liberalhistory.org.uk

"On This Day" is a dated historical almanac on liberalhistory.org.uk, the website of the Journal of Liberal History. Each entry pins a specific calendar date to an event in Liberal, Liberal Democrat or SDP history, and the site also runs commemorative posts when a figure connected to that history dies. It is a browsing and reference feature rather than a searchable database, so you read it by date rather than by query.

How the feature works

The heading "On This Day" is followed by a date and a short account of what happened. The site's own example is:

• 22 September 1932 — David Owen Evans wins the Cardiganshire by-election for the Liberals. The entry notes he was the Samuelite Liberal candidate, that he won a three-cornered fight against the Conservatives and Labour, and that his majority was 4,571 (16.6%). It adds the interpretive point that the result showed the Liberals, even after their recent split, could still win a three-cornered contest.

So a typical entry gives you four things: the date, the event, the numbers or names involved, and a line of context explaining why it mattered.

Commemorative posts alongside the dated entries

The same area of the site carries obituary-style pieces. When Menzies Campbell, Lord Campbell of Pittenweem, died on 26 September 2025, the site reprinted the chapter on him from its book British Liberal Leaders (Biteback, 2015) under the heading "Menzies Campbell, 1941–2025."

This tells you something useful about sourcing: the commemorative content is drawn from the History Group's own published books, not written fresh for the website. The dated entries follow the same pattern of drawing on the organisation's research output.

What it is good for, and what it is not

If you want depth on an event you find there, the site's shop sells individual journal issues and books, and a subscription gives access to the journal. If you only want to sample the feature, no purchase is needed to read the entries themselves.

How to use it in practice

1. Open liberalhistory.org.uk and look for the "On This Day" heading on the page.
2. Read the date and the event summary; note the names, constituency or office, and the majority or vote figures if given.
3. If the entry references a person or episode you want to pursue, check the site's books and journal listings — the History Group publishes collected volumes such as British Liberal Leaders that expand on exactly these subjects.
4. For recurring use, the site offers a mailing list sign-up in addition to paid subscription plans, which is the low-commitment way to catch new entries and commemorative posts.

The main limitation to plan around: because entries are organised by date, you cannot pull up "everything about Cardiganshire by-elections" in one view. Treat it as a daily-reading feature that occasionally surfaces a lead worth following into the Journal's longer articles.

The Journal of Liberal History offers six subscription plans: Digital, Student, Print, Print overseas, Digital Plus, and Digital plus overseas. Digital plans give access to the latest and all previous issues for download; Print plans deliver four issues per year; Digital Plus combines both. Students in full- or part-time study qualify for a discounted rate, and all subscribers get 20% off books and booklets published by the History Group.

The six plans at a glance

How to choose

• If you want searchable back issues and no physical mail: the Digital plan covers the latest and all previous issues as downloads.
• If you want the Journal in hand: the Print plan sends four issues a year to your door. If you are outside the UK, the overseas variant is the one listed for you.
• If you want both formats: Digital Plus pairs download access with the four annual print issues; Digital plus overseas is the same combination for overseas addresses.
• If you are a student: the Student plan is the discounted option, available for full- or part-time students.

Subscriber benefit

All subscribers receive a 20% discount on all books and booklets published by the History Group. The site also sells individual books, concise booklets, and single issues separately, so the discount applies to those purchases as well.

Practical notes

• The site's subscription page lists these plans as the available choices; exact prices are not stated in the material reviewed here, so check the Subscribe page for current rates.
• The Journal also runs a mailing list sign-up separate from subscriptions, if you want updates without committing to a plan.
• Sample content is visible without subscribing — for example, the "On This Day" entry for 22 September 1932 on David Owen Evans winning the Cardiganshire by-election for the Liberals, and a reprinted chapter on Menzies Campbell (1941–2025) from British Liberal Leaders (Biteback, 2015).

The Journal of Liberal History sells three types of items directly from its website: books, concise booklets, and individual journal issues. Two current listings are priced at £10.00 each — Women for Liberty and Journal of Liberal History issue 132 — and both use an "Add to cart" purchase flow. If you subscribe, you get a 20% discount on all books and booklets published by the History Group, so the shop is cheaper for subscribers than for one-off buyers.

What's available to buy

The site describes its catalogue as "a collection of books, concise booklets, and individual issues." That breaks down into:

• Books — longer works published by the History Group, such as British Liberal Leaders (Biteback, 2015), which the site draws on for its commemorative writing.
• Booklets — shorter, focused publications.
• Single journal issues — you can buy one issue at a time rather than committing to a subscription.

The homepage's "Latest Publications" section currently shows two items, both at £10.00:

There's also a "Buy Journals" entry point alongside "Books," which suggests journals can be browsed and bought as a separate category from books.

How buying works

The purchase path is a standard add-to-cart flow:

1. Find the item you want on the publications or journals listing.
2. Click Add to cart next to that item.
3. Proceed to checkout from your cart.

The site doesn't publish shipping costs, delivery times, or accepted payment methods on the pages available here, so those details would need to be confirmed at checkout.

The subscriber discount

Every subscriber receives 20% off all books and booklets published by the History Group. That's the main financial reason to subscribe if you plan to buy more than a couple of items — the discount applies across the catalogue rather than to a single title.

