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Social Democratic Party (UK, 1988)
Encyclopedia
A Social Democratic Party
was formed in the United Kingdom
in 1981 by a group of dissident Labour Party
Members of Parliament
(MPs): Roy Jenkins
, David Owen
, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams, who became known as the "Gang of Four".
The SDP soon formed an electoral alliance with the Liberal Party
. In 1988, the SDP voted to merge with the Liberal Party
. Former party leader David Owen, SDP MPs John Cartwright
and Rosie Barnes
, together with a minority of party members, decided to continue the Social Democratic Party.
, owner of the Sainsbury
chain of supermarkets. Secondly, its members regarded David Owen as a charismatic leader who looked and acted the part of a potential prime minister. The party also retained the allegiance of seventeen members of the House of Lords
, led by Phyllis Stedman
.
But despite an energetic tour of the nation's university campuses by Owen, the party remained very short of active members. A party conference held at Paisley Town Hall in 1989 was done behind closed doors to the general public to conceal the rows of empty seats. A shortage of members left the party exposed to electoral embarrassment if it stood in areas where there was a lack of activists to bring out the vote.
The SDP beat the other parties to second place behind William Hague
in the Richmond by-election in 1989
where they had an energetic branch and strong local support. Next, the party contested a seat in Northern Ireland
for the first time in the Upper Bann by-election
. Previously, the SDP-Liberal Alliance had given support to its sister party, the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
. The Liberal Democrats continued this policy in Upper Bann. The SDP nominated its own candidate despite having virtually no local organisation, and finished last with only 154 votes. Only one week later, it suffered a public relations disaster when it finished behind the Official Monster Raving Loony Party
in the Bootle by-election.
looked like fertile territory for the SDP – the local Labour Party had past problems with Militant Tendency
, and parts of Shirley Williams' old Crosby constituency were contained within Bootle's boundaries.
The party found itself unable to get any of the media attention vital to compensate for a lack of activists at local level. The level of political apathy was high, and Bootle was considered to be a safe Labour seat. The little media attention that the by-election attracted was focused on a bizarre row between Labour and the Raving Loonies. Relations between the Labour Party and the Raving Loonies had never been good, but they reached a new low when the Labour agent tried erroneously to have the Loony candidate, Screaming Lord Sutch
, arrested for breaking an electoral law that had in fact been changed in 1987. Labour tried to have Sutch charged with having a public house as an election campaign headquarters. The main by-election headlines in the tabloid newspapers referred to "Kinnock’s Killjoys" for the campaign's duration.
The final by-election result was that the SDP candidate Jack Holmes finished behind the Official Monster Raving Loony Party
. The SDP ended up suffering worse publicity than Labour. Within a week of the result, Owen announced that the party’s National Executive had voted to dissolve the party, saying that the party could not possibly continue after being beaten by the Raving Loonies.
.
and Rosie Barnes
– both National Executive members who had left after the 1990 vote – stood as "Independent Social Democrats" in the 1992 general election. The Liberal Democrats gave both not just a “clear run” in their seats, but also helped with their campaigns. The continuing SDP aided both Barnes and Cartwright in their bids for re-election. Cartwright and Barnes were allowed under then Electoral Broadcasting rules to address the whole country in a joint Party Political Broadcast. Both narrowly lost their seats to Labour, who threw considerable resources into winning both seats back.
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...
was formed in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1981 by a group of dissident 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...
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): 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 and Shirley Williams, who became known as the "Gang of Four".
The SDP soon formed an electoral alliance with the Liberal Party
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...
. In 1988, the SDP voted to merge with 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...
. Former party leader David Owen, SDP MPs John Cartwright
John Cartwright (UK politician)
John Cameron Cartwright is a former politician in the United Kingdom. He was a Labour and then an SDP Member of Parliament representing Woolwich East then Woolwich from the October 1974 general election to the 1992 election....
and Rosie Barnes
Rosie Barnes
Rosemary Susan Barnes OBE, née Allen, usually known as Rosie Barnes, is an English charity organiser and former politician...
, together with a minority of party members, decided to continue the Social Democratic Party.
Post-merger SDP
The post-merger SDP carried on with two major advantages over the Social & Liberal Democrats (later known as the Liberal Democrats). Firstly, they enjoyed the financial support of Lord SainsburyDavid Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville
David John Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville, FRS , is a British businessman and politician. From 1992 to 1997, he served as the Chairman of Sainsbury's . He was made a life peer in 1997, and currently sits in the House of Lords as a member of the Labour Party...
, owner of the Sainsbury
J Sainsbury
J. Sainsbury plc is the parent company of Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd, commonly known as Sainsbury's, the third largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom with a share of the UK supermarket sector of 16.5%....
chain of supermarkets. Secondly, its members regarded David Owen as a charismatic leader who looked and acted the part of a potential prime minister. The party also retained the allegiance of seventeen members of the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, led by Phyllis Stedman
Phyllis Stedman
Phyllis Stedman, Baroness Stedman was a British politician who briefly served as a minister.Born Phyllis Adams in Peterborough, Stedman attended Peterborough County Grammar School, then worked as a librarian in her home town, and served in the National Fire Service in Derbyshire during World War II...
