Jackie Ballard was the only woman candidate for the leadership of the party, after Paddy Ashdown stepped down in 1999. She came fourth in the contest, lost her responsibility for women's issues to a man and became junior spokeswoman outside Charles Kennedy's "shadow cabinet". Educated at London School of Economics and Yeovil College, she is a trained social worker. She was recruited into the Liberal Party in 1986 by her local MP - Paddy Ashdown - and was persuaded by him to stand for local council elections the following year. She became leader of South Somerset District Council in 1990 and was elected to Somerset County Council in 1993. She was selected as the prospective parliamentary candidate for Taunton in December 1989. After defeat in 1992, she came back to win Taunton in the 1997 general election - the first woman ever to represent the seat. She feels strongly about civil liberties, education, devolving power and reform of the voting system. She wants transsexuals to be allowed to alter their gender on birth certificates, to give them more social acceptance and legal rights.