The 2006 Liberal Democrats deputy leadership election began on March 2, 2006, when the sitting Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats

Liberal Democrats

The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...

, Sir Menzies Campbell

Menzies Campbell

Sir Walter Menzies "Ming" Campbell, CBE, QC, MP is a British Liberal Democrat politician and advocate, and a retired sprinter. He is the Member of Parliament for North East Fife, and was the Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2 March 2006 until 15 October 2007.Campbell held the British record...

, was elected leader of the party

Liberal Democrats leadership election, 2006

In the 2006 Liberal Democrats leadership election, Sir Menzies Campbell was elected to succeed Charles Kennedy as Leader of the Liberal Democrats, the third-largest political party in the United Kingdom....

. Campbell had been deputy leader since February 2003.

The post was elected by and from the party's 63 Members of Parliament

Member of Parliament

A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...

 in the House of Commons

British House of Commons

The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...

, who voted on March 29, 2006. Vince Cable was elected as deputy leader in the second round.

There were three candidates: Vince Cable, David Heath and Matthew Taylor. Three further MPs, Susan Kramer

Susan Kramer

Susan Veronica Kramer, Baroness Kramer is a British Liberal Democrat politician. She was Member of Parliament for Richmond Park from 2005 to 2010, having been an unsuccessful candidate in the London mayoral election in 2000....

, Phil Willis

Phil Willis

George Philip Willis, Baron Willis of Knaresborough is a politician in the United Kingdom. He is a Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords, and was Member of Parliament for Harrogate and Knaresborough from 1997 until retiring at the 2010 general election...

 and Ed Davey, canvassed support from colleagues but did not enter nominations.

Result

First round
Candidate		Votes	%
	Matthew Taylor	25	39.7
	Vince Cable	21	33.3
	David Heath	17	27.0
Turnout		63	100%

David Heath was eliminated after the first round and his second preferences were redistributed.

Second round
Candidate		Change	Votes	%
	Vince Cable	+10	31	49.2
	Matthew Taylor	+4	29	46.8
	Not transferable	+3	3	4.8
Turnout			63	100%