SDP-Liberal Alliance
Encyclopedia
The SDP–Liberal Alliance was an electoral pact formed by the Social Democratic Party
(SDP) and the Liberal Party
in the United Kingdom which was in existence from 1981 to 1988, when the bulk of the two parties merged to form the Social and Liberal Democrats, later referred to as simply the Liberal Democrats.
Following the establishment of the SDP by the 'Gang of Four
' (Roy Jenkins
, David Owen
, Bill Rodgers
, Shirley Williams), who had left the Labour Party
in March 1981, the new party entered into an informal alliance with the existing centre party, the Liberals, led by David Steel
. The SDP fought its first by-election, in Warrington
, with future leader Roy Jenkins
standing as "SDP with Liberal support".
On 16 June 1981, this arrangement was formalised into an alliance, with both parties agreeing to stand down in each other's favour. Between 1981 and 1983, the parties together won seats in by-elections in:
The formation of the SDP and the subsequent alliance came at a time when the British economy was in a deep recession
and Margaret Thatcher
's Conservative
government was proving deeply unpopular as unemployment had risen from just over 1,500,000 since they came to power in May 1979 to 3,000,000 and beyond by 1982, mainly due to the closure of many factories as part of the battle against inflation.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party
had shifted dramatically to the left since the election in 1980 of Michael Foot
as party leader, and as much as Mrs Thatcher's Conservative government was controversial, many people were just as opposed to the election of a Labour government led by Michael Foot.
With an election not due until May 1984, the Alliance proved to be an instant hit with voters who were disgruntled with the Conservatives and Labour, as many opinion polls in late 1981 and early 1982 showed the Alliance as the most popular political party in Britain, peaking with a 50% showing - up to twice the level on support shown for the Conservatives around this time.
However, a series of events followed which saw the political tables turn. Argentine
forces invaded the British dependent territory of the Falkland Islands
on 2 April 1982. A Security Council Resolution 502 was passed the next day demanding an immediate Argentine withdraw, which was ignored, so Britain sent out a task force to recapture the islands using militarily means if need be. The conflict was won by Britain on 14 June, and subsequent opinion polls showed the Conservatives firmly in the lead, and with a general election due by May 1984, it seemed that the most anticipated outcome would be whether the Alliance or Labour formed the next opposition. A Conservative election win was looking even more likely as 1982 drew to a close, as Mrs Thatcher's economic policies were proven to be successful as the recession came to an end and inflation had been cut to 4% from a massive 27% within four years, although unemployment remained above 3,000,000. She felt confident enough to hold an election in June 1983 - a year earlier than necessary.
The Alliance exploited the nation's mass unemployment in the run-up to the election, running a "Working Together for Britain" campaign which it promised would see unemployment reduced by up to 1,000,000.
The Alliance won 25.4% of the national vote in the 1983 general election
, compared to Labour's 27.6%. However, a mere 23 Alliance Members of Parliament
(MPs) were elected, compared to Labour's 209. The SDP came second in many constituencies, including nearly 70% of the Conservative-won seats, though the bulk of Labour's defectors to the SDP in 1981 lost their seats, but Britain's first past the post
electoral system meant that this success did not translate into parliamentary seats. Both the SDP and the Liberal party were committed to proportional representation
, under which system they would have had a more accurate representation in the House of Commons
.
The Alliance came under heavy criticism from the defeated Labour Party
leader Michael Foot
in the aftermath of the 1983 election; he condemned them for "siphoning" support away from the Labour Party and enabling the Conservatives to win more seats.
The 1983 general election had given the Conservatives a triple-digit commons majority, but within months a strong challenge to their power - and to the challenge posed by the Alliance - was showing as Labour leader Michael Foot
stepped down and was succeeded by Neil Kinnock
, whose modernisation of the party saw a dramatic rise in Labour fortunes in the opinion polls - some of which showed them ahead of the Conservatives and the Alliance by March 1984. However, at least one opinion poll showed the Alliance ahead of the Conservatives and Labour as late as September 1985. By this stage, the recession had ended three years earlier and the battle against inflation had clearly been won; however unemployment - seen as a major factor in a string of inner city riots that autumn - was still above 3,000,000. With the economy further improving over the next 18 months and unemployment finally starting to fall, however, Thatcher felt confident to call a general election for 11 June 1987 - although the deadline for the election was 12 months later.
