Edward Blake

Edward Blake

Edward Blake was the only leader of the Liberal Party of Canada to never become Prime Minister of Canada. He was also Premier of Ontario from 1871 to 1872.

Blake became leader of the Ontario Liberal Party in 1868 and became Premier in 1871 but left provincial politics the next year to join the federal cabinet of Prime Minister Alexander Mackenzie and served as Minister of Justice and President of the Privy Council. The Liberals were defeated in 1878 and Blake succeeded Mackenzie as party leader in 1880 but failed to defeat Sir John A. Macdonald's Conservatives in the 1882 or 1887 federal elections. Blake resigned as Liberal leader in 1887, recruiting Wilfrid Laurier as his successor, and left the Canadian House of Commons in 1891 in order to move to Britain. In 1892 Blake entered the British House of Commons as an Irish Nationalist MP.

Preceded by:
Alexander Mackenzie

Liberal Leaders

Followed by:
Wilfrid Laurier

Preceded by:
Archibald McKellar Ontario Liberal leaders Succeeded by:
Oliver Mowat