Festival Appearances Buxton Festival 10 - 28 July 2009. Biography Sir Jeremy John Durham Ashdown, The Baron Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon, KBE, PC (born 27 February 1941), invariably known as Paddy Ashdown. He was leader of the Liberal Democrats from 1988 until 1999. He is a life peer. Ashdown is the eldest of seven children and was born in New Delhi in India to a non-religious Catholic father, and a Protestant mother. He and his siblings were, however, not raised Catholic. His father was a Captain in the Indian Army, 14th Punjabis & RIASC and his mother was a QA. |
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He was largely brought up in Northern Ireland (whence the nickname "Paddy") and educated at Bedford School, England. From 1959 to 1972 he served in the Royal Marines as an officer in the commandos and the Special Boat Service. After leaving the Marines, he worked for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in industry, and as a youth worker before being elected Liberal Member of Parliament for Yeovil in 1983.
In the House of Commons he was SDP-Liberal Alliance spokesman on Trade and Industry and then on Education. After the merger that formed the Liberal Democrats, he was elected as the new party's leader. He led the Liberal Democrats in two general elections, in 1992 and 1997.
Ashdown resigned the leadership in 1999, being succeeded by Charles Kennedy. He was knighted in 2000 and became a life peer in the House of Lords after retiring from the Commons in 2001.
After leaving British politics, he took up the post of the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina on May 27, 2002, reflecting his long-time advocacy of international intervention in that region.
Ashdown is married with two children and two grandchildren. He is a gifted linguist, and is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and other languages. He is the author of four books, A Fortunate Life, is due out in April 2009, [updated february, 2009]
Bibliography
A Fortunate Life, (Aurum Press), April 2009. ISBN-10: 1845134192
Swords And Ploughshares: Building Peace in the 21st Century ISBN 0297853031
The Ashdown Diaries vol 1. 1988 – 1997, ISBN 0-14-029775-8The Ashdown Diaries vol 2. 1997 – 1999, ISBN 0-14-029776-6