However, the Alliance failed to maintain momentum. In the 1987 general election
, the share of the vote for each party fell slightly; the Liberals won 17 seats (the same as in 1983), while the SDP won five (one fewer than four years previously), while Labour were firmly established as Britain's second political party with a much stronger showing than in 1983, although the Conservatives still achieved a third successive election win with Mrs Thatcher still at the helm.
By 1987, relations had become fraught. David Steel proposed a merger of the two parties in following the 1987 general election. The majority of both parties agreed, and a merger was effected early in 1988.
Small factions of both parties established new parties under the names of the SDP and the Liberal Party but, as each was made up of those members who least trusted the other party, there was no chance that the two 'continuing' parties would co-operate.
The SDP was re-established under the leadership of one of the founders of the SDP, David Owen
, who had objected to the merger of the two parties. (See : Social Democratic Party (UK, 1988)
.) Owen and the party's national executive dissolved the party in 1990, but another group of party members continue the party under the SDP name. (See : Social Democratic Party (UK, 1990)
.)
The Liberal Party
was re-established under the leadership of Michael Meadowcroft
, and continues to operate. However, many members of this continuity party, including Meadowcroft himself, have since joined the mainstream Liberal Democrats. (See: Liberal Party (UK, 1989)
.)
Social Democratic Party (UK)
The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
(SDP) and the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
in the United Kingdom which was in existence from 1981 to 1988, when the bulk of the two parties merged to form the Social and Liberal Democrats, later referred to as simply the Liberal Democrats.
Following the establishment of the SDP by the 'Gang of Four
Limehouse Declaration
The Limehouse Declaration was a statement issued on 25 January 1981 by four senior British Labour politicians, all MPs or former MPs and Cabinet Ministers: Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
' (Roy Jenkins
Roy Jenkins
Roy Harris Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead OM, PC was a British politician.The son of a Welsh coal miner who later became a union official and Labour MP, Roy Jenkins served with distinction in World War II. Elected to Parliament as a Labour member in 1948, he served in several major posts in...
, David Owen
David Owen
David Anthony Llewellyn Owen, Baron Owen CH PC FRCP is a British politician.Owen served as British Foreign Secretary from 1977 to 1979, the youngest person in over forty years to hold the post; he co-authored the failed Vance-Owen and Owen-Stoltenberg peace plans offered during the Bosnian War...
, Bill Rodgers
William Rodgers, Baron Rodgers of Quarry Bank
William Thomas Rodgers, Baron Rodgers of Quarry Bank, PC , usually known as William Rodgers but also often known as Bill Rodgers, was one of the "Gang of Four" of senior British Labour Party politicians who defected to form the Social Democratic Party...
, Shirley Williams), who had left the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
in March 1981, the new party entered into an informal alliance with the existing centre party, the Liberals, led by David Steel
David Steel
David Martin Scott Steel, Baron Steel of Aikwood, KT, KBE, PC is a British Liberal Democrat politician who served as the Leader of the Liberal Party from 1976 until its merger with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the Liberal Democrats...
. The SDP fought its first by-election, in Warrington
Warrington by-election, 1981
The Warrington by-election, 1981 was held on 16 July 1981.The by-election was caused by the appointment of Thomas Williams, Labour Party Member of Parliament for Warrington, as a High Court Judge....
, with future leader Roy Jenkins
Roy Jenkins
Roy Harris Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead OM, PC was a British politician.The son of a Welsh coal miner who later became a union official and Labour MP, Roy Jenkins served with distinction in World War II. Elected to Parliament as a Labour member in 1948, he served in several major posts in...
standing as "SDP with Liberal support".
On 16 June 1981, this arrangement was formalised into an alliance, with both parties agreeing to stand down in each other's favour. Between 1981 and 1983, the parties together won seats in by-elections in:
- Croydon North WestCroydon North West by-election, 1981The Croydon North West by-election took place on 22 October 1981. It was caused by the death of Conservative Member of Parliament Robert Taylor on 18 June 1981.The Conservative Party selected John Butterfill, then vice-chairman of Guildford Conservative Association...
