The Lib Dems have announced their 22 strong ‘spokesperson team’ — or what other parties would call its frontbench. During the leadership election, Tim Farron said the party wouldn’t ‘bother shadowing every single department,’ describing it as ‘a waste of time and resources’. Yet the party has managed to cobble together a long list of spokesman, despite its limited presence in the Commons:
- Leader: Tim Farron MP
- Economics: Baroness Susan Kramer
- Foreign Affairs/Chief Whip/Leader of the house: Tom Brake MP
- Defence: Baroness Judith Jolly
- Home Affairs: Alistair Carmichael MP
- Health: Norman Lamb MP
- Education: John Pugh MP
- Work and Pensions: Baroness Zahida Manzoor
- Business: Lorely Burt
- Energy and Climate Change: Lynne Featherstone
- Local Government: Mayor of Watford, Cllr Dorothy Thornhill
- Transport: Baroness Jenny Randerson
- Environment and Rural Affairs: Baroness Kate Parminter
- International Development: Baroness Lindsay Northover
- Culture Media and Sport: Baroness Jane Bonham-Carter
- Equalities: Baroness Meral Hussein-Ece
- Justice/Attorney General: Lord Jonathan Marks
- Northern Ireland: Lord John Alderdice
- Scotland: Willie Rennie MSP, Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats
- Wales: Kirsty Williams AM, Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats
- Campaigns Chair: Greg Mullholland MP
- Grassroots Campaigns: Cllr Tim Pickstone, Chair of the Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors
Out of the party’s eight MPs, only two have not been given roles.
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