 However when boundary changes made Queenstown marginal, Steytler won the seat by a majority of 13 in the 1958 South African general election.As a result of his increased prominence Steytler became the leader of the UP in Cape Province and tried to persuade his party to take a more liberal direction on racial issues.After failing to prevail within the UP leadership, Steytler became the leading figure in a group of progressives which eventually broke away to found a new party.