Former Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown dies aged 77

Tributes pour in for politician who led the party between 1988 and 1999Full obituary: Lord Ashdown, 1941-2018The political world has paid tribute to Paddy Ashdown – the irrepressible former Liberal Democrat leader and ex-marine – who died aged 77 just two months after revealing that he was being treated for bladder cancer.Lord Ashdown, who built the Lib Dems into a formidable third party at Westminster and a highly effective force in local government during his 11 years as leader bet