50 most influential Lib Dems, 2015 version (according to Iain Dale)

Iain Dale’s excellent* list of the most influential Liberal Democrats is out again. You can read his commentary here, and the table is below.

* Cynics may wish to factor in that (a) I’m up, and (b) he’s my publisher.

1. (+4) Tim Farron
Leader of the Liberal Democrats

2. (+28) Sal Brinton
President of the Liberal Democrats

3. (+5) Norman Lamb
Health Spokesman and defeated leadership candidate

4. (-3) Nick Clegg
Former Leader of the Liberal Democrats

5. (+20) Jim Wallace
Liberal Democrat leader in the House of Lords

6. (+15) Kirsty Williams
Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats

7. (+22) Willie Rennie
Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats

8. (NEW) Greg Mulholland
Chair of the Parliamentary Campaigns Team

9. (-2) Lynne Featherstone
Lib Dem Peer-nominee & Spokesperson on Energy & Climate Change

10. (NEW) Ben Rich
Interim Chief of Staff to Tim Farron, Farron leadership campaign director

11. (NEW) Jo Foster
Former special adviser to Nick Clegg, key role in Farron leadership campaign

12. (NEW) James Palumbo
Lib Dem Peer & major donor

13. (+9) Lord Newby
Lib Dem Chief Whip in the House of Lords

14. (+26) Caroline Pidgeon AM
Lib Dem candidate for Mayor of London

15. (+24) Tom Brake
Lib Dem Chief Whip

16. (NEW) Baroness Kate Parminter
Lib Dem Deputy Leader in the Lords

17. (+10) Baroness Susan Kramer
Lib Dem Peer & Economics Spokesman

18. (-15) Paddy Ashdown
Former Lib Dem leader

19. (-8) Sir Vincent Cable
Former Lib Dem Business Secretary

20. (+6) Duncan Brack
Vice Chair Lib Dem Policy Committee, role in Farron leadership campaign

21. (NEW) Catherine Bearder
Member of the European Parliament

22. (-18) David Laws
Former Schools Minister

23. (+1) Mark Pack
Editor, Lib Dem Newswire

24. (NEW) Ros Scott
Lib Dem Peer & former party president

25. (-7) Simon Hughes
Former deputy leader of the Lib Dems

26. (-13) Alastair Carmichael
Former Scottish Secretary, MP for Orkney & Shetland

27. (-18) Jo Swinson
Former Business minister

28. (NEW) Neil Fawcett
Deputy Chair of Federal Executive, key role in Farron leadership campaign

29. (NEW) Dorothy Thornhill
Lib Dem mayor of Watford, new peer

30. (+11) Caron Lindsay
Co-editor of Lib Dem Voice

31. (-1) Tim Gordon
Chief Executive of the Liberal Democrats

32. (NEW) Lindsay Northover
Peer, former DFID minister, spokesperson on International Development

33. (NEW) Hilary Stephenson
Director of Elections

34. (-18) Julian Huppert
Former Lib Dem MP for Cambridge

35. (-25) Ed Davey
Former Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change

36. (-1) Sir Ming Campbell
Former leader of the Lib Dems

37. (-4) Stephen Tall
Blogger, former Editor, Lib Dem Voice

38. (-36) Danny Alexander
Former Chief Secretary to the Treasury

39. (-33) Jonathan Oates
Former Director of Communications to Nick Clegg, new peer

40. (NEW) John Pugh
MP for Southport, Education spokesperson

41. (NEW) Austin Rathe
Head of Membership Services, Lib Dem HQ

42. (NEW) Mark Williams
Lib Dems’ only Welsh MP, vice-chairman of the parliamentary campaigns team

43. (NEW) Jane Bonham-Carter
Lib Dem Culture Spokeswoman in the House of Lords

44. (NEW) James Gurling
Chair, Campaigns and Communications Committee

45. (-11) Gerald Vernon-Jackson
Head of the Lib Dems on the LGA

46. (NEW) Sarah Ludford
Lib Dem Peer, former MEP

47. (NEW) David Howarth
Former MP for Cambridge, role in Farron leadership campaign

48. (-3) Maajid Nawaz
Director of the Quilliam Foundation, former Lib Dem PPC

49. (-) Keith House
Leader, Eastleigh Council

50. (NEW) Merel Hussein-Ece
Lib Dem peer, spokesperson on equalities