Ashdown, Paddy (Jeremy John Durham) (1941– )

Former Liberal Democratic party leader Paddy Ashdown. Born in New Delhi, India, in 1941, Ashdown served in the British Royal Marines between 1959 and 1972. After stints in the Foreign Office and local industry, he was leader of the Liberal Democratic party from 1988 until 1999.

British politician, leader of the Liberal Democrat party 1988–99. His party significantly increased its seat holding in the 1997 general election, winning more seats than it had had since the 1920s, and cooperated in areas such as constitutional reform with the new Labour government of Tony Blair. From 1997 Ashdown sat with Blair on a joint cabinet committee, whose scope was extended from constitutional issues in November 1998 to cover areas such as health, education, and Europe. Ashdown stood down as Liberal Democrat leader in 1999 and was replaced by Charles Kennedy, elected in August. Ashdown retired as a member of Parliament in June 2001.

Ashdown served in the Royal Marines as a commando, leading a Special Boat Section in Borneo, and was a member of the Diplomatic Service 1971–76. He became a Liberal member of Parliament (MP) for Yeovil, Somerset, in 1983.

He insisted that his decision to stand down had nothing to do with a rebellion inside his party against his strategy of forging closer relations with the Labour Party. His allies claimed that he had been the most successful Liberal leader since Lloyd George after doubling the party's number of MPs to 46 at the 1997 general election.