Social Democratic Party (UK)

The Social Democratic Party (also known as the SDP) was a centrist political party that was made by Labour Party politicians in 1981 who did not like how left-wing the party was becoming. The SDP was founded on 26 March 1981 by four senior Labour Party moderates, dubbed the "Gang of Four": Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams.^[1]

SDP at the Selby bye election 2023

They allied with the Liberals, winning 25% of the vote in 1983 and 23% in 1987. The alliance between the SDP and the Liberals was called the "SDP-Liberal Alliance". Most of the SDP and Liberals merged in 1988 to form the Liberal Democrats.

David Owen continued to lead a much reduced party until 1990. It continued with even less success until In November 2018 it got its first and only European parliamentarian when Patrick O'Flynn, Member of the European Parliament for East of England, defected from the UK Independence Party.^[2]

At the 2022 local elections it gained a seat on Leeds City Council from Labour ^[3]and, later that year, a Conservative Derbyshire Dales District Councillor defected to the party. They won a second council seat on Leeds City Council in 2023.^[4]

Social Democratic Party (UK) Media

SDP–Liberal Alliance electoral logo in 1983
Koningin Juliana ontvangt Roy Jenkins (voorzitter Europese Commissie) op Paleis Soestdijk
David Owen.
RobertMacLennan1987 cropped
Shirley Williams
John Cartwright, former Labour/SDP MP, 1974-92