Liberal Democrats (UK)

The Liberal Democrats (UK), also known as the LibDems for short, are the third largest party in the UK, Labour and  Conservative being the first two. The current leader of the Liberal Democrats is Nick Clegg, who came to power in December 2007.

Policies
The Liberal Democrats support social liberalism and Laissez-faire government expenditure, basically making them a libertarian party.

They were against the Iraq War from the outset which means they're good people.

Political Position
See Also: Political Spectrum

Following Tony Blair's shifting of the Labour Party to the centre after his election in 1997, the Liberal Democrats were increasingly seen as the mainstream left wing party of British politics.

Representation
The LibDems currently have 63 seats in the House of Commons, gaining 62 in the 2005 UK General Election, and a 63rd following a by-election the following year.

London Mayoral Election, 2008
For the London Mayoral Election of 2008, the Liberal Democratic candidate was Brian Paddick, former Deputy Assistant Commissioner for the London Metropolitan Police. Paddick came third behind Conservative Winner Boris Johnson and incumbent mayor Ken Livingstone of Labour.