Jeremy Thorpe 1,166. After the 1966 election, Grimond confided to senior party officials that he wished soon to step down from the leadership. Thorpe was now the senior Liberal MP after Grimond, and the party's highest-profile member, although Timothy Beaumont, chairman of the party's organising committee, noted in his diary: "I am pretty certain that he has little popularity within the Parliamentary Party". When Grimond finally resigned, on 17 January 1967, an election to replace him was arranged to take place within 48 hours, leaving little time for manoeuvring. The 12 Liberal MPs formed the whole electorate; after the first ballot, Thorpe
1976 Ontario Liberal Party leadership election to 48 on the Liberal amendment but then the Liberals voted with the Tories to defeat the similar NDP amendment. Smith tried to save face by stating "We voted for our own amendment to register disapproval with government policy. We voted against the NDP amendment simply to avoid an election." The Liberals under Smith regained status as official opposition after the 1977 election in another minority parliament but suffered disappointment in 1981 when the Tories regained a majority. Smith resigned after his second election defeat after six years as leader. 1976 Ontario Liberal Party leadership election The Ontario Liberal Party