The Liberal Democrat peers elect the Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords. All leaders to date were members of Labour Party who left to form the Social Democratic Party in 1981 before merging with the Liberal Party in 1988.
| Leader | Entered office | Left office | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roy Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead (1920–2003) | 16 July 1988 | 4 May 1997 |
| 2 | William Rodgers, Baron Rodgers of Quarry Bank (b. 1928) | 4 May 1997 | 13 June 2001 |
| 3 | Shirley Williams, Baroness Williams of Crosby (b. 1930) | 13 June 2001 | 22 June 2004 |
| 4 | Tom McNally, Baron McNally (b. 1943) | 22 June 2004 | present |
| Liberal, Social Democrat and Liberal Democrat leadership elections |
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Liberal Democrats: 1988 | 1999 | 2006 | 2007 |