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 still a significant, albeit much reduced force when it finally merged with the Social Democratic Party in Scotland, to form the Scottish Liberal Democrats 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 (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, Russell Johnston and Alasdair Mackenzie. A further gain came the following year with David Steel's victory at the Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles by-election. Steel went on to become a pivotal figure in the development of Scottish devolution, in partnership with John Smith, Donald Dewar 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 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 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, 2004 accessed 15 Oct 2017

Leadership Chairmen 1886: Victor Bruce 1894: Thomas Gibson-Carmichael 1902: Edward Marjoribanks 1906: John William Crombie 1908: Eugene Wason 1909: George Green 1910: Eugene Wason 1912: William Robertson 1921: Donald Maclean 1925: John Anthony 1933: William Baird 1936: Archibald Sinclair 1936: Philip Kerr 1946: Louise Glen-Coats 1948: Leonard T. M. Gray

1952: Louise Glen-Coats 1953: John Gray Wilson 1954: Charles Hampton Johnston 1956: John Bannerman 1965: George Mackie 1970: Russell Johnston 1973: Robert L. Smith 1975: Menzies Campbell 1977: Terry Grieve 1980: Fred McDermid 1982: Ross Finnie 1986: John Lawrie 1987: Christopher Mason

Presidents 1880s: John Dalrymple 1884: Alexander Duff 1886: Archibald Primrose 1901: Henry Campbell-Bannerman 1909: H. H. Asquith 1928: John Hamilton-Gordon 1934: Ramsay Muir 1935: Archibald Sinclair 1960: Archibald Sinclair and Andrew Murray 1961: Archibald Sinclair 1963: Archibald Sinclair and John Bannerman 1965: John Bannerman 1969: Ray Bannerman (later Ray Michie) 1976: Robert L. Smith 1982: Fred McDermid 1983: George Mackie

Leader Until 1973, the party was led by the president. Russell Johnston, 1973–1988

Electoral performance

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.

Election National leader in Scotland Vote % Seats Government185966.4186585.4186882.5187468.4188070.11885William Ewart Gladstone for Midlothian53.31886William Ewart Gladstone for Midlothian53.61892William Ewart Gladstone for Midlothian53.9189551.71900Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman for Stirling Burghs50.21906Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman for Stirling Burghs56.4Jan 1910H. H. Asquith for East Fife54.2Dec 1910H. H. Asquith for East Fife53.61918H. H. Asquith for East Fife (defeated)Official Liberal15.0Coalition Liberal19.1Official LiberalCoalition Liberal1922H. H. Asquith for PaisleyOfficial Liberal21.5National Liberal17.7Official LiberalNational Liberal1923H. H. Asquith for Paisley28.41924H. H. Asquith for Paisley16.6192918.119318.619356.71945Sir Archibald Sinclair for Caithness and Sutherland5.619506.619512.719551.91959Jo Grimond for Orkney and Shetland4.11964Jo Grimond for Orkney and Shetland7.61966Jo Grimond for Orkney and Shetland6.819705.5February 19747.9October 19748.31979David Steel for Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles9.0

References

Further reading

External links Scottish Liberal Club and Scottish Liberal Party archives, held at the National Library of Scotland