The invention provides a liquid developer for photographic silver halide photosensitive material comprising a silver halide emulsion layer containing at least 50% based on the projected area of tabular silver halide grains with an aspect ratio of at least 3.0 and having a swelling factor of 130-250%. In the liquid developer containing ascorbic acid or a derivative thereof as a developing agent or preservative, a compound of formula (I): ##STR1## wherein each of R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 is a C1-C3 hydroxyalkyl group or C1-C3 alkyl group and R.sub.3 is a C1-C3 hydroxyalkyl group is added for preventing the developer from coloring with the lapse of time.