1976-1988
The Launch of the SDP
Review of The Launch of the SDP 1979-1981 – Report of witness seminar in Contemporary Record, Vol 7, autumn 1993, No. 2.
What might have been
Interview with John Pardoe, Liberal MP for North Cornwall, 1966-79. To access this content, you must purchase Annual subscription (digital) – unwaged rate, Annual subscription (digital) – standard rate, Annual subscription (print plus digital) – overseas, Annual subscription (print plus digital), standard rate, UK or Annual subscription (print plus digital), unwaged rate, UK.
Rise … the SDP 1983-85
Original cartoons from the Social Democrat illustrate what was perhaps the party’s happiest years. To access this content, you must purchase Annual subscription (digital) – unwaged rate, Annual subscription (digital) – standard rate, Annual subscription (print plus digital) – overseas, Annual subscription (print plus digital), standard rate, UK or Annual subscription (print plus digital), unwaged…
The role of women in merger
A personal view of women in Alliance politics. To access this content, you must purchase Annual subscription (digital) – unwaged rate, Annual subscription (digital) – standard rate, Annual subscription (print plus digital) – overseas, Annual subscription (print plus digital), standard rate, UK or Annual subscription (print plus digital), unwaged rate, UK.
Salad days: merger twenty years on
Twenty years ago a new political party was born from the merger of the Liberal and Social Democratic parties the Social & Liberal Democrats (or Salads, as the party was disparagingly nicknamed by its opponents). This meeting will explore the political background to the merger and the byzantine process of negotiation through which it which…
Liberals and local government in London since the 1970s
Winning local elections has been a keystone in Liberal (Democrat) success in the years since the adoption of the community politics strategy at the Eastbourne Assembly in 1970. There have been many spectacular advances across London, from the heartland of the south western boroughs to Southwark, Islington and more recently breakthroughs on Camden and Brent…
Simon Hughes: Defence debate at Eastbourne, 1986
Simon Hughes in the debate on the Alliance defence commission report; Liberal Assembly, Eastbourne, 23 September 1986.
Joint Statement on the Lib-Lab Pact: Steel and Callaghan
Joint statement issued by Prime Minister James Callaghan and David Steel on the aims of the Lib-Lab pact issued 23rd March 1977.
The Liberal – SDP merger
The poor performance of the Liberal-SDP Alliance at the June 1987 election prompted the Liberal leader, David Steel to call for the unity of both wings, after only 22 seats were secured by both sides.
Formation of the SDP
Launching the new Social Democratic Party (SDP) on the 26th March 1981, the former Labour Home Secretary, Roy Jenkins announced that the aim of the new party was to get away from the politics of outdated dogmatism and class confrontation and to release the energies of those who were fed up with the old slanging…