SDP–Liberal Alliance
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SDP–Liberal Alliance | |
---|---|
Founded | 16 June 1981 |
Dissolved | 3 March 1988 |
Merged into | Liberal Democrats |
Ideology | Social liberalism[1][2] |
Political position | Centre[3][4][5] |
Colours | Gold (1987)[6] |
The SDP–Liberal Alliance was a
Formed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Liberal Party, the SDP–Liberal Alliance was established in 1981, contesting the 1982 United Kingdom local elections, 1983 United Kingdom local elections, 1983 general election, 1984 United Kingdom local elections, 1984 European election, 1985 United Kingdom local elections, 1986 United Kingdom local elections, 1987 United Kingdom local elections and 1987 general election.[7]
The SDP–Liberal Alliance ceased to exist in 1988, when the two component parties merged to form the Social and Liberal Democrats, under which label they stood in the 1988 United Kingdom local elections, later renamed the Liberal Democrats.
History
Following the establishment of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) by the 'Gang of Four' (Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers, Shirley Williams), who had left the Labour Party in March 1981, the SDP entered into an informal alliance with the Liberal Party, 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 and govern as a coalition government if the two parties ever won enough seats between them for a majority. Between 1981 and 1983, the parties together won seats in by-elections in:
- Croydon North West (Bill Pitt, a Liberal),
- Crosby (Shirley Williams of the SDP),
- Glasgow Hillhead (Roy Jenkins of the SDP), and
- Bermondsey (Simon Hughes 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 and Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government was proving unpopular; since coming to power in May 1979, unemployment had risen from over 1,500,000 to 3,000,000 and beyond by 1982, due to the closure of many formerly state-subsidised factories. In 1981, there were riots in London's Brixton, Birmingham's Handsworth, Leeds' Chapeltown, Liverpool's Toxteth and Manchester's Moss Side.
Meanwhile, Labour had shifted dramatically to the left since the election in 1980 of
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 leading opinion polling by a wide margin, peaking with a 50% showing – up to twice the level of support shown for the Conservatives around this time.[8] Steel was so certain that the Liberals would be part of a government for the first time in over half a century that when he addressed the 1981 Liberal Party conference, he famously declared, "Go back to your constituencies, and prepare for government!"[9]
However, a series of events followed which saw the political tables turn.
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.[10]
1983 general election and aftermath
The Alliance won 25.4% of the national vote in the
Both the SDP and the Liberals were committed to proportional representation, under which system they would have elected more MPs to the House of Commons.
The Alliance came under heavy criticism from 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.[12]
The 1983 election had given the Conservatives a triple-digit majority, but within months a strong challenge to their power – and to the challenge posed by the Alliance – was showing as Foot stood down in favour of
1987 general election and aftermath
The Alliance failed to maintain momentum. In the 1987 general election, each party's vote share 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 major political party with a much stronger showing than in 1983, although the Conservatives still achieved a third successive election win with Thatcher still at the helm.
1988 merger
By 1987, relations had become fraught. Despite this, Steel proposed a merger of the two parties following the 1987 general election.[14] The majority of members of both parties agreed, and a merger was effected early in 1988. The new party was named the Social and Liberal Democrats, shortened in October 1989 to the Liberal Democrats.[15]
Remaining factions
Small factions of both parties continued 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
The Liberal Party was re-established under the leadership of Michael Meadowcroft and continues to operate.[17][18] However, many members of this continuity party, including Meadowcroft himself, have since joined the mainstream Liberal Democrats.[19]
General election results
Election | Leaders | Votes | Seats | Position | Government | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | ± | ||||
1983 | Roy Jenkins (SDP) and David Steel (Liberal) | 7,780,949 | 25.4 | 23 / 650
|
12 | 3rd | Conservative |
1987 | David Owen (SDP) and David Steel (Liberal) | 7,341,651 | 22.6 | 22 / 650
|
1 | 3rd | Conservative |
Parties merged in 1988 to form the Liberal Democrats |
See also
- List of UK Liberal Party general election manifestos
- Lib–Lab pact
- Liberal Democrat Green Alliance
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7190-5056-5. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7456-4077-8. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7425-2203-9.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-135-31201-5.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-904764-71-7. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
- ^ David Owen, Time to Declare (London: Michael Joseph, 1991), p. 674
- ISBN 978-0-7486-6903-5.
- ^ "TALKING POLITICS | SDP: Breaking the mould". BBC News. 25 January 2001. Retrieved 4 January 2011.
- ^ Stone-Lee, Ollie (10 September 2003). "Conference season's greatest hits". BBC News. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
- ^ a b "Past elections | 1983: Thatcher triumphs again". BBC News. 5 April 2005. Retrieved 6 August 2010.
- ^ "Election battles 1945 – 1997: 1983". BBC News.
- ^ "BBC ON THIS DAY | 9 | 1983: Thatcher wins landslide victory". BBC News. 9 June 1970. Retrieved 6 August 2010.
- ^ "Poll tracker: Interactive guide to the opinion polls". BBC News. 29 September 2009. Retrieved 4 January 2011.
- ^ King, Anthony (16 November 1995). "The end of the Mad Hatters". The Independent. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
- ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
- ^ Wintour, Patrick (4 June 2020). "SDP leaders meet to bury a dream – archive, 1990". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
- ^ "Michael Meadowcroft on the merger negotiations". Liberal History. 12 September 2004. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
- ^ Paterson, Stewart (7 May 2021). "Scottish election: Glasgow Liberal candidate performs 'Nazi salute' outside count". The Herald. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
- ^ "Michael Meadowcroft joins Lib Dems". The Voice. 5 October 2007. Retrieved 23 April 2022.