Liberal Party Frontbench Team, 1976–1988

Members of the British Liberal Party's Frontbench Team from 1976 to 1988 (leaderships listed chronologically):

Party Spokesmen under David Steel's First Parliament July 1976–April 1977

Liberal Party

Leadership

Leaders

Leaders in the House of Commons (1859–1916)	Palmerston (1859–65) Gladstone (1865–75) Hartington (1875–80) Gladstone (1880–94) Rosebery (1894–96) Harcourt (1896–98) Campbell-Bannerman (1899–1908) Asquith (1908–16)
Leaders in the House of Lords (1859–1916)	Granville (1859–65) Russell (1865–68) Granville (1868–91) Kimberley (1891–94) Rosebery (1894–96) Kimberley (1896–1902) Spencer (1902–05) Ripon (1905–08) Crewe (1908–23)
Overall Leaders (1916–88)	Asquith (1916–26) Maclean (interim) (1918–20) Lloyd George (1926–31) Samuel (1931–35) Sinclair (1935–45) Davies (1945–56) Grimond (1956–67) Thorpe (1967–76) Grimond (1976) Steel (1976–88)

Deputy Leaders

Samuel (1929–31)
Sinclair (1931–35)
Harris (1940–45)
vacant (1945–49)
M Lloyd George (1949–51)
vacant (1951–62)
Wade (1962–64)
vacant (1964–76)
Pardoe (1976-79)
vacant (1979-85)
Beith (1985–88)

Leaders in the Lords (1916–88)

Crewe (1908–23)
Grey (1923–24)
Beauchamp (1924–31)
Reading (1931–36)
Crewe (1936–44)
Samuel (1944–55)
Rea (1955–67)
Byers (1967–84)
Seear (1984–88)

Chamberlain (1877–80)
Collings (1880–81)
Fell Pease (1881–82)
Kitson (1883–90)
Foster (1886–90)
Spence Watson (1890–1902)
Birrell (1902–06)
Dyke Acland (1906–07)
Angus (1908–11)
J Brunner (1911–18)
Lunn (1918–20)
Robertson (1920–23)
Maclean (1923–26)
Spender (1926–27)
Hobhouse (1927–30)
Brampton (1930–33)
Meston (1936–43)
Bonham Carter (1945–47)
Foot (1947–48)
Dodds (1948–49)
McFadyean (1949–50)
Fothergill (1950–52)
Walker (1952–53)
L Robson (1953–54)
White (1954–55)
Rea (1955–56)
Behrens (1956–57)
Micklem (1957–58)
Comyns Carr (1958–59)
Glanville (1959–60)
Murray (1960–61)
Malindine (1961–62)
F Brunner (1962–63)
Rees-Williams (1963–64)
Fulford (1964–65)
Seear (1965–66)
Henley and Northington (1966–67)
Wade (1967–68)
Beaumont (1968–69)
S Robson (1969–70)
Terrell (1971–72)
Jones (1972–73)
Lloyd (1973–74)
Holt (1974–75)
Wingfield (1975–76)
Goldstone (1976–77)
Evans (1977–78)
Steed (1978–79)
Rose (1979-80)
Holme (1980–81)
Bingham (1981–82)
Griffiths (1982–83)
Tordoff (1983–84)
Watson (1984–85)
Penhaligon (1985–86)
Wilson (1986–87)
Slade (1987–88)

Leadership elections
1967 (Thorpe) 1976 (Steel)

Governments

Single party Liberal governments	First Gladstone ministry (1868–74) Second Gladstone ministry (1880–85) Third Gladstone ministry (1886) Fourth Gladstone ministry (1892–94) Rosebery ministry (1894–95) Campbell-Bannerman ministry (1905–08) First Asquith ministry (1908–15)
Liberal-led coalitions	Asquith coalition ministry (1915–16) Lloyd George ministry (1916–22)
Coalitions with Liberal ministers	First National Government (1931) Second National Government (1931-1932) Churchill war ministry (1940–45)

Structure

Parliamentarians	Members of Parliament Members of the House of Lords Chief Whip
Frontbench	Liberal Party Frontbench Team, 1945–1956 Liberal Party Frontbench Team, 1956–1967 Liberal Party Frontbench Team, 1967–1976 Liberal Party Frontbench Team, 1976–1988
State parties	National Liberal Federation Liberal Party Organisation Scottish Liberal Party Welsh Liberal Party
Conference	Liberal Assembly
SAOs	National League of Young Liberals Union of Liberal Students Women's Liberal Federation

Related organisations
Brooks's National Liberal Club Reform Club Social Democratic Party (1981-1988) SDP–Liberal Alliance (1981–1988) Ulster Liberal Party (1956–1987) Liberal Democrats (1988-present)

History and related topics
Liberal Imperialists Coalition Government: Coalition Coupon in Government Independent Liberal Party (UK, 1918) in Opposition National Government: Independent Liberals (UK, 1931) in Opposition General election manifestos Britain's Industrial Future ("The Yellow Book") Glee Club The Land Lib–Lab pact Liberator One more heave Peelites Radical Action Radical Reform Group Whig Party Rockingham Whigs

History and related topics

Liberal Imperialists
Coalition Government:
- Coalition Coupon in Government
- Independent Liberal Party (UK, 1918) in Opposition
National Government:
- Independent Liberals (UK, 1931) in Opposition
General election manifestos
Britain's Industrial Future ("The Yellow Book")
Glee Club
The Land
Lib–Lab pact
Liberator
One more heave
Peelites
Radical Action
Radical Reform Group
Whig Party
- Rockingham Whigs

Breakaway parties
Liberal Unionist Party (Spencer Cavendish) National Liberal Party (UK, 1922) (David Lloyd George) National Liberal Party (UK, 1931) ("Simonites") Liberal Party (UK, 1989) (Michael Meadowcroft)