Social Democratic Party (UK, 1990)
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| Social Democratic Party (SDP) | |
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| Leader | Jack Holmes (1990 - 1991) John Bates (1991 - present) |
| Founded | 1990 |
| Headquarters | 38, Church Crescent, Muswell Hill, London, N10 3NE |
| Ideology | Social democracy |
| Political position | Centre-left |
| Official colours | Blue and Red |
| Local government[1][2] |
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| Website | |
| http://www.socialdemocraticparty.co.uk/ | |
| Politics of the United Kingdom Political parties Elections |
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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 (MPs) or former MPs: Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams, who became known as the "Gang of Four".
The party is officially listed on the Register of Political Parties for England, Scotland and Wales. John Bates is the party president. According to the accounts filed with the Electoral Commission for the year ending 2008 it had 41 members.[3]
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[edit] From Bootle to Neath
After the dissolution of the second incarnation of the SDP, in 1990, a number of SDP activists met and voted to continue the party in defiance of the National Executive. The continuing group was led by Jack Holmes, whose defeat by the Official Monster Raving Loony Party at a by-election in Bootle had caused the party's disgrace.
The much reduced SDP decided to fight the Neath by-election in 1991. With Jack Holmes serving as the party's election agent, the SDP candidate finished fifth with 5.3% of the vote – only 174 votes behind the fourth placed Liberal Democrats. (The SDP candidate left the party and joined the LibDems shortly thereafter.)[4] The Neath result proved that a greatly reduced SDP could continue to be a viable party without David Owen. The party subsequently won a number of seats on the Neath-Port Talbot County Borough Council.
[edit] 1992 - present
Since 1992, the SDP has concentrated on campaigning at local level and on trying to build up support again largely from scratch. In more recent years it has held a few council seats in Yorkshire and South Wales.
The party is represented in the East Riding of Yorkshire, where Councillor Ray Allerston holds one of the two seats in the 'Bridlington Central and Old Town' ward. Prior to her retirement in the 2007 local elections, Councillor Christine Allerston was the Mayor of Bridlington for 2005/2006. The party also has councillors on the Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council, holding all three of the seats on the ward for the town of Aberavon. Councillors Jeff Dinham, T John Sullivan and Anthony Taylor were elected with large majorities.
[edit] See also
- Liberal Party (UK, 1989), the part of the Liberal party which did not join the Liberal Democrats.
[edit] References
- ^ Keith Edkins (30 November 2009). "Local Council Political Compositions". http://www.gwydir.demon.co.uk/uklocalgov/makeup.htm. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
- ^ Nicholas Whyte (10 May 2005). "The 2005 Local Government Elections in Northern Ireland". Northern Ireland Social and Political Archive. http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/flg05.htm. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
- ^ http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/party-finance/database-of-registers/statements-of-accounts/soa/pdfs/Social-Democratic-Party---SOA-2008.pdf
- ^ http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/m12.pdf
