Social Democratic Party (UK) leadership election, 1982
Encyclopedia
The 1982 Social Democratic Party leadership election was called following the formation of the then Social Democratic Party
. The party had been founded by the Gang of Four
the previous year and had rapidly built up its membership, but lacked a formal Leadership structure. Each of the Gang of Four was regarded as coequal leader.
strongly believed that the party should be committed to 'One Member, One Vote' and therefore the Leader should be elected by the whole membership. Roy Jenkins
however believed that the Leader should be elected in a ballot of SDP Members of Parliament
only. Ivor Crewe
and Anthony King
's book on the party points out that such a system would make his election as Leader much more likely. Bill Rodgers
went along with Jenkins.
In autumn 1981, the SDP Steering Committee agreed (as suggested by Jenkins and Rodgers) to recommend to a constitutional conference that the Leader be elected by MPs, but that the ultimate decision on the mode of election would have to be endorsed by the membership. The conference, held in February 1982, decided to offer three options: election by the party membership, election by the MPs only, and a system in which the first leader would be elected by the membership but subsequent leaders by the MPs (on the assumption that there would be many more of them after the next general election). In the event, the membership decided to preserve their power over the election of the leader.
constituency (which had already been assessed as a potential SDP seat) fell vacant in January 1982 and Jenkins won the by-election in March
.
David Owen had been infuriated by the party even considering election by MPs only and therefore decided that either he or Williams were to challenge Jenkins for the leadership as early as November 1981. Williams privately informed Jenkins before polling day in Hillhead that she had decided not to stand and on the day after the election gave a press interview in which she described him as "the Alliance's natural leader". Owen continued to press Williams to run, as a result of which she issued a press statement on May 18 1982 which read "I will not be standing for the leadership."
Jenkins' supporters tried to persuade Owen not to run in order to prevent the party from being divided, although at the back of their minds was the thought that Owen might be able to capitalise on his prominence during the Falklands War
when he had frequently appeared in the media commentating as a former Foreign Secretary
how he deterred a 1977 invasion plan by despatching some Royal Navy
ships. Owen was undeterred and when Williams announced that she would not run, he immediately declared that he would. When nominations closed on June 11, there were therefore two candidates.
. Jenkins wanted a very close alliance between the SDP and Liberals, and viewed the SDP as a means of levering more ex-Labour supporters into the political centre. Owen, by contrast, viewed the Alliance as a simple electoral pact in order to get the SDP established as a serious electoral force, and he absolutely ruled out the idea of unifying the two into an 'Alliance Party'.
Despite the agreement prohibiting campaigning, the candidates both took the opportunity to brief Lobby journalists against the other. Both candidates' supporters felt some degree of bitterness against the other.
) was uncommitted. In the end, 75.6% of the membership returned their ballots, and the election proved a relatively close contest: Jenkins won with 55.7% of the vote. Owen accepted his defeat, and was appointed by Jenkins as Deputy Leader of the Parliamentary Party.
Jenkins remained in the post for only a year. In the 1983 General Election
, the SDP-Liberal Alliance
won 25.4% of the vote, but the Alliance were left holding only twenty three seats of which only six were held by the Social Democrats, and Owen announced that he would force another leadership election. Jenkins chose to step aside rather than contest the challenge.
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...
. The party had been founded by the Gang of Four
Gang of Four (disambiguation)
-Australia:* In Australian politics, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Wayne Swan and Lindsay Tanner* Australian Democrats Senators, Lyn Allison, John Cherry , Andrew Murray and Aden Ridgeway-China:...
the previous year and had rapidly built up its membership, but lacked a formal Leadership structure. Each of the Gang of Four was regarded as coequal leader.
Method of election
One of the first disputes within the party was over the method of election for the leadership. Shirley Williams and David OwenDavid 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...
strongly believed that the party should be committed to 'One Member, One Vote' and therefore the Leader should be elected by the whole membership. 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...
however believed that the Leader should be elected in a ballot of SDP 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,...
only. Ivor Crewe
Ivor Crewe
Sir Ivor Martin Crewe is the Master of University College, Oxford. He was previously Vice-Chancellor of the University of Essex and Professor in the Department of Government....
and Anthony King
Anthony King (professor)
Professor Anthony King is a Canadian-born professor of government in the United Kingdom at Essex University, psephologist and commentator....
