European Union Special Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina
In office 3 June 2002 – 31 January 2006
Preceded by
Office established
Succeeded by
Christian Schwarz-Schilling
Parliamentary offices
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Life peerage 10 July 2001 – 22 December 2018
Member of Parliament for Yeovil
In office 9 June 1983 – 14 May 2001
Preceded by
John Peyton
Succeeded by
David Laws
Personal details
Born
Jeremy John Durham Ashdown
(1941-02-27)27 February 1941 New Delhi, British India
Died
22 December 2018(2018-12-22) (aged 77) Bristol, England
Resting place
Church of St Mary the Virgin, Norton-sub-Hamdon
Political party
Liberal Democrats
Other political affiliations
Labour (before 1975)
Liberal (1975–1988)
Spouse
Jane Courtenay
(m. 1962)
Children
2
Alma mater
Bedford School
Occupation
Diplomat
politician
Military service
Branch/service
Royal Marines
Years of service
1959–1972
Rank
Captain
Unit
Special Boat Service
Battles/wars
Borneo confrontation
Operation Banner
Jeremy John Durham Ashdown, Baron Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon, GCMG, CH, KBE, PC (27 February 1941 – 22 December 2018), better known as Paddy Ashdown, was a British politician and diplomat who served as Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 1988 to 1999. Internationally, he is recognised for his role as High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2002 to 2006, following his vigorous lobbying for military action against Yugoslavia in the 1990s.
After serving as a Royal Marine and Special Boat Service officer and as an intelligence officer in the UK security services, Ashdown was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Yeovil in 1983 before retiring in 2001.
Ashdown was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) in the 2006 New Year Honours and Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) in the 2015 New Year Honours.[1] In 2017, Ashdown was appointed an Officer of the Legion of Honour by the French government.[2]
Ashdown had an interpretership qualification in Mandarin and was fluent in several other languages, including Malay, German, French and Bosnian.[3]
^"No. 61092". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2014. p. N28.
^"Experience for Lord Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon". MPs and Lords. UK Parliament. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
^"Paddy Ashdown: 'Learning six languages has changed my life'". The Guardian. 14 October 2014. I reply I have forgotten six … Malay … local language … among the Dayak people … two years learning Mandarin Chinese … [t]hen came German (briefly), French and Bosnian.
John Durham Ashdown, Baron Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon, GCMG, CH, KBE, PC (27 February 1941 – 22 December 2018), better known as PaddyAshdown, was a British...
Baron Ashdown may refer to: Arnold Silverstone, Baron Ashdown (1911–1977), British property developer and life peer PaddyAshdown, Baron Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon...
president of the Liberal Democrats and, following the resignation of PaddyAshdown in August 1999, leader of the Liberal Democrats. He led the party in...
politicians, whose actions may be subject to the OHR's review. Former HR PaddyAshdown noted the High Representative has "powers that ought to make any liberal...
using the Alternative Vote preference system. The election was won by PaddyAshdown, who served as leader until his stepping down in 1999. The campaign...
had not been without its problems, but under the strong leadership of PaddyAshdown, who proved to be a likeable and candid figure, the party went into...
addition, two future Leaders of the Liberal Democrats were first elected —PaddyAshdown and Charles Kennedy. Michael Howard, who later served the Conservatives...
Koschnick, until early 1997. After six years of implementation, in 2003 OHR PaddyAshdown established an "international commission for reforming Mostar", whose...
Liberal Democrats 44 1.4 1983–2015 Clare Short Labour 38 1.2 1980–2011 PaddyAshdown Liberal Democrats 36 1.1 1983–2016 Roy Hattersley Labour 1.2 1979–2010...
winning 30.7% of the vote. The Liberal Democrats, under the leadership of PaddyAshdown, made a net gain of 28 seats, winning 16.8% of the vote. The election...
The list that follows is the Liberal Democrats frontbench team led by PaddyAshdown, who was party leader from 1988 to 1999. Initially known as a frontbench...
Deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine, former Liberal Democrat leader PaddyAshdown, former Cabinet ministers Tony Benn, Tom King, John Morris, Mo Mowlam...
elected as MP for Yeovil, succeeding former Liberal Democrat leader PaddyAshdown. In 2004, he co-edited The Orange Book: Reclaiming Liberalism, followed...
Mar 1996". 19 March 1996. Retrieved 19 September 2010. Ashdown, Paddy (November 2000). The Ashdown Diaries: 1988–1997. Allen Lane. ISBN 0-7139-9510-6. Bill...
Liberal Democrats. In an email sent by former Liberal Democrat leader PaddyAshdown, Grant wrote: "I am not a Lib Dem, a Tory, a Labourite or anything in...
political services in 1999. Outgoing leader of the Liberal Democrats PaddyAshdown had put forward the suggestion shortly before stepping down, with the...
two main parties closer to each other. Former Liberal Democrat leader PaddyAshdown vowed to "eat his hat" and former Labour "spin doctor" Alastair Campbell...
Robert Maclennan (SDPTooltip Social Democratic Party (UK)) Succeeded by PaddyAshdown Leader of the Liberal Party In office 7 July 1976 – 16 July 1988 Deputy...
European Parliament in the East Midlands constituency; the following year, PaddyAshdown was first to tip him as a politician to watch. On his election in 1999...
Brown surprised Campbell by requesting that two Liberal Democrats (Lord Ashdown and Lady Neuberger) join his cabinet. After taking 24 hours to consult...
During the 1997 election Botting shadowed Liberal Democrat leader PaddyAshdown, day-in day-out, for the whole six weeks of the campaign. She was also...
in contrast to that of Tony Blair's which appeared to be in decline. PaddyAshdown, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats during Major's term of office,...
Limits of denazification", Archived 6 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine; PaddyAshdown, "Winning the Peace", BBC World Service, Archived 8 August 2007 at the...
1920s. PaddyAshdown created a new Shadow Cabinet system and Bruce became the Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer. When Ashdown stood down...
The Guardian. 18 September 2015. Retrieved 19 September 2015. Shennan, Paddy (18 September 2015). "A nation grieves – Flockstars is all over". Liverpool...
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