President of the Liberal Democrats

The president of the Liberal Democrats chairs the Federal Board of the Liberal Democrats in the United Kingdom.

Member ofFederal Board

Reports toLiberal Democrats

AppointerLiberal Democrats

Term length3 Years; Renewable once

Quick facts Member of, Reports to ...

President of the Liberal Democrats
Incumbent Josh Babarinde since 1 January 2026
Member of	Federal Board
Reports to	Liberal Democrats
Appointer	Liberal Democrats
Term length	3 Years; Renewable once
Formation	1988
First holder	Ian Wrigglesworth
Deputy	Vice President of the Liberal Democrats

Close

According to the Liberal Democrat constitution, the president is the principal public representative of the Party and chairs the Federal Board. The role is elected by the membership for a fixed term of three years. They may serve a maximum of two terms. The next scheduled contest will occur in Autumn 2028 with the winner beginning their term of office on 1 January 2029. The election is conducted using the single transferable vote. ^[1]

In the event of the Leader resigning prior to the end of their term, the Deputy Leader and President take on the role of joint Acting Leaders.^[2] This last occurred following the resignation of Jo Swinson after she lost her seat in the 2019 General Election; Ed Davey MP and Mark Pack took on the role until the culmination of the subsequent leadership election.

The current president is Josh Babarinde, who took office on 1 January 2026, replacing The Lord Pack, who had held the office from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2025.