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 and provincial counterparts in 1987. After the 1991 provincial election, the BC Liberals displaced the British Columbia Social Credit Party as the province's centre-right conservative party opposed to the centre-left British Columbia New Democratic Party. According to polls, BC Liberal supporters predominantly vote Liberal and Conservative in federal elections. The party commonly describes itself as a "free enterprise coalition". The divided Conservatives faced the Liberals in the election of 1916 and lost. The Liberals formed a government under Harlan Carey Brewster. Brewster had become leader of the opposition, and was elected party leader in March 1912. He lost his seat