Cambridgeshire campaigner becomes new President of the Liberal Democrats
Veteran Liberal Democrat activist Baroness Brinton, who has links with Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire, has been elected as the party's new president in a ballot of members.
Lady Brinton defeated Daisy Cooper by 10,188 votes to 6,138 after former MP Liz Lynne was eliminated following the count of first preference votes. She will take over from Tim Farron in January.
A former group leader on Cambridgeshire County Council, Lady Brinton - who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and uses a wheelchair - is currently the Lib Dem health spokeswoman in the Lords and runs the party's leadership programme supporting candidates from under-represented groups such as women and the disabled.
Baroness Brinton's background
Was Lib Dem group leader on Cambridgeshire County Council
Was the bursar at Lucy Cavendish College and Selwyn College in Cambridge
Founder member of the East of England Development Agency 1998-2004
Was a floor manager at the BBC working on programmes like Play School and Doctor Who
Stood for parliament in SE Cambs in 1997 and 2001 and for Watford in 2005 and 2010
Took her place in the House of Lords in November 2011
Daughter of former Conservative MP and ITN newscaster Tim Brinton
Once the elections are out of the way, Lady Brinton said she intended to carry out an "overdue" reform of the party's "constitution and processes" which were heavily criticised in the wake of its handling of the complaints of sexual harassment made against former chief executive Lord Rennard.
The peer had his suspension from the party lifted earlier this year after disciplinary action linked to allegations was dropped.
Lady Brinton said: "My role will be to represent the members, and make the changes that they want happen."