The House of Commons
The Liberal Democrats have 63 Members of Parliament.
The Liberal Democrat representation is the product of many years of growth in the strength of the party. The Liberal Democrats won more seats at the last General Election (2005) than at any election since 1929.
The Liberal Democrat leader is Nick Clegg. Other prominent Liberal Democrat Members of Parliament include Simon Hughes and Chris Huhne. There are Liberal Democrat spokesmen and women covering all the Government responsibilities, from International Development and Defence to Education and Health. Local MP Jeremy Browne was recently appointed Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
The Liberal Democrats have a strong record of representing communities in Somerset. As well as Jeremy Browne as the MP in Taunton, the party has the Members of Parliament for Yeovil (David Laws), Somerton and Frome (David Heath) and Bath (Don Foster).
For more details about the national policies and leaders of the Liberal Democrats, visit the official party website. This is updated daily with press releases, speeches, policy statements and other information.
The House of Lords, Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly
The Liberal Democrats hold the balance of power in the House of Lords (no single party has overall control). This gives the party a vital role in proposing and amending legislation in Parliament. The Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords is Lord McNally. Other prominent Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords include Lord (Paddy) Ashdown, Lord (David) Steel and Baroness (Shirley) Williams.