The SDP-Liberal Alliance was an electoral alliance of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Liberal Party in the United Kingdom that operated 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. This is about the UK Social Democratic Party which existed between 1981 and 1988 The Liberal Party was one of the two major British political parties from the early 19th century until the rise of the Labour Party in the 1920s and a third party The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the
Following the establishment of the SDP by dissidents from 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 Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the David Martin Scott Steel Baron Steel of Aikwood, KT, KBE, PC (born 31 March 1938) is a British and Scottish The SDP fought its first by-election, in Warrington, with future leader Roy Jenkins standing as "SDP with Liberal support". The Warrington by-election 1981 was held on 16 July 1981. The By-election was caused by the appointment of Thomas Williams, Labour Roy Harris Jenkins Baron Jenkins of Hillhead OM PC ( 11 November 1920 &ndash 5 January 2003) was a British
By the autumn of 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 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). Conservative Member of Parliament Robert Taylor died on 18 June 1981. William Henry Pitt, commonly known as Bill Pitt, (born 17 July, 1937) is a British politician The Crosby by-election 1981, was held on 26 November 1981, following the death of Sir Graham Page, Conservative Party Member of Parliament Shirley Williams Baroness Williams of Crosby PC (born 27 July 1930) is a British Politician and academic 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 A by-election was held in the Bermondsey constituency in South London, on 24 February 1983, after the resignation of Labour Simon Henry Ward Hughes (born 17 May 1951) is a British politician and Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for North Southwark
The Alliance won 25. 4% of the national vote in the 1983 general election, compared to Labour's 27. Results The Conservatives won with a majority of 144 seats|} Total votes cast 30661309 6%. Only 23 Alliance Members of Parliament (MPs) were elected, compared to Labour's 209. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. The SDP came second in many constituencies, but Britain's first past the post electoral system meant that this success did not translate into parliamentary seats. 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 For many years after, both the SDP and the Liberal party were committed to proportional representation, under which system they would have had a much larger presence in the House of Commons. Proportional representation (sometimes referred to as full representation or PR is a category of electoral formula aiming at a close match between the percentage of votes 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
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). Results |} All parties gaining over 500 votes listed Campaign and policies The Conservatives' campaign emphasized lower taxes a strong economy and defence
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 Anthony Llewellyn Owen Baron Owen of Plymouth, CH PC FKC (born 2 July 1938) is a British Politician, (See : Social Democratic Party (UK, 1988). This is about the UK Social Democratic Party which existed between 1988 and 1990 ) 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). This is about the UK Social Democratic Party which has existed since 1990 )
The Liberal Party was re-established under the leadership of Michael Meadowcroft, and continues to operate. Michael James Meadowcroft (born March 6 1942) is a politician and political affairs consultant in the United Kingdom. (See: Liberal Party (UK, 1989). The Liberal Party is a United Kingdom Political party. It was formed in 1989 by a group of people who felt that the merger of the old Liberal )
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