Former MP Lynne Featherstone retains role as Lib Dem spokesperson
Former Lib Dem MP Lynne Featherstone, who was responsible for introducing same-sex marriage, has retained a role on the Lib Dem front bench team.
Mrs Featherstone was Member of Parliament for Hornsey and Wood Green until May – and was responsible for introducing the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act while serving as an equalities minister.
However, amid the collapse of the Lib Dem vote nationally, she lost her seat in May’s election year to Labour’s Catherine West.
Despite holding no political office, Mrs Featherstone was kept within the Lib Dem frontbench team by new leader Tim Farron today, serving as spokesperson for Energy and Climate Change.
She tweeted: “Delighted with new portfolio in Tim’s team – Energy and Climate Change – here I come!”
Mrs Featherstone is one of two politicians holding no current office that are still spokespeople – alongside unseated MP Lorely Burt.
The party’s spokespeople are now mainly Members of the House of Lords – along with six of the party’s eight remaining MPs, and some local councillors and Mayors.
Former party leader Nick Clegg turned down a role, intending to serve as a ‘backbench’ MP – though the party does not currently fill up an entire bench in the Commons.
Baroness Meral Hussein-Ece will hold the equalities brief.
The full list is as follows:
Economics: Baroness Susan Kramer
Foreign Affairs/Chief Whip/Leader of the House: Tom Brake MP
Defence: Baroness Judith Jolly
Home Affairs: Alistair Carmichael MP
Health: Norman Lamb MP
Education: John Pugh MP
Work and Pensions: Baroness Zahida Manzoor
Business: Lorely Burt
Energy and Climate Change: Lynne Featherstone
Local Government: Mayor of Watford, Cllr Dorothy Thornhill
Transport: Baroness Jenny Randerson
Environment and Rural Affairs: Baroness Kate Parminter
International Development: Baroness Lindsay Northover
Culture Media and Sport: Baroness Jane Bonham-Carter
Equalities: Baroness Meral Hussein-Ece
Justice/Attorney General: Lord Jonathan Marks
Northern Ireland: Lord John Alderdice
Scotland: Willie Rennie MSP, Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats
Wales: Kirsty Williams AM, Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats
Campaigns Chair: Greg Mullholland MP
Grassroots Campaigns: Cllr Tim Pickstone, Chair of the Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors
