In a surprising twist for British politics, the Liberal Democrat party has seen its membership almost halve over the past five years, even as the party celebrates its biggest electoral successes in recent memory. According to an analysis by BBC, the number of paid-up Liberal Democrat members plummeted from just under 118,000 in 2020—when Sir Ed Davey took the reins as leader—to 60,000 by 2025. This steep decline comes despite the party’s record-breaking haul of parliamentary seats in the 2024 general election and a historic performance in the May 2025 local elections, where, for the first time ever, the Lib Dems elected more councillors than Labour or the Conservatives.
On the surface, these results suggest a party riding high. Yet, behind the scenes, the membership figures tell a different story. The drop in paid-up members has been somewhat camouflaged by the inclusion of “registered supporters” in official party statistics since 2017. Registered supporters can sign up for free, gaining access to briefings and events, but unlike full members, they have no say in party policy or leadership elections. The annual accounts published by the party clearly state that the headline figure includes both members and supporters, though the breakdown is not always made explicit. In December 2024, the accounts listed 83,174 combined members and registered supporters, but a closer look at the treasurer’s statement revealed only 60,000 were actually paid-up members—with 55,000 of those in England—and over 20,000 registered supporters.
This nuanced accounting has led to some confusion, but the underlying trend is clear: the Liberal Democrats are struggling to retain the surge of members they attracted in the heady days leading up to Brexit. The party’s campaign for a second referendum brought in a wave of new recruits in 2020, but that momentum has since faded. “There’s an extent to which surges into parties are prompted by public profile… and they don’t seem to have much chance of getting into government at the moment,” observed Professor Tim Bale, who leads the Party Membership Project at Queen Mary University of London and Sussex University, according to the BBC. He added, “The drop in membership was surprising given the Lib Dems’ electoral success, which would suggest ‘a party on the up, in which case you might get more ambitious people wanting to join it.’”
Despite the membership decline, the Liberal Democrats have much to celebrate on the electoral front. In 2024, they won more seats in Parliament than ever before, and their leader, Sir Ed Davey, has been described by party spokespeople as “the most popular party leader in the country.” The party’s message is one of optimism and momentum. As a spokesperson told the BBC, “We have a record number of MPs, the most popular party leader in the country, and elected more councillors than Labour or the Conservatives for the first time ever in May’s local elections. When it comes to actual elections, more and more people are backing the Liberal Democrats as the only party that can stop Reform turning Trump’s America into Farage’s Britain.”
One area where the Liberal Democrats continue to punch above their weight is grassroots activism. Research conducted by Professor Bale’s project after the 2024 general election found that 19% of Lib Dem members had canvassed voters face-to-face or over the phone—the highest proportion among all major UK parties. “There is all sorts of research over time that, certainly in very close races, contact with the voters, whether that be face to face or just leafletting, does seem to make a difference,” said Professor Bale. This hands-on approach may help explain the party’s ability to outperform expectations at the ballot box, even as traditional membership numbers dwindle.
It’s not just the Liberal Democrats feeling the squeeze. Other parties have also seen shifts in their membership bases, though not always in the same direction. The Labour Party, for instance, remains the largest political party in the UK by current publicly available figures, but has experienced a 37% drop in membership since 2020. At the end of 2024, Labour’s membership stood at 333,235, though some reports suggest it may have dipped further to 309,000. An updated figure is expected soon, coinciding with the announcement of the winner in Labour’s deputy leadership contest.
The Green Party of England and Wales, on the other hand, is bucking the trend. The party now boasts 90,000 members, a 91% increase on 2020 figures and a 54% jump from its 58,322 members in December of the previous year. This rapid growth has positioned the Greens as a rising force in British politics, even if their parliamentary footprint remains modest for now.
Meanwhile, the Conservative Party’s membership numbers are less transparent. The party does not routinely publish its figures, but 131,680 people were eligible to vote in last year’s Tory leadership election—a number down by 40,000 from the 2022 contest. Reform UK, a newer player on the scene, did not disclose membership numbers in its annual accounts, but a ticker on its website claims just under 260,000 members. However, as with other parties, these figures are not independently verified, so the true state of party memberships across the political spectrum remains something of a guessing game.
For the Liberal Democrats, the question now is whether their recent electoral achievements can be translated into renewed grassroots enthusiasm and a reversal of the membership decline. Some analysts point to the party’s high level of activism as a positive sign. “Figures suggested a greater proportion of Lib Dem members (19%) had canvassed voters face-to-face or over the phone than any other party,” noted the BBC. This could give the Lib Dems a unique advantage in close contests, where personal engagement with voters can tip the scales.
Still, the party faces an uphill battle in convincing the public that it has a realistic shot at government—a factor Professor Bale believes is crucial for attracting new, ambitious members. The Lib Dems’ inclusion of registered supporters in their headline figures may soften the blow of declining paid-up membership, but it also raises questions about the true depth of party loyalty and engagement.
Ultimately, the Liberal Democrats’ situation reflects broader trends in British politics: fluctuating party loyalties, the impact of high-profile issues like Brexit, and the ongoing challenge of translating electoral wins into lasting organizational strength. With the political landscape shifting rapidly, the party’s next moves—both on the campaign trail and behind the scenes—will be closely watched by supporters, rivals, and political analysts alike.
As the dust settles on a remarkable period for the Liberal Democrats, the party stands at a crossroads, balancing its historic gains at the polls with the pressing need to rebuild and reenergize its grassroots base.