's book on the party points out that such a system would make his election as Leader much more likely. 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...
went along with Jenkins.
In autumn 1981, the SDP Steering Committee agreed (as suggested by Jenkins and Rodgers) to recommend to a constitutional conference that the Leader be elected by MPs, but that the ultimate decision on the mode of election would have to be endorsed by the membership. The conference, held in February 1982, decided to offer three options: election by the party membership, election by the MPs only, and a system in which the first leader would be elected by the membership but subsequent leaders by the MPs (on the assumption that there would be many more of them after the next general election). In the event, the membership decided to preserve their power over the election of the leader.
Candidates
Roy Jenkins was unofficially regarded as the Leader of the SDP from the time of its foundation, as the most senior of the founding members. However, he was out of Parliament at the time, and despite his support it was generally accepted in the party that the leader must be an MP. Fortunately for Jenkins, the Glasgow HillheadGlasgow Hillhead by-election, 1982
A 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....
constituency (which had already been assessed as a potential SDP seat) fell vacant in January 1982 and Jenkins won the by-election in March
Glasgow Hillhead by-election, 1982
A 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....
.
David Owen had been infuriated by the party even considering election by MPs only and therefore decided that either he or Williams were to challenge Jenkins for the leadership as early as November 1981. Williams privately informed Jenkins before polling day in Hillhead that she had decided not to stand and on the day after the election gave a press interview in which she described him as "the Alliance's natural leader". Owen continued to press Williams to run, as a result of which she issued a press statement on May 18 1982 which read "I will not be standing for the leadership."
Jenkins' supporters tried to persuade Owen not to run in order to prevent the party from being divided, although at the back of their minds was the thought that Owen might be able to capitalise on his prominence during the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
when he had frequently appeared in the media commentating as a former Foreign Secretary
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, commonly referred to as the Foreign Secretary, is a senior member of Her Majesty's Government heading the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and regarded as one of the Great Offices of State...
how he deterred a 1977 invasion plan by despatching some Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
ships. Owen was undeterred and when Williams announced that she would not run, he immediately declared that he would. When nominations closed on June 11, there were therefore two candidates.
Campaign
Backstage negotiation at the time of the constitutional conference had agreed that in the event of a contest, the candidates should not overtly campaign for the job, as it would increase divisions in the party. The candidates were practically united on issues of policy and therefore the differences between the two candidates were largely those of image and personality. The only significant policy issue which divided them was on relations with the Liberal PartyLiberal 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...
. Jenkins wanted a very close alliance between the SDP and Liberals, and viewed the SDP as a means of levering more ex-Labour supporters into the political centre. Owen, by contrast, viewed the Alliance as a simple electoral pact in order to get the SDP established as a serious electoral force, and he absolutely ruled out the idea of unifying the two into an 'Alliance Party'.
Despite the agreement prohibiting campaigning, the candidates both took the opportunity to brief Lobby journalists against the other. Both candidates' supporters felt some degree of bitterness against the other.
Results
Of the SDP's twenty nine Members of Parliament, fifteen supported Jenkins while thirteen supported Owen. One (Michael O'HalloranMichael O'Halloran (UK politician)
Michael Joseph O'Halloran was a British politician. He was brought up in County Clare, and, finding no employment, he "drifted to London" in 1948, aged 15, and worked as a railwayman until he entered politics....
) was uncommitted. In the end, 75.6% of the membership returned their ballots, and the election proved a relatively close contest: Jenkins won with 55.7% of the vote. Owen accepted his defeat, and was appointed by Jenkins as Deputy Leader of the Parliamentary Party.
Jenkins remained in the post for only a year. 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...
, the SDP-Liberal Alliance
SDP-Liberal Alliance
The SDP–Liberal Alliance was an electoral pact formed by the Social Democratic Party 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...
won 25.4% of the vote, but the Alliance were left holding only twenty three seats of which only six were held by the Social Democrats, and Owen announced that he would force another leadership election. Jenkins chose to step aside rather than contest the challenge.
Results
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
26,256 | 55.7 | |
| 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... |
20,864 | 44.3 | |