Jo Swinson Elected Leader of Lib Dems: Who Are The Other Female Party Leaders In The UK?

22 July 2019, 17:38

Jo Swinson has made history by becoming the first ever woman to lead the Lib Dems. Here is a summary of the other female leaders of political parties in the UK. Notably the Labour Party has never had a female leader.

Prime Ministers

The Conservative Party's two female Prime Ministers were Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May.

Current Party Leaders

In the Scottish Parliament, Nicola Sturgeon is the leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and Ruth Davidson is leader of the Scottish Conservative Party.

Maggie Chapman is joint leader of the Scottish Green Party.

In the Welsh Assembly, Kirsty Williams is leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats.

In the Northern Ireland Assembly, Arlene Foster is leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Mary Lou McDonald is leader of Sinn Féin.

Naomi Long is leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland and Clare Bailey is leader of the Green Party of Northern Ireland.

In the House of Commons, Caroline Lucas is the leader of the Green Party of England and Wales and Liz Saville Roberts is the leader of Plaid Cymru – The Party of Wales.

The Labour Party is the only major party that is yet to elect a female leader.

On Monday Jo Swinson was announced leader of the Lib Dems, after she won more than 47,000 of the 76,429 votes cast compared to her rival Ed Davey's 28,021.

Ms Swinson said: "I am delighted, honoured, absolutely over the moon to stand before you as the leader of the Liberal Democrats."

Aged 39, she is the first female leader of a major political party born in the 1980s.

Jo Swinson Voted New Lib Dem Leader