(Bill Pitt, a Liberal), - CrosbyCrosby by-election, 1981The Crosby by-election, 1981 was a by-election held in England on 26 November 1981 to elect a new Member of Parliament for the House of Commons constituency of Crosby on Merseyside...
(Shirley Williams of the SDP), - Glasgow HillheadGlasgow Hillhead by-election, 1982A Glasgow Hillhead by-election was held on 25 March 1982. The by-election was caused by the death of the Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Glasgow Hillhead Tam Galbraith on 2 January 1982....
(Roy Jenkins of the SDP), and - BermondseyBermondsey by-election, 1983A by-election was held in the Bermondsey constituency in South London, on 24 February 1983, following the resignation of Labour MP Robert Mellish, who had represented the constituency and its predecessors in the House of Commons since 1946...
(Simon HughesSimon HughesSimon Henry Ward Hughes is a British politician and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats. He is Member of Parliament for the constituency of Bermondsey and Old Southwark. Until 2008 he was President of the Liberal Democrats...
of the Liberals, with the largest swing ever recorded in any British election).
The formation of the SDP and the subsequent alliance came at a time when the British economy was in a deep recession
Early 1980s recession
The early 1980s recession describes the severe global economic recession affecting much of the developed world in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The United States and Japan exited recession relatively early, but high unemployment would continue to affect other OECD nations through at least 1985...
and Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
's Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
government was proving deeply unpopular as unemployment had risen from just over 1,500,000 since they came to power in May 1979 to 3,000,000 and beyond by 1982, mainly due to the closure of many factories as part of the battle against inflation.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
had shifted dramatically to the left since the election in 1980 of Michael Foot
Michael Foot
Michael Mackintosh Foot, FRSL, PC was a British Labour Party politician, journalist and author, who was a Member of Parliament from 1945 to 1955 and from 1960 until 1992...
as party leader, and as much as Mrs Thatcher's Conservative government was controversial, many people were just as opposed to the election of a Labour government led by Michael Foot.
With an election not due until May 1984, the Alliance proved to be an instant hit with voters who were disgruntled with the Conservatives and Labour, as many opinion polls in late 1981 and early 1982 showed the Alliance as the most popular political party in Britain, peaking with a 50% showing - up to twice the level on support shown for the Conservatives around this time.
However, a series of events followed which saw the political tables turn. Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
forces invaded the British dependent territory of the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
on 2 April 1982. A Security Council Resolution 502 was passed the next day demanding an immediate Argentine withdraw, which was ignored, so Britain sent out a task force to recapture the islands using militarily means if need be. The conflict was won by Britain on 14 June, and subsequent opinion polls showed the Conservatives firmly in the lead, and with a general election due by May 1984, it seemed that the most anticipated outcome would be whether the Alliance or Labour formed the next opposition. A Conservative election win was looking even more likely as 1982 drew to a close, as Mrs Thatcher's economic policies were proven to be successful as the recession came to an end and inflation had been cut to 4% from a massive 27% within four years, although unemployment remained above 3,000,000. She felt confident enough to hold an election in June 1983 - a year earlier than necessary.
The Alliance exploited the nation's mass unemployment in the run-up to the election, running a "Working Together for Britain" campaign which it promised would see unemployment reduced by up to 1,000,000.
The Alliance won 25.4% of the national vote in the 1983 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
, compared to Labour's 27.6%. However, a mere 23 Alliance Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MPs) were elected, compared to Labour's 209. The SDP came second in many constituencies, including nearly 70% of the Conservative-won seats, though the bulk of Labour's defectors to the SDP in 1981 lost their seats, but Britain's first past the post
Plurality voting system
The plurality voting system is a single-winner voting system often used to elect executive officers or to elect members of a legislative assembly which is based on single-member constituencies...
electoral system meant that this success did not translate into parliamentary seats. Both the SDP and the Liberal party were committed to proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
, under which system they would have had a more accurate representation in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
.
The Alliance came under heavy criticism from the defeated Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
leader Michael Foot
Michael Foot
Michael Mackintosh Foot, FRSL, PC was a British Labour Party politician, journalist and author, who was a Member of Parliament from 1945 to 1955 and from 1960 until 1992...
in the aftermath of the 1983 election; he condemned them for "siphoning" support away from the Labour Party and enabling the Conservatives to win more seats.
