Liberal Democrats GapFill

The modern Liberal Democrat party was established in  1988188418321900; however, its origins go back far further than this. The Lib Dems are the electoral successor to the Liberal Party, which for several periods in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries could be described as the dominant force in British politics. In this period of history the Liberals provided the main opposition to the Conservatives, prior to the emergence of the Labour Party. The Liberal Party historically was more supportive of social reforms and the market than the Conservatives.

The Liberal Democrats represent a merger between this original Liberal tradition and the  Democratic Unionist PartyDemocratic Socialist PartySocial Democratic PartyEnglish Democrats, which was a breakaway movement formed by former Labour MPs regarded as on the right wing of the party. This highlights that the major division within the Lib Dems is between the  Liberal institutionalistsSocial LiberalsOrange BookersNational Liberals, who take more traditional Liberal positions such as supporting the role of the market in society, and the   NeoliberalsLiberal institutionalistsSocial LiberalsOrange Bookers, who favour a slightly more interventionist state and are more comfortable with welfare policies and higher public spending.

The Liberal Democrats usually find themselves somewhere between Labour and the Conservatives on the political spectrum, although this can change. Under the leadership of   Vince CableCharles KennedyJo SwinsonNick Clegg from 1999 to 2006, the party found itself to the left of Labour on some issues: this leadership can be said to represent the   Reformists'Neoliberals'Social Liberals'Orange Bookers' tradition.

Under the leadership of   Jo SwinsonVince CableNick CleggCharles Kennedy from 2007 to 2015, the party found itself much closer to the Conservatives, especially on economic issues. Clegg's leadership can be said to represent the   Social Liberals'Orange Bookers'National Liberals'Liberal institutionalists' tradition.

The Liberal Democrats entered government for the first time after the 2010 general election, in coalition with the Conservatives. Although the government lasted a full term, the party's role in the coalition was unpopular and the Lib Dems lost most of their seats in the 2015 general election. Since then, the party has struggled to maintain its position as the country's third major party, especially after losing its third-party position in the House of Commons to   UKIPthe Scottish Nationalist Partythe Green Partythe Democratic Unionist Party.