The former leader of the Liberal Democrats, Lord Ashdown has died at the age of 77.
Paddy Ashdown, the former MP for Yeovil was a Marine, a politician and also High Commissioner to Bosnia in 2006.
Scottish Liberal Democrat Leader Willie Rennie said:
“Paddy Ashdown was an inspiration to so many people and I am proud to count myself as one of them.
“In a few short years his fighting spirit and clarity of thought took the party from the wreckage of the SDP Liberal merger to the strongest liberal force since the first world war.
“Paddy had time for everyone, guided and nurtured the party, converted even the fiercest foe and committed his heart and soul to the success of the liberal ideal.
“From the first moment I met him whilst working for the party in Cornwall I followed him on a great journey. Thank you Paddy. My thoughts are with Jane and the family.”
One of Lord Ashdown’s most recent tweets shows that he was still very much involved with politics to which he devoted the greater part of his life.
With Raab gone May becomes a gonner. With May gone the Tories will not be able to find anyone to unite behind. And so the great unravelling begins. If you want a playbook for what next, look to the Tory civil wars of the Corn Laws in 1846
— Paddy Ashdown (@paddyashdown) November 15, 2018
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