The 1983 general election had given the Conservatives a triple-digit commons majority, but within months a strong challenge to their power - and to the challenge posed by the Alliance - was showing as Labour leader Michael Foot
Michael Foot
Michael Mackintosh Foot, FRSL, PC was a British Labour Party politician, journalist and author, who was a Member of Parliament from 1945 to 1955 and from 1960 until 1992...
stepped down and was succeeded by Neil Kinnock
Neil Kinnock
Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock is a Welsh politician belonging to the Labour Party. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1970 until 1995 and as Labour Leader and Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition from 1983 until 1992 - his leadership of the party during nearly nine years making him...
, whose modernisation of the party saw a dramatic rise in Labour fortunes in the opinion polls - some of which showed them ahead of the Conservatives and the Alliance by March 1984. However, at least one opinion poll showed the Alliance ahead of the Conservatives and Labour as late as September 1985. By this stage, the recession had ended three years earlier and the battle against inflation had clearly been won; however unemployment - seen as a major factor in a string of inner city riots that autumn - was still above 3,000,000. With the economy further improving over the next 18 months and unemployment finally starting to fall, however, Thatcher felt confident to call a general election for 11 June 1987 - although the deadline for the election was 12 months later.
However, the Alliance failed to maintain momentum. In the 1987 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
, the share of the vote for each party fell slightly; the Liberals won 17 seats (the same as in 1983), while the SDP won five (one fewer than four years previously), while Labour were firmly established as Britain's second political party with a much stronger showing than in 1983, although the Conservatives still achieved a third successive election win with Mrs Thatcher still at the helm.
By 1987, relations had become fraught. David Steel proposed a merger of the two parties in following the 1987 general election. The majority of both parties agreed, and a merger was effected early in 1988.
Small factions of both parties established new parties under the names of the SDP and the Liberal Party but, as each was made up of those members who least trusted the other party, there was no chance that the two 'continuing' parties would co-operate.
The SDP was re-established under the leadership of one of the founders of the SDP, David Owen
David Owen
David Anthony Llewellyn Owen, Baron Owen CH PC FRCP is a British politician.Owen served as British Foreign Secretary from 1977 to 1979, the youngest person in over forty years to hold the post; he co-authored the failed Vance-Owen and Owen-Stoltenberg peace plans offered during the Bosnian War...
, who had objected to the merger of the two parties. (See : Social Democratic Party (UK, 1988)
Social Democratic Party (UK, 1988)
A Social Democratic Party was formed in the United Kingdom in 1981 by a group of dissident Labour Party Members of Parliament : Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams, who became known as the "Gang of Four"....
.) Owen and the party's national executive dissolved the party in 1990, but another group of party members continue the party under the SDP name. (See : Social Democratic Party (UK, 1990)
Social Democratic Party (UK, 1990)
The Social Democratic Party is a small political party in the United Kingdom. It traces its origin to the Social Democratic Party that was formed in 1981 by a group of dissident Labour Party politicians, all Members of Parliament or former MPs: Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley...
.)
The Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK, 1989)
The Liberal Party is a United Kingdom political party. It was formed in 1989 by a group of individuals within the original Liberal Party who felt that the merger of the party with the Social Democratic Party, to form the Liberal Democrats, had ended the spirit of the Liberal Party, claiming that...
was re-established under the leadership of Michael Meadowcroft
Michael Meadowcroft
Michael James Meadowcroft is a politician and political affairs consultant in the United Kingdom.He was a Liberal Member of Parliament for Leeds West from 1983 to 1987, and founder of the "continuing" Liberal Party in 1989 following the party's merger with the Social Democratic Party to form the...
, and continues to operate. However, many members of this continuity party, including Meadowcroft himself, have since joined the mainstream Liberal Democrats. (See: Liberal Party (UK, 1989)
Liberal Party (UK, 1989)
The Liberal Party is a United Kingdom political party. It was formed in 1989 by a group of individuals within the original Liberal Party who felt that the merger of the party with the Social Democratic Party, to form the Liberal Democrats, had ended the spirit of the Liberal Party, claiming that...
.)