The Scottish Liberal Party, the section of the

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Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

, was the dominant political party of Victorian Scotland, and although its importance declined with the rise of the Labour and Unionist parties during the 20th century, it was still a significant, albeit much reduced force when it finally merged with the Social Democratic Party in Scotland, to form the

Scottish Liberal Democrats The Scottish Liberal Democrats ( gd, Pàrtaidh Libearal Deamocratach na h-Alba, sco, Scots Leeberal Democrats) is a liberal, federalist political party in Scotland, a part of the United Kingdom Liberal Democrats. The party currently holds 4 o ...

in 1988. The party lost its last remaining seats in the UK Parliament in 1945, and continued to decline in popular support in the post war years, with

Jo Grimond Joseph Grimond, Baron Grimond, (; 29 July 1913 – 24 October 1993), known as Jo Grimond, was a British politician, leader of the Liberal Party for eleven years from 1956 to 1967 and again briefly on an interim basis in 1976. Grimond was a lo ...

(who won back Orkney and Shetland in 1950) being the sole Scottish Liberal MP in the House of Commons from 1951 to 1964. The party gained a partial revival in the 1964 general election returning three further MPs; George Mackie,

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and

Alasdair Mackenzie Alasdair Roderick Mackenzie (3 August 1903 – 8 November 1970) was a Scottish farmer and politician who became a Liberal Party Member of Parliament. A Gaelic speaker, he went to Broadford Junior Secondary School on the Isle of Skye. He became ...

. A further gain came the following year with

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's victory at the Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles by-election. Steel went on to become a pivotal figure in the development of

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, in partnership with John Smith,

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and other key Labour and Liberal figures.

Victorian party

The Victorian Liberal party in Scotland was not always ideologically unified, and was faced with many internal divisions, particularly amongst the more conservative

Whiggish Whig history (or Whig historiography) is an approach to historiography that presents history as a journey from an oppressive and benighted past to a "glorious present". The present described is generally one with modern forms of liberal democracy ...

elements of the party who were largely based in Edinburgh and the East, and the more western and Glasgow-based radical Liberals. The East and North of Scotland Liberal Association and the West and South West of Scotland Liberal Association were founded in 1877. Early in 1881, they merged, forming the Scottish Liberal Association, led by Gladstone and Adam. A National Liberal Federation of Scotland was founded in April 1886, but merged into the Liberal Association in December.''Liberal Year Book, 1887 The

Scottish Women's Liberal Federation The Scottish Liberal Party, the section of the Liberal Party in Scotland, was the dominant political party of Victorian Scotland, and although its importance declined with the rise of the Labour and Unionist parties during the 20th century, it ...

was formed in 1891 from regional groups and was led by Anne Lindsay.K. D. Reynolds, ‘Lindsay , Anna (1845–1903)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 200
accessed 15 Oct 2017
/ref>

Leadership

Chairmen

:1886: Victor Bruce :1894: Thomas Gibson-Carmichael :1902: Edward Marjoribanks :1906:

John William Crombie John William Crombie (4 March 1858 – 22 March 1908) was a Scottish woollen manufacturer, folklorist and Liberal Party politician. Early life Crombie was born in Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire ( sco, Aiberdeenshire; gd, Siorrachd Obar Dhe ...

:1908:

Eugene Wason Eugene Wason (26 January 1846 – 19 April 1927) was a Scottish lawyer and Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons in three periods between 1885 and 1918. Family Eugene Wason came from a Liberal family. His father, brother and son-in- ...

:1909: George Green :1910:

:1912: William Robertson :1921: Donald Maclean :1925: John Anthony :1933: William Baird :1936:

Archibald Sinclair Archibald Henry Macdonald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso, (22 October 1890 – 15 June 1970), known as Sir Archibald Sinclair between 1912 and 1952, and often as Archie Sinclair, was a British politician and leader of the Liberal Party. Backgr ...

:1936:

Philip Kerr Philip Ballantyne Kerr (22 February 1956 – 23 March 2018) was a British author, best known for his Bernie Gunther series of historical detective thrillers. Early life Kerr was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, where his father was an enginee ...

:1946: Louise Glen-Coats :1948: Leonard T. M. Gray : :1952: Louise Glen-Coats :1953: John Gray Wilson :1954:

Charles Hampton Johnston Charles Hampton Johnston QC, MA, LLB (10 April 1919 – 19 January 1981), was a Scottish Sheriff and a Liberal Party politician. Background Johnston was the son of John Johnston and Johanna Hampton of Edinburgh. He was educated at Royal High Sch ...

:1956: John Bannerman :1965: George Mackie :1970:

:1973: Robert L. Smith :1975: Menzies Campbell :1977: Terry Grieve :1980:

Fred McDermid Frederick McDermid (9 February 1924 – 23 August 2011) was a Scottish Liberal Party politician. Born in Partick, McDermid studied at Hyndland School before completing an apprenticeship as a quantity surveyor. During World War II, he volunte ...

:1982:

Ross Finnie James Ross Finnie (born 11 February 1947) is a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician and a former Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP). He is a former Minister for the Environment and Rural Development in the Scottish Executive, and Memb ...

:1986: John Lawrie :1987: Christopher Mason

Presidents

:1880s: John Dalrymple :1884: Alexander Duff :1886: Archibald Primrose :1901:

Henry Campbell-Bannerman Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman (né Campbell; 7 September 183622 April 1908) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. He served as the prime minister of the United Kingdom from 1905 to 1908 and leader of the Liberal Party from 1899 to 1 ...

:1909:

H. H. Asquith Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, (12 September 1852 – 15 February 1928), generally known as H. H. Asquith, was a British statesman and Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom f ...

:1928: John Hamilton-Gordon :1934: Ramsay Muir :1935:

:1960:

and Andrew Murray :1961:

:1963:

and John Bannerman :1965: John Bannerman :1969: Ray Bannerman :1976: Robert L. Smith :1982:

:1983: George Mackie

Leader

*Until 1973, the party was led by the president. *

, 1973–1988

Electoral performance

United Kingdom general election 1906 in Scotland

This chart shows the electoral results of the Scottish Liberal Party, from its first election in 1859, to its last in 1983. Total number of seats, and vote percentage, is for Scotland only.

References

External links

Scottish Liberal Club and Scottish Liberal Party archives
held at the National Library of Scotland {{Defunct political parties in Scotland 19th century in Scotland 20th century in Scotland Political parties disestablished in 1988 1859 establishments in Scotland Political parties established in 1859 Defunct political parties in Scotland 1988 disestablishments in the United Kingdom