McNally elected as Lib Dems’ leader in the Lords
Lord Tom McNally has been elected as the new Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords.
The current leader, Baroness Shirley Williams, announced her intention to step down from the post, which she has held since 2001, in September. The new leader will take over after the Queen’s Speech in November.
Baroness Williams was a Minister in the Labour governments of the 1960s and 1970s before co-founding the SDP as one of the “gang of four” in 1991.
Congratulating Lord McNally, Baroness Williams said: “The fact that Tom McNally has been elected unopposed in a party of 70 lively Peers speaks volumes about the confidence his colleagues place in him.
“Tom has been staunch in his defence of our liberties, persistent in his determination to guarantee the independence of civil servants, passionate in his commitment to a free press and to public service broadcasting. In a world where all these freedoms are under threat, it is good that Liberal Democrats will have a leader who will battle outspokenly for them.”
Lord McNally, said: “This is an enormously exciting time to be given the opportunity to lead the Liberal Democrats in the Lords.
“We have the chance to have a key influence on legislation and be the voice of conscience and reform on issues such as civil liberties, human rights, changes in the legal system and access to justice.
“At the same time we can use the considerable experience on our benches to promote the Liberal Democrat case on Europe, the environment, education and pensions.
“Under my leadership I intend the Lords team to be fully involved in the wider campaigning Party as we move towards what could be an historic general election for our Party.”
Lord McNally has been a member of the Lords since 1995, and the Lib Dems deputy leader since 2001. Like Shirley Williams, he also served in the Callaghan Labour government before leaving the party in the 1980s to join the SDP.
