Ashdown, Jeremy John Durham (Paddy), b 1941, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party

Born 1941; served in the Royal Marines, 1959-1972, in 41 and 42 Commando and 2 Special Boat Section; 1st Secretary, UK Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, 1971-1976; Commercial Managers' Department, Westland Group, 1976-1978; Senior Manager, Morlands Ltd, Yeovil, 1978-1981; Youth Officer, Dorset County Council, 1981-1983; Liberal MP for Yeovil, 1983-; Liberal Party Spokesman on Trade and Industry, 1985-1987; Liberal/SDP Alliance Spokesman on Education and Science, 1987-1988; Liberal Party Spokesman on Education and Science, 1987; Social and Liberal Democrat Spokesman on Northern Ireland, 1988; Leader of the Social and Liberal Democrat (later Liberal Democrat) Party, 1988-1999. Publications: Citizen's Britain: a radical agenda for the 1990s (Fourth Estate, London, 1989); The environment (Phillip Charles Media, 1990 ); Beyond Westminster: finding hope in Britain (Simon and Schuster, London, 1994); Making change our ally (Liberal Democrat Publications, Dorchester, 1994).