.
But despite an energetic tour of the nation's university campuses by Owen, the party remained very short of active members. A party conference held at Paisley Town Hall in 1989 was done behind closed doors to the general public to conceal the rows of empty seats. A shortage of members left the party exposed to electoral embarrassment if it stood in areas where there was a lack of activists to bring out the vote.
The SDP beat the other parties to second place behind William Hague
William Hague
William Jefferson Hague is the British Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State. He served as Leader of the Conservative Party from June 1997 to September 2001...
in the Richmond by-election in 1989
Richmond by-election, 1989
A by-election was held in the Richmond constituency of the United Kingdom Parliament on 23 February 1989. It followed the resignation of the sitting Conservative Member of Parliament Leon Brittan on 31 December 1988, to allow him to take up the position of Vice-President of the European...
where they had an energetic branch and strong local support. Next, the party contested a seat in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
for the first time in the Upper Bann by-election
Upper Bann by-election, 1990
The 1990 by-election in Upper Bann was caused by the death of the sitting Ulster Unionist Party Member of Parliament Harold McCusker on February 2, 1990....
. Previously, the SDP-Liberal Alliance had given support to its sister party, the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland is a liberal and nonsectarian political party in Northern Ireland. It is Northern Ireland's fifth-largest party overall, with eight seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly and one in the House of Commons....
. The Liberal Democrats continued this policy in Upper Bann. The SDP nominated its own candidate despite having virtually no local organisation, and finished last with only 154 votes. Only one week later, it suffered a public relations disaster when it finished behind the Official Monster Raving Loony Party
Official Monster Raving Loony Party
The Official Monster Raving Loony Party is a registered political party established in the United Kingdom in 1983 by musician and politician David Sutch , better known as Screaming Lord Sutch.-History:...
in the Bootle by-election.
The Bootle by-election
On paper, BootleBootle (UK Parliament constituency)
Bootle is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. Since 1990 the MP has been Joe Benton of the Labour Party...
looked like fertile territory for the SDP – the local Labour Party had past problems with Militant Tendency
Militant Tendency
The Militant tendency was an entrist group within the British Labour Party based around the Militant newspaper that was first published in 1964...
, and parts of Shirley Williams' old Crosby constituency were contained within Bootle's boundaries.
The party found itself unable to get any of the media attention vital to compensate for a lack of activists at local level. The level of political apathy was high, and Bootle was considered to be a safe Labour seat. The little media attention that the by-election attracted was focused on a bizarre row between Labour and the Raving Loonies. Relations between the Labour Party and the Raving Loonies had never been good, but they reached a new low when the Labour agent tried erroneously to have the Loony candidate, Screaming Lord Sutch
Screaming Lord Sutch
David Edward Sutch , also known as "Screaming Lord Sutch, 3rd Earl of Harrow", or simply "Screaming Lord Sutch", was a musician from the United Kingdom...
, arrested for breaking an electoral law that had in fact been changed in 1987. Labour tried to have Sutch charged with having a public house as an election campaign headquarters. The main by-election headlines in the tabloid newspapers referred to "Kinnock’s Killjoys" for the campaign's duration.
The final by-election result was that the SDP candidate Jack Holmes finished behind the Official Monster Raving Loony Party
Official Monster Raving Loony Party
The Official Monster Raving Loony Party is a registered political party established in the United Kingdom in 1983 by musician and politician David Sutch , better known as Screaming Lord Sutch.-History:...
. The SDP ended up suffering worse publicity than Labour. Within a week of the result, Owen announced that the party’s National Executive had voted to dissolve the party, saying that the party could not possibly continue after being beaten by the Raving Loonies.
Another breakaway
A number of SDP members, however, promptly accused the party’s National Executive of arranging the Bootle disaster as a “get-out clause” so they could resurrect their political careers within the Conservatives or Labour. In a repeat of the events of 1988, a number of SDP activists met days after the National Executive voted for dissolution, and voted to continue the party in defiance of the National Executive. The continuing group was led by Jack Holmes, whose defeat by the Raving Loonies at Bootle had caused the party's disgrace. 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 final end
Owen did not contest the 1992 general election. John CartwrightJohn Cartwright (UK politician)
John Cameron Cartwright is a former politician in the United Kingdom. He was a Labour and then an SDP Member of Parliament representing Woolwich East then Woolwich from the October 1974 general election to the 1992 election....
and Rosie Barnes
Rosie Barnes
Rosemary Susan Barnes OBE, née Allen, usually known as Rosie Barnes, is an English charity organiser and former politician...
– both National Executive members who had left after the 1990 vote – stood as "Independent Social Democrats" in the 1992 general election. The Liberal Democrats gave both not just a “clear run” in their seats, but also helped with their campaigns. The continuing SDP aided both Barnes and Cartwright in their bids for re-election. Cartwright and Barnes were allowed under then Electoral Broadcasting rules to address the whole country in a joint Party Political Broadcast. Both narrowly lost their seats to Labour, who threw considerable resources into winning both seats back.