |
| Liberal Democrats | Oct 2017 | Sir Vince Cable | The Baroness Kramer | Jo Swinson | Ed Davey |
| Liberal Democrats | June 2019 | Sir Vince Cable | Chuka Umunna | Jo Swinson | Ed Davey |
| Liberal Democrats | August 2019 | Jo Swinson | Ed Davey | Chuka Umunna | Christine Jardine |
| Liberal Democrats | December 2019 | Ed Davey | Ed Davey | Angela Smith | Christine Jardine |
| Liberal Democrats | January 2020 | Ed Davey | Ed Davey | Alistair Carmichael | Christine Jardine |