Scottish Liberal Party facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Scottish Liberal Party
Founded	1859
Dissolved	3 March 1988
Merged into	Scottish Liberal Democrats
Headquarters	2 Atholl Place, Edinburgh
Ideology	Liberalism Classical liberalism Social liberalism
National affiliation	Liberal Party
Politics of Scotland Political parties

The Scottish Liberal Party was a big political party in Scotland. It was part of the larger Liberal Party in the UK. For a long time, especially in the Victorian era, it was the most important party in Scotland.

Over time, other parties like the Labour Party and the Unionist Party became more popular. This meant the Scottish Liberal Party became less powerful. In 1988, it joined with the Social Democratic Party in Scotland. Together, they formed a new party called the Scottish Liberal Democrats.

After World War II, the party lost all its seats in the UK Parliament by 1945. Support for the party kept going down. For many years, Jo Grimond was the only Scottish Liberal Member of Parliament (MP). He won his seat back in 1950.

Things started to look up a bit in the 1964 election. The party gained three more MPs: George Mackie, Russell Johnston, and Alasdair Mackenzie. The next year, David Steel also won a seat in a special election. David Steel became very important in helping Scotland get more control over its own laws. He worked with other key politicians like John Smith and Donald Dewar.

The Party in Victorian Times

In the Victorian era, the Liberal Party in Scotland was very strong. However, its members didn't always agree on everything. There were often disagreements between different groups within the party. For example, some members were more traditional, like the Whigs, and were mostly based in Edinburgh. Others were more radical and were based in Glasgow and the west of Scotland.

To help organize the party, different groups were formed. The East and North of Scotland Liberal Association and the West and South West of Scotland Liberal Association started in 1877. These groups later joined together in 1881 to create the Scottish Liberal Association. Important leaders like Gladstone and Adam led this new association.

Later, in 1886, a group called the National Liberal Federation of Scotland was created. But it also joined the Scottish Liberal Association by the end of that year. Women also played a role in the party. The Scottish Women's Liberal Federation was formed in 1891, led by Anne Lindsay.

Party Leaders

The Scottish Liberal Party had different types of leaders over the years. They had Chairmen, Presidents, and later, a single Leader.

Chairmen

The Chairman was an important role in the party. Here are some of the people who held this position:

• 1886: Victor Bruce
• 1894: Thomas Gibson-Carmichael
• 1902: Edward Marjoribanks
• 1906: John William Crombie
• 1946: Louise Glen-Coats
• 1965: George Mackie
• 1975: Menzies Campbell
• 1986: John Lawrie
• 1987: Christopher Mason

Presidents

The President was another key leadership role.

• 1880s: John Dalrymple
• 1884: Alexander Duff
• 1886: Archibald Primrose
• 1901: Henry Campbell-Bannerman
• 1909: H. H. Asquith
• 1965: John Bannerman
• 1969: Ray Bannerman (later Ray Michie)
• 1983: George Mackie

Leader

Before 1973, the party was led by its President. After that, they had a specific "Leader" role.

• Russell Johnston, 1973–1988

Election Results

The Liberals won most of the Scottish seats in the 1906 general election.

This table shows how the Scottish Liberal Party did in general elections. It covers from their first election in 1859 to their last in 1979. The numbers show the percentage of votes they received and how many seats they won in Scotland.