| The Rt Hon. Robert Maclennan | |
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2nd Leader of Liberal Democrats
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| In office 6 August 1987 – 16 July 1988 |
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| Preceded by | Party mergered |
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| Succeeded by | Paddy Ashdown |
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Leader of Social Democratic Party
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| In office 28 August 1987 – 16 July 1988 |
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| Preceded by | David Owen |
| Succeeded by | Party disbanded |
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| Born | 26 June 1936 Glasgow Scotland, UK |
| Political party | (1) Social Democratic Party, (2) Liberal Democrats |
Robert Adam Ross "Bob" Maclennan, Baron Maclennan of Rogart PC (born 26 June 1936, Glasgow) is a Scottish 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 was educated at Glasgow Academy, Balliol College, Oxford, Trinity College, Cambridge and Columbia University, New York City. 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. Following this he was raised to the House of Lords, elevated to a life peer as Baron Maclennan of Rogart, of Rogart in Sutherland.
Member of Parliament, Labour, SDP and Retirement
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 is now the party's Cabinet Office spokesman in the House of Lords.
External links
- Lord Maclennan of Rogart profile at the site of Liberal Democrats
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by George Mackie |
Member of Parliament for Caithness and Sutherland 1966–1997 |
Succeeded by constituency abolished |
| Preceded by new constituency |
Member of Parliament for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross 1997–2001 |
Succeeded by John Sinclair |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by David Owen |
Leader of the SDP 1987–1988 |
Succeeded by Robert Maclennan David Steel (Liberal Democrats) |
| Preceded by David Steel (Liberal Party) and Robert Maclennan (SDP) |
Leader of the British Liberal Democrats (with David Steel) 1988 |
Succeeded by Paddy Ashdown |
| Leaders of the Liberal Democrats | ||
| Leaders of the Liberal Party (Post 1945) |
Clement Davies | Jo Grimond | Jeremy Thorpe | Jo Grimond | David Steel | |
| Leaders of the SDP | Roy Jenkins | David Owen | Robert Maclennan | |
| Leaders of the Liberal Democrats | David Steel & Robert Maclennan | Paddy Ashdown | Charles Kennedy | Menzies Campbell | Nick Clegg | |