Note the discount is described as covering books and booklets. The subscription plans themselves are separate products:

• Digital — download the latest and all previous issues from the website.
• Student — a discounted rate for full- or part-time students.
• Print — four issues per year delivered by post.
• Print overseas — the print plan for international delivery.
• Digital Plus — digital downloads plus four print issues per year.
• Digital plus overseas — the digital-plus-print combination for overseas delivery.

Choosing between buying single items and subscribing

• Buy individual items if you want one specific book, booklet, or issue — for example, a single copy of Journal of Liberal History 132 — and don't need ongoing issues.
• Subscribe if you want regular issues and expect to buy books or booklets too, since the 20% discount then applies to those purchases. Digital plans suit readers who want the full back catalogue online; print plans suit readers who want physical copies posted.

Prices shown here (£10.00 for the two current listings) are the ones published on the site; other titles may be priced differently, and the site doesn't state whether prices include postage.

The Journal of Liberal History keeps readers informed through several channels: a mailing list (sign-up via a Mailchimp link), paid subscription plans that deliver journal issues, a news-style "On This Day" feature, and event listings. If you want occasional updates, the mailing list is the lightest option; if you want the journal itself, you need a subscription.

Join the Mailing List

The site's "Mailing List" section links to a Mailchimp sign-up form. This is the lowest-commitment way to hear about new publications, events, and site content. The sign-up link is hosted on Mailchimp (liberalhistory.us2.list-manage.com), so you'll complete registration on that external page rather than on the Journal's own site.

Choose a Subscription Plan

Subscriptions are the main way to receive the Journal itself. The site lists the following plans:

All subscribers also receive a 20% discount on books and booklets published by the History Group. The site's pricing signals point to a "Subscribe" page, but the excerpt does not list prices for the plans themselves — only individual publications are shown with prices (for example, £10.00 for a single issue or book).

Follow "On This Day" and Latest Publications

The homepage carries an "On This Day" feature that highlights dated historical events — for example, the 22 September 1932 Cardiganshire by-election win by Liberal candidate David Owen Evans, noted as a three-cornered contest with a 4,571 (16.6%) majority over the Conservatives. The "Latest Publications" section shows new books and journal issues available to buy, such as Women for Liberty and Journal of Liberal History issue 132, each listed at £10.00.

Watch for Events

The site lists upcoming events, such as "Women for Liberty: The women who built Liberalism and the party" on 19 September 2026 at 13:00, with a "Find out more" link. Event pages are the place to check for details and any registration requirements.

Quick Comparison

• Mailing list — free to sign up via the Mailchimp form; best for occasional news and event announcements.
• Digital subscription — access to current and archived issues online.
• Print subscription — four physical issues per year, with an overseas variant.
• Digital Plus — combines both digital archive access and print delivery.

If your goal is simply to follow the site's activity, start with the mailing list and check the homepage for "On This Day," latest publications, and event listings. If you want the Journal's content itself, pick the subscription tier that matches whether you read online or in print, and whether you're in the UK or overseas.

liberalhistory.org.uk is the website of the Journal of Liberal History, a publication of the History Group dedicated to the discussion and research of Liberal, Liberal Democrat and SDP history. It serves both as a shop and archive for the journal and related books, and as a hub for events, historical notes and party history material. If you want to read or research Liberal/Liberal Democrat/SDP history, buy back issues or books, or subscribe to the journal, this is the site to use.

What you'll find on the site

The site mixes editorial content, retail listings and subscription information:

• Journal issues — individual issues are sold, for example Journal of Liberal History 132 at £10.00.
• Books and booklets — the History Group publishes "a collection of books, concise booklets, and individual issues." A current example is Women for Liberty (£10.00).
• Events — e.g. Women for Liberty: The women who built Liberalism and the party, listed for September 19, 2026, 13:00, with a "Find out more" link.
• "On This Day" — short historical notes, such as 22 September 1932, when David Owen Evans won the Cardiganshire by-election for the Liberals in a three-cornered fight with the Conservatives and Labour, with a 4,571 (16.6%) majority. The site uses this to illustrate that the Liberals could still win three-cornered contests even after their recent split.
• Commemorative reprints — following the death of Menzies Campbell, Lord Campbell of Pittenweem, on 26 September 2025, the site reprinted the chapter on him from British Liberal Leaders (Biteback, 2015).

Subscriptions

The site lists several plans, and all subscribers receive a 20% discount on all books and booklets published by the History Group:

To subscribe, use the "Subscribe" link on the site. There is also a separate mailing list sign-up if you only want updates rather than a paid subscription.

What you can do as a visitor

• Read — browse "On This Day" entries, event pages and reprints such as the Menzies Campbell chapter.
• Buy — order individual journal issues, books and booklets; the site shows a cart and "Add to cart" buttons.
• Subscribe — choose a plan matching whether you want digital, print, or both, and whether you are a student or based overseas.
• Join the mailing list — sign up for updates without committing to a subscription.
• Engage with the field — the journal exists "for the discussion and research" of Liberal, Liberal Democrat and SDP history, so it is aimed at readers, researchers and party history enthusiasts rather than a general news audience.

Who runs it

The site is published by the History Group, which also publishes the books and booklets offered to subscribers at a discount. The journal is the group's main periodical, with numbered issues (the latest shown is issue 132).

Practical notes

• Prices shown are in pounds sterling (e.g. £10.00 for a single issue or for Women for Liberty).
• The subscription page presents the plans as a choice, so check which one matches your location and format preference before signing up.
• If you are unsure whether to subscribe, the mailing list is the lower-commitment option, and individual issues can be bought separately.