Description
The Scottish Liberal Party was the dominant party of Victorian Scotland. While its electoral fortunes declined with the rise of the Labour and (Scottish) Unionist parties during the 1920s, it remained a significant 'third' force in an increasingly crowded 'Scottish political system', particularly during the latter half of the 20th century. This was especially true following its 1988 merger with the Social Democratic Party to form the Scottish Liberal Democrats, when it helped shape the modern devolution settlement via the Scottish Constitutional Convention.
This book examines both parties via a chronological presentation of their histories. Each chapter includes themes such as organisation, relations between the Scottish and UK parties, the deployment of 'nationalist' arguments and rhetoric, and strategic approaches (after 1922) to recover electorally and pursue certain constitutional aims including devolution for Scotland. It also presents a detailed examination of the party's record in devolved and Westminster government after 1999.
Author: David Torrance
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
Published: 08/05/2022
Pages: 240
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.63lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.51d
ISBN13: 9781399506397
ISBN10: 1399506390
BISAC Categories:
- Political Science | Political Ideologies | Conservatism & Liberalism
- History | Europe | Great Britain | General
- Political Science | Political Process | Political Parties
About the Author
David Torrance is Devolution and Constitution Specialist at the House of Commons Library. He was formerly a freelance writer, broadcaster and journalist, reporting on the Scottish Parliament for STV, and contributing political commentary to a wide range of publications including The Scotsman, The Herald and The Times. He is the author of several books on Scottish politics, the best known being his unauthorised biographies of Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond. He is the author of Standing up for Scotland: Nationalist Unionism and Scottish Party Politics, 1884-2014 (Edinburgh University Press, 2020) and the editor of Ruth Davidson's Conservatives: The Scottish Tory Party, 2011-19 (Edinburgh University Press, 2020) and Whatever Happened to Tory Scotland (Edinburgh University Press, 2012).