President of the Liberal Democrats


The president of the Liberal Democrats chairs the Federal Board of the Liberal Democrats in the United Kingdom.
According to the Liberal Democrat constitution, the president is the principal public representative of the Party and chairs the Federal Board. The role is elected by the membership for a fixed term of three years. They may serve a maximum of two terms. The next scheduled contest will occur in Autumn 2028 with the winner beginning their term of office on 1 January 2029. The election is conducted using the single transferable vote.
In the event of the Leader resigning prior to the end of their term, the Deputy Leader and President take on the role of joint Acting Leaders. This last occurred following the resignation of Jo Swinson after she lost her seat in the 2019 General Election; Ed Davey MP and Mark Pack took on the role until the culmination of the subsequent leadership election.
The current president is Josh Babarinde, who took office on 1 January 2026, replacing Mark Pack, Baron Pack, who had held the office from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2025.

Eligibility to stand

In order to be a candidate for president, the candidate must be a member of the Liberal Democrats and secure the nomination of not less than 200 members in not less than 20 local parties.

List of party presidents to date

Member of the House of Commons
Member of the House of Lords
Non-parliamentarian

Election results

Elections in the 2020s

2022

Mark Pack was re-elected president of the Liberal Democrats.

Elections in the 2010s

2019

Mark Pack was elected president of the Liberal Democrats.

2016

Sal Brinton was returned unopposed.

2014

There were 25 spoilt/rejected ballots.

2012

Tim Farron was returned unopposed.

2010

There were 64 spoilt/rejected ballots.

Elections in the 2000s

2008

There were 49 spoilt/rejected ballots.

2006

Simon Hughes was returned unopposed.

2004

There were 144 spoilt/rejected ballots.

2002

Navnit Dholakia was returned unopposed.

2000

Navnit Dholakia was returned unopposed.

Elections in the 1990s

1998

Diana Maddock was returned unopposed.

1996

Bob Maclennan was returned unopposed.

1994

There were 114 spoilt/rejected ballots.

1992

There were 71 spoilt/rejected ballots.

1990

There were 55 spoilt/rejected ballots.

Elections in the 1980s

1988

There were 448 spoilt/rejected ballots.

Vice President

The Vice President's role is to increase engagement with ethnic minority communities; the first Vice President was first elected in 2019. The role was also known as the "Vice President BaME" prior to 2021.
Prior to 2021, the vice president was elected by the Federal Board rather than by party members, and did not have a vote at the Federal Board.

List of party vice presidents to date

Member of the House of Commons
Member of the House of Lords
Non-parliamentarian

Elections

2022

Amna Ahmad was reelected unopposed.