The Liberal Democrat History Group are pleased to announce that the latest issue of the Journal of Liberal History (issue 132, Autumn 2026) has just been published.

The Journal is published quarterly and can be purchased here or you can take out an annual subscription here.

The Journal was first published in 1993 as a newsletter. It has come a long way since then and is read by people from all walks of life and all over the world. As a peer-reviewed journal, the highest rigours of accuracy are maintained but we have made sure the content is as accessible as possible.

The latest issue is packed, across its 56 pages, with features, articles and reviews.

Liberal History News

The editor of the Journal, Duncan Brack, looks back at the life of Jim Wallace, Baron Wallace of Tankerness, who died in January.

Lord Wallace was a Scottish Liberal/Liberal Democrat MP for Orkney and Shetland from 1983 to 2001. He was the leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats from 1992 to 2005 and as a member of the Scottish Parliament, he served as Deputy First Minister of Scotland from 1999 to 2005. He stepped into the role of acting First Minister twice.

Articles

Showcasing the work of historians, whether professional or amateur, is what the Journal does best. All the articles are peer-reviewed by leading historians, allowing for an accessible and interesting read.

In this issue, our authors have provided us with a broad set of articles:

Flattered to Deceive? John Curtice examines the performance of the Liberal Democrats in the May 2026 local and devolved elections.

Boundaries, Science and the redrawing of England’s Electoral Map in 1832 Martin Spychal describes the 1832 Boundary Act and the work of the 1831–32 Boundary Commission.

The ‘Last of the Whig Statesmen’ Ewan Lawry examines the life and achievements of Robert Offley Ashburton Crewe-Milnes, the Marquess of Crewe.

A Liberal Agent in the 1960s Beth Butler’s experiences as a Liberal election agent at elections and by-elections during the 1960s.

Reviews

As you would expect, the History Group has access to experts in their field and who are willing to review the many books on Liberalism that are published every year. The current Journal of Liberal History is no exception, with no less than four books being reviewed.

Vernon Bogdanor reviews G.H. Bennett’s The 1922 General Election Reconsidered.

J. Graham Jones reviews Nicholas K. Alderton’s Emlyn Hooson and the Welsh Liberal Party 1962-1979.

David Dutton reviews David Yates’s Sir Edward Grey’s Liberal Critics, 1905-1914.

Malcolm Baines reviews Sarah C. Williams’s When Courage Calls: Josephine Butler and the radical pursuit of justice for women.

New Publication

During the autumn Conference, The Liberal Democrat History Group and Liberal Democrat Women held a joint fringe meeting to launch our new booklet “Women for Liberty – The women who built Liberalism and the party”. The booklet contains the stories of the women who shaped British Liberalism and is available from our website for £10.00 (£8.00 for subscribers of the Journal of Liberal History).

Subscribers also benefit from a 20% discount on publications from the Liberal Democrat History Group. There are also regular discounts on publications from other publishers. So, what are you waiting for? Grab the latest issue and immerse yourself in a thoroughly engaging read. As there are now 132 issues of the Journal of Liberal History, there’s a whole treasure trove of articles and reviews waiting for you. You’ll come away knowing more than when you started.

Do you have an interest in Liberal history? If you’d like to write an article for the Journal then please contact the Journal’s editor Duncan Brack.

If you have a book to review or would like to become a reviewer, then please contact me here. We’re always looking for new books and knowledgeable reviewers to join us.

* Dr Nicholas K. Alderton is deputy editor of the Journal of Liberal History and a Welsh historian. His book, Emlyn Hooson and the Welsh Liberal Party, 1962-1979, has recently been published by the University of Wales Press and is available here.