Southport was in Victorian Britain part of the huge constituency of South Lancashire where it was represented for a time by the great Liberal Prime Minister, William Gladstone, who addressed huge meetings in the town.

Liberals were instrumental in gaining independent status for the growing town. Southport Liberal Association was started in 1868 - its first chairman being Thomas Weld Blundell. Southport Liberals dominated the early days of the town council being responsible for such buildings as the Atkinson Library and Art Gallery.

Southport's first ever M.P. was Dr George Pilkington, a Liberal elected in 1885. Though he lost in a subsequent election to the Conservative candidate, George Curzon (later Lord Curzon), who served as the town's parliamentary representative until 1898 when he was made Viceroy of India, he retained the seat for the Liberals with an increased majority in 1899 following the tragic death at the age of 35 of Sir Herbert Naylor-Leyland. (Sir Herbert was technically Southport's second Liberal to be elected, following his victory in the 1898 by-election, but died before being able to represent the town in Westminster.) Party divsions over the Boer War cost Sir George (knighted in 1893) his seat and it wasn't until the 1906 election that J.M. Astbury won it back the for the Liberals. Following Astbury's decision not to seek re-election in 1910, the Baron de Forest was adopted as the Liberal Parliamentary candidate. Though he received the support of Churchill, who came to the town to speak on behalf of his friend, the election campaign was marked by bitterness and an undertone of racism (directed at de Forest), and ended in defeat for the Liberals. The Liberals looked forward to the 1914 election with confidence but the Great War resulted in coalition government and subsequently tranformed the landscape of British Politics.

Following the Liberal election triumph of Sir John Brunner in 1923, it would be more than sixty years before the Party delivered another Southport M.P. In 1987, after several attempts, Ronnie Fearn became the town's Westminster representative. Subsequently he lost the seat in 1992 but re-gained it in 1997. In 2001, Dr John Pugh succeeded Ronnie Fearn and became the 6th Liberal to be elected to represent Southport in the House of Commons. Ronnie (now Lord Fearn) continues to represent the town in the House of Lords.

Throughout over 130 years of its existence the Southport Liberal Association has produced many famous figures who have contributed to the town. Some like Christiana Hartley, William Boothroyd and Bob Martin are remembered by what they left behind; others simply left behind a devotion to public service, fond memories and a deep love of the town. From the very beginning the Southport Liberal Democrats have fought positively for the independence and the economic development of the town, standing up for the underdog and working for the community.