Clegg new Lib Dem leader - just

Last Modified: 18 Dec 2007
By: Gary Gibbon

Nick Clegg defeats Chris Huhne to become the new Liberal Democrat leader, but only by a margin of one per cent.

And he won his victory with the support of less than one third of the total Liberal Democrat membership.

The contest to be the Lib Dems' third leader in two years was occasionally bitter. But in his acceptance speech Mr Clegg promised that his election marked "a new beginning" for his party.

Mr Clegg narrowly defeated Chris Huhne, polling 20,988 to his rival's 20,477, a winning margin of 511 votes.

The contest for the party leadership had been sparked by the resignation of Sir Menzies Campbell on 15 October.

Mr Clegg said today: "My election as leader today marks a new beginning. Today is about two things: ambition and change."

"Renewed ambition for the Lib Dems, renewed ambition to reach out to the millions of people who I know share our instincts and values but do not yet vote for us.

"It is about renewed ambition for Britain."

'My election as leader today marks a new beginning. Today is about two things: ambition and change.'
Nick Clegg, Lib Dem leader

Nick Clegg, 40, is thought to be further to the right than Mr Huhne. During the leadership campaign he capitalised on his reputation as an effective communicator.

The biggest policy disagreement during the campaign centred on Britain's Trident nuclear deterrent. Chris Huhne had promised that he would scrap it, while Mr Clegg said he would keep it at least until disarmament talks in 2010.

Nick Clegg becomes the third Lib Dem leader in three years. Charles Kennedy, Sir Menzies Campbell's predecessor, stood down in January 2006 because of a drink problem.