On today's pointless they said that Paddy Ashdown was the First leader of the Liberal Democratic party but this is not correct. It was David Steel and Robert MaClennan. Paddy ashdown did not become leader for another three months after those two.
Have they perhaps taken it from after the first election they fought? I agree that Paddy was after those, but was he the first after a General Election?
I'm getting increasingly annoyed with this programme - the other week they were asking for one word film titles with certain actors, and one of the contestants said 'Castaway' he said no, it was two words, but I looked at the cover of the DVD on IMDb and it had it as one word.
Liberals and SDP formally merged in March 1988, with Steel and Robert Maclennan as joint interim leaders. The new party was initially named Social and Liberal Democrats (SLD) with the unofficial short form The Democrats being used from September 1987.
The name was subsequently changed to Liberal Democrats in October 1989, which is frequently shortened to Lib Dems.