1976 Liberal Party (UK) leadership election the only time it was ever used to elect a Liberal leader. The election was won by David Steel, who served as leader of the Liberal Party until merger with the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 1988, forming the Liberal Democrats. David Steel later served as interim leader of the Liberal Democrats (jointly with Bob Maclennan of the SDP) for the duration of the 1988 leadership election which eventually elected Paddy Ashdown as the new party's first permanent leader. 1976 Liberal Party (UK) leadership election The 1976 Liberal Party (UK) leadership election was called following the resignation of Jeremy Thorpe
British Columbia Liberal Party became Leader of the Opposition after Wilson's convention defeat. In the wake of the electoral collapse of the British Columbia New Democratic Party (BC NDP) in the 2001 election, the Campbell-led BC Liberals won an overwhelming majority. In November 2010, after mounting public opposition to a new tax and the controversial ending of a political corruption trial, and with low popularity ratings, Campbell announced his resignation, and on February 26, 2011, Christy Clark was elected as the party's new leader and thereby became 35th Premier of British Columbia. On June 29, 2017, her minority government was defeated 44–42 on motion