The Right Honourable The Lord Maclennan of Rogart PC |
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President of the Liberal Democrats | |
In office 1 January 1995 – 31 December 1998 |
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Leader | Paddy Ashdown |
Preceded by | Charles Kennedy |
Succeeded by | Diana Maddock |
Leader of the Liberal Democrats Acting |
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In office 3 March 1988 – 16 July 1988 Served with David Steel |
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Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | Paddy Ashdown |
Leader of Social Democratic Party | |
In office 28 August 1987 – 16 July 1988 |
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Preceded by | David Owen |
Succeeded by | Position abolished |
Undersecretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection | |
In office 4 March 1974 – 4 May 1979 |
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Prime Minister |
Harold Wilson James Callaghan |
Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | Position abolished |
Member of Parliament for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross Caithness and Sutherland (1966–1992) |
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In office 31 March 1966 – 7 June 2001 |
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Preceded by | George Mackie |
Succeeded by | John Thurso |
Personal details | |
Born |
Glasgow, United Kingdom |
26 June 1936
Political party |
Labour (Before 1981) Social Democratic (1981–1988) Liberal Democrats (1988–present) |
Alma mater |
Balliol College, Oxford Trinity College, Cambridge Columbia University |
Robert Adam Ross Maclennan, Baron Maclennan of Rogart, PC, known popularly as Bob Maclennan, (born 26 June 1936, Glasgow) is a British Liberal Democrat life peer. He was the last leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), serving during the negotiations that led to its merger with the Liberal Party in 1988. He then became joint interim leader of the new party, known as the Social and Liberal Democrats (SLD) before later becoming the Liberal Democrats.
MacLennan's father, Sir Hector MacLennan, was a renowned gynaecologist and obstetrician. His mother, Isobel Adam, was also a doctor and public health activist. He was educated at Glasgow Academy; Balliol College, Oxford; Trinity College, Cambridge; and Columbia University, New York City. He is the brother to David MacLennan, Elizabeth MacLennan, and Kenneth MacLennan.
He became Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency of Caithness and Sutherland in 1966, and serving until 1997; and for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross after boundary changes, from 1997 to 2001.
He was first elected as a member of the Labour Party and served as a junior minister in the Labour government of 1974–1979, but in 1981 defected to become a founder member of the SDP. He was one of the few SDP MPs to keep their seats in the 1983 general election. After his stint as SDP Leader in 1988, he served as a front bench spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, and as their president from 1994 until 1998.