Editing Paddy Ashdown (section)

=== Resignation and peerage ===
Ashdown announced his intention to resign as Leader of the Liberal Democrats on 20 January 1999,<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/259260.stm |work=BBC News | title=Ashdown to quit as leader | date=20 January 1999 |access-date=2021-03-04}}</ref> departing on 9 August that year following 11 years in the role, and was succeeded by Charles Kennedy.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/415435.stm |work=BBC News | title=Kennedy to lead Lib Dems | date=9 August 1999 |access-date=2021-03-04}}</ref> In mid-1999, there was speculation that he would be appointed the new [[Secretary General of NATO]]; his lack of governmental experience meant that doubts were raised about his suitability. The post was ultimately filled by defence secretary [[George Robertson, Baron Robertson of Port Ellen|George Robertson]].<ref name="Fitchett">{{cite news | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/15/news/15iht-allies.2.t_1.html | title = Paddy Ashdown of Britain Is Seen by Some As Leading Candidate for Secretary-General : Hunt for NATO Chief Moves Into New Phase | access-date = 18 April 2014 | last = Fitchett|first= Joseph | date = 15 July 1999 | work = [[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref name="Ulbrich">{{cite news | url = http://amarillo.com/stories/1999/07/16/usn_LA0694.001.shtml | title = Secretary-general sought by NATO | access-date = 18 April 2014 | last = Ulbrich|first= Jeffrey | date = 16 July 1999 | agency = Associated Press | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140419012713/http://amarillo.com/stories/1999/07/16/usn_LA0694.001.shtml | archive-date = 19 April 2014 | url-status = dead | df = dmy-all }}</ref><ref name="Whitney">{{cite news | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/31/world/britain-nominates-its-defense-secretary-to-be-head-of-nato.html | title = Britain Nominates Its Defense Secretary to Be Head of NATO | access-date = 18 April 2014 | last= Whitney|first= Craig R. | date = 31 July 1999 | work = The New York Times}}</ref>

He was appointed a [[Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (KBE) in 2000<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=55879 |date=19 June 2000 |page=7 |supp=y}}</ref> and after retiring from the Commons one month previously, he was created a life peer, the peerage being gazetted on 16 July 2001 as that of Baron Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon, of [[Norton-sub-Hamdon]] in the [[County of Somerset]].<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=56275 |date=16 July 2011 |page=8373}}</ref> In the [[2001 United Kingdom general election|2001 election]], the Yeovil seat was retained for the Liberal Democrats by [[David Laws]]. Likewise, in 2001, the [[University of Bath]] conferred on Ashdown an honorary [[Doctor of Laws]] degree.<ref name="UB">{{cite web |title=Honorary Graduates 2000 to 2009 |url=https://www.bath.ac.uk/corporate-information/honorary-graduates-2000-to-2009/ |publisher=University of Bath |access-date=23 December 2018}}</ref>

He was the subject of ''[[This Is Your Life (British TV series)|This Is Your Life]]'' in 2001, when he was surprised by [[Michael Aspel]] at [[BBC Television Centre]].<ref>{{cite episode |title=Paddy Ashdown |date=2001-10-31 |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6118046/ |access-date=2024-01-24 |series=This Is Your Life }}</ref>