The Scottish Liberal Party was the dominant political party of Victorian Scotland,[1] and although its importance declined with the rise of the Labour and Unionist parties during the 20th century,[2] it was still a significant force when it finally merged with the Social Democratic Party in Scotland, to form the Scottish Liberal Democrats in 1988.
The party reached its low point during the 1950s, when Jo Grimond was the sole Scottish Liberal MP in the House of Commons, but it gained a partial revival after David Steel's victory at the Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles by-election in 1965. 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.