List of Liberal Party and Liberal Democrats (UK) general election manifestos explained

This is a list of the British Liberal Party, SDP–Liberal Alliance, and Liberal Democrats general election manifestos since the 1900 general election.

From 1900 to 1918, the Liberal general election manifesto was usually published as a form of a short personal address by the leader of the Party. From 1922, the party usually published a more formal document.

From the 1900 election to the 1979 election the party went to the polls as the Liberal Party. In 1983 and 1987, the party went to the polls under the banner of the "Alliance", as a result of the pact between the Liberals and the Social Democratic Party, the latter of which formed as a breakaway from Labour in 1981. Since 1992 it has competed as the Liberal Democrats, due to the merger of the Liberals and the SDP in 1988.

From 2010 to 2015, the Liberal Democrats, having signed an agreement with the Conservatives, served as junior partner in the first coalition government since the Second World War.

ElectionLeaderElection winnerManifesto titleLink to text
For a Fair Deal https://www.libdems.org.uk/fileadmin/groups/2_Federal_Party/Documents/PolicyPapers/Manifesto_2024/For_a_Fair_Deal_-_Liberal_Democrat_Manifesto_2024.pdf
Conservative Stop Brexit, Build a Brighter Future https://libdemnewswire.markpack.org.uk/files/2019/11/Stop-Brexit-Build-A-Brighter-Future-Liberal-Democrat-General-Election-Manifesto-2019.pdf
Hung (Conservative) Change Britain's Future http://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/themes/5909d4366ad575794c000000/attachments/original/1495020157/Manifesto-Final.pdf?1495020157
Stronger Economy. Fairer Society. Opportunity for Everyone. https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/libdems/pages/8907/attachments/original/1429028133/Liberal_Democrat_General_Election_Manifesto_2015.pdf?1429028133
Nick Clegg Hung (Conservative-led coalition) Change That Works for You https://www.markpack.org.uk/files/2015/01/Liberal-Democrat-manifesto-2010.pdf
The Real Alternative http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/LD_uk_manifesto.pdf
Charles Kennedy Labour Freedom, Justice, Honesty http://www.libdemmanifesto.com/2001/2001-liberal-manifesto.shtmlhttp://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/e01/man/libdem/Fed2001.htm
Labour Make the Difference http://www.libdemmanifesto.com/1997/1997-liberal-manifesto.shtmlhttps://web.archive.org/web/20110527145426/http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/e97/man/ld97man.htm
Paddy Ashdown Conservative Changing Britain for Good http://www.libdemmanifesto.com/1992/1992-liberal-manifesto.shtmlhttps://web.archive.org/web/20130603195707/http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/man/libdem92.htm
Conservative Britain United – The Time Has Come http://www.libdemmanifesto.com/1987/1987-liberal-manifesto.shtmlhttp://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/man/lib87.htm
David Owen
David Steel Conservative Working Together for Britain http://www.libdemmanifesto.com/1983/1983-liberal-manifesto.shtmlhttp://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/man/all83.htm
Roy Jenkins
David Steel Conservative The Real Fight Is for Britain http://www.libdemmanifesto.com/1979/1979-liberal-manifesto.shtmlhttps://web.archive.org/web/20130603190458/http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/man/lib79.htm
Labour Why Britain Needs Liberal Government http://www.libdemmanifesto.com/1974/oct/october-1974-liberal-manifesto.shtmlhttp://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/man/lib74oct.htm
Jeremy Thorpe Hung (Labour) Change the Face of Britain http://www.libdemmanifesto.com/1974/feb/february-1974-liberal-manifesto.shtmlhttp://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/man/lib74feb.htm
Jeremy Thorpe Conservative What a Life! http://www.libdemmanifesto.com/1970/1970-liberal-manifesto.shtmlhttps://web.archive.org/web/20170516071332/http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/man/lib70.htm
Labour For All the People: The Liberal Plan of 1966 http://www.libdemmanifesto.com/1966/1966-liberal-manifesto.shtmlhttps://web.archive.org/web/20170713120656/http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/man/lib66.htm
Jo Grimond Labour Think for Yourself http://www.libdemmanifesto.com/1964/1964-liberal-manifesto.shtmlhttps://web.archive.org/web/20170811094857/http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/man/lib64.htm
Jo Grimond Conservative People Count http://www.libdemmanifesto.com/1959/1959-liberal-manifesto.shtmlhttp://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/man/lib59.htm
Conservative Crisis Unresolved http://www.libdemmanifesto.com/1955/1955-liberal-manifesto.shtmlhttps://web.archive.org/web/20170509104436/http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/man/lib55.htm
Clement Davies Conservative The Nation's Task http://www.libdemmanifesto.com/1951/1951-liberal-manifesto.shtmlhttps://web.archive.org/web/20170507010419/http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/man/lib51.htm
Clement Davies Labour No Easy Way: Britain's Problems and the Liberal Answers http://www.libdemmanifesto.com/1950/1950-liberal-manifesto.shtmlhttps://web.archive.org/web/20170507010414/http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/man/lib50.htm
Labour 20 Point Manifesto of the Liberal Party http://www.libdemmanifesto.com/1945/1945-liberal-manifesto.shtmlhttp://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/man/lib45.htm
1935 Liberal Party General Election Manifesto http://www.libdemmanifesto.com/1935/1935-liberal-manifesto.shtml
Herbert Samuel National Government Liberal Address to the Nation http://www.libdemmanifesto.com/1931/1931-liberal-manifesto.shtml
Hung (Labour) David Lloyd George's Election Address http://www.libdemmanifesto.com/1929/1929-liberal-manifesto.shtml
Conservative The Liberal Manifesto http://www.libdemmanifesto.com/1924/1924-liberal-manifesto.shtml
H. H. Asquith Hung (Labour) A Call to the Nation http://www.libdemmanifesto.com/1923/1923-liberal-manifesto.shtml
H. H. Asquith Conservative Manifesto to the Nation http://www.libdemmanifesto.com/1922/1922-liberal-manifesto.shtml
H. H. Asquith Hung (Conservative-dominated coalition) Herbert Asquith's Election Address http://www.libdemmanifesto.com/1918/1918-liberal-manifesto.shtml
H. H. Asquith Hung (Liberal with Irish Nationalist support) Herbert Asquith's Election Address http://www.libdemmanifesto.com/1910/dec/december-1910-liberal-manifesto.shtml
H. H. Asquith Hung (Liberal with Irish Nationalist support) Herbert Asquith's Election Address http://www.libdemmanifesto.com/1910/jan/january-1910-liberal-manifesto.shtml
Liberal Henry Campbell-Bannerman's Election Address
Henry Campbell-Bannerman Conservative Manifesto of the National Liberal Federation http://www.libdemmanifesto.com/1900/1900-liberal-manifesto.shtml

See also

Further reading

References