Who was the best Liberal/SDP/Liberal Democrat party leader since WWII? Who was the worst?

Please give reasons.|||This is a tough one to answer - since it's difficult to judge a leader who wasn't in power. By that, as the only one who has ever tasted being in government Nick Clegg is simultaneously best and worst.



In terms of picking a "best", Nick Clegg is the only one who has ever succeeded in making the party relevant. I might have picked Charles Kennedy (I liked him, %26amp; sacking somebody because he liked a drink was ridiculous), but he was opposed to the LibDems joining in a coalition with the tories - which begs the question as to what he thought the purpose of the party was, if not to have a say in the way this country is governed?



At the same time, Nick Clegg should have realised that a hung parliament was the most likely way that the party would ever have a say - there's a certain pledge that should never have been made, since the only way it could only possibly have been kept would be if they won a majority.



Paddy Ashdown was good, and has managed to this day to retain respect from across the political spectrum.



David Steel came pretty close to winning an election, and probably would but for Thatcher's election-winning war in the Falklands.



Overall, I'm going to pick Paddy Ashdown as best, but Nick Clegg %26amp; David Steel have a case.



Worst? David Owen.



His marked antipathy towards the left of the party caused damaging divisions, leaving the party difficult to take seriously %26amp; open to satire (wonderfully exploited by Spitting Image amongst others).



Favoured a hard line over the miners' strike.



More recently he spoke out against the move to AV, succeeding in convincing a lot of people that a NO vote in the referendum would somehow pave the way for Proportional Representation. Any signs of that happening?



Undoubtedly a talented politician, but a snake in the grass.|||Let's educate a few of these Americans:



Liberal leaders:

Sir Archibald Sinclair (1935-45)

Clement Davies (1945-56)

Jo Grimond (1956-67 and 1976)

Jeremy Thorpe (1967-76)

David Steel (1976-88)



SDP Leaders:

Roy Jenkins (1981-83)

David Owen (1983-87 and 1988-90)

Robert Maclennan (1987-88)



SLD/Liberal Democrat Leaders:

Paddy Ashdown (1988-99)

Charles Kennedy (1999-2006)

Sir Menzies Campbell (2006-2007)

Vince Cable (2007)

Nick Clegg (2007-date)



Jeremy Thorpe was leader during the Liberal breakthrough in February 1974, when they took second place in a large number of constituencies, and was therefore the main challenger in many seats.



The two Davids set up the Alliance, which achieved a solid local authority base, as well as being taken seriously at last by the media. Media attention did the Alliance no favours, especially the Spitting Image puppets, which destroyed David Steel's credibility.



Paddy Ashdown picked up the broken pieces of the Alliance, and brought the merged party back to the same level it was in the mid 1980s.



Nick Clegg led the party into Government, but the compromises over firm pledges he made during the General Election in 2010 has affected the party's core vote - notably students - so we have to see if the party recovers in time for 2015.



I think my favourite was Jo Grimond, who set the philosophical foundation of the party in the early 1960s and enabled a whole generation to campaign effectively on sound principles (even though too many failed to understand them). There was a good feeling in the Liberal Party concerning localism, individuality and a great sense of justice both at home and abroad.



The worst? Probably Sir Menzies Campbell, although it was hardly his fault. He is the same age as both Paddy Ashdown and outgoing Tory leader Michael Howard, who made a big deal of how he was too old to lead a party and was handing the leadership over to a younger man. Now Dracula still had his black hair and looked about 10 years younger than Menzies Campbell, so the media were merciless, portraying Ming as a doddery old fool. A pity, since he was extremely effective as Foreign Affairs spokesman during the Iraq war.|||The best democrat was John F. Kennedy


The worst was either Jimmy Carter or Bill Clinton|||Clinton, because he had Republican Congress majority and Newt Gingrich tell him how to fix our debt problems .|||Paddy Ashdown, great bloke.