Lord David Steel became active in politics at the University of Edinburgh where he became President of the Liberal Club. He graduated with an MA in 1960 and a law degree in 1962. In October of that year he married a fellow law graduate Judy MacGregor and now has three children and five young grandchildren.

Lord Steel's political career began some months before he graduated when he was adopted as the Liberal prospective parliamentary candidate for the Edinburgh Pentlands constituency. Then after University he took on his first job as the Scottish Liberals' General Secretary. He also pursued a short-lived job as a journalist and broadcaster for BBC Scotland. However, it was in 1965 when he stood and won the Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles by election, taking the seat from the Tories and becoming the youngest MP in the Parliament. He held on to this seat for the subsequent eight general elections.

His key interests in Parliament were in UK domestic affairs and social policy, and 1965-67 Lord Steel started out as the Party's employment spokesman before becoming Chief Whip in 1970. In the social field his main legislative achievement was steering the Private Members Bill that was to reform the law on abortion.

Lord Steel was elected leader of the Liberal Party in 1976 and from this position placed the Liberals firmly on the progressive wing of British Politics on all issues. All the party activists did not welcome this move but it did see them enjoy the highest share of the popular vote cast for a third party in half a century and for a number of years he was even voted the UK's most popular politician! It was at the end of his leadership that he oversaw the merger of the SDP and the Liberals to form the Liberal Democrats and ensured that the third party would remain a strong force in British politics.

After stepping down as leader he turned to focus on two main areas of interest foreign affairs and constitutional reform. In 1989 he became co-chair of the Scottish Constitutional Convention, which drew up the blueprint from which the Labour Government framed the Scotland Act of 1998. On the foreign affairs front he was involved in democracy and human rights issues in developing countries, especially in Africa. He became President of the anti-apartheid movement 1966-1970. He was also the president of Liberal International in 1994-1996 and has been a key supporter of the European Union.

In 1997 he became a life Peer and has been the Deputy Leader in the Lords. Lord Steel was elected the Presiding Officer (speaker) of the Scottish Parliament and stood down from this position after the Scottish Parliament elections in 2003.

His outside interests are equally varied, including a love of classic cars, angling and writing. He has co-written two books along with his wife Judy and he is also involved in numerous organisations. A former rector of Edinburgh University and recipient of several honorary degrees.