Social Democratic Party (UK, 1990–present): Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 16:54, 29 March 2019
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Social Democratic Party | |
|---|---|
| Leader | William Clouston |
| Founded | 1990 |
| Preceded by | Social Democratic Party (1988) |
| Headquarters | 272 Bath Street Glasgow G2 4JR |
| Ideology | Euroscepticism Localism |
| Political position | Nationalist[citation needed] |
| Colours | Red Blue |
| Slogan | The Common Good in the National Interest |
| European Parliament[1] | 1 / 73 |
| Local government[2] | 2 / 20,270 |
| Website | |
| www.sdp.org.uk | |
The Social Democratic Party is a political party in the United Kingdom, established in 1990. It traces its origin to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) which was formed in 1981 by a group of dissident Labour Party Members of Parliament (MPs) and former MPs: Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams, who became known as the ‘Gang of Four’. The original SDP merged with the Liberal Party in 1988 to form the Liberal Democrats, but Owen, two other MPs and a minority of party activists formed a breakaway group with the same name immediately afterward. That continuing party dissolved itself in 1990, but some activists met and voted to continue the party in defiance of its National Executive, leading to the creation of a new Social Democratic Party.
The party is listed on the Register of Political Parties for England, Scotland and Wales. According to accounts filed with the Electoral Commission, in 2017 the party had a total income of £2,095.[3] As of 2017, it has no principal authority councillors and two town councillors. It gained its first parliamentarian when Patrick O'Flynn, Member of the European Parliament for East of England, defected from the UK Independence Party to join the SDP in November 2018.[4]
History
Formation
The second incarnation of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), often referred to as the continuing SDP, decided to dissolve itself after a disastrous result in the May 1990 Bootle by-election. However, 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 the Bootle by-election had caused the party's end.
The much-reduced SDP decided to fight the 1991 Neath by-election. With 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 joined the Lib Dems shortly thereafter.)[5] The party subsequently won a number of seats on the Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council.
Position on Europe
The party's political orientation is Eurosceptic. Whilst a majority of the founders of the original SDP were pro-EEC, the continuing SDP voted against the concept of a United States of Europe at its conference at Scarborough in 1989 and the 1990 party’s eurosceptic position developed from there. As of March 2019, the party supports the UK leaving the EU on WTO terms in the absence of a better deal on offer.[6]
1992–2018
Since 1992, the SDP has concentrated on campaigning at local level, holding a few council seats in Yorkshire and South Wales.
Bridlington Central and Old Town ward on East Riding of Yorkshire Council remained a hotspot of SDP activity, with Ray Allerston holding a council seat there from 1987. From 2003 to 2007, he was joined by his wife Christine Allerston.[7]
Meanwhile, in Tunstall Ward in Richmondshire, Tony Pelton and Brian Smith were elected in 1999.
A third hotspot consisted of SDP councillors Jeff Dinham, John Sullivan and Anthony Taylor in Aberavon Ward, Neath Port Talbot.
In the 2003 elections, Tony Pelton was re-elected, but Brian Smith was not. In 2005, Christine Allerston became Mayor of Bridlington for a year; however, she stood down before the 2007 local elections, in which her husband Ray Allerston was re-elected (and made Mayor) and David Metcalf (SDP) picked up the vacant seat. All three Aberavon councillors remained in place, with Anthony Taylor becoming local mayor. However, Tony Pelton in Tunstall stood down before the 2007 locals, ending SDP representation there.
Jackie Foster was elected to Bridlington Town Council in 2008.
In 2012, Councillors Dinham and Sullivan lost their seats in Aberavon, leaving only Anthony Taylor in position.
David Metcalf stepped down in early 2014, owing to ill-health. He died soon afterward. This left just Allerston, Foster and Taylor in post. Ray Allerston died on 16 September 2014.[8][9] A by-election was held in his ward on 27 November, which was won by the UK Independence Party (UKIP).[10]
The SDP fielded two candidates in the 2015 general election.
Jackie Foster remained an SDP councillor on Bridlington Town Council after the 2015 local elections,[11] but as of 2016 was listed as a Labour councillor.[11] Until May 2017, Anthony Taylor sat on Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council as an "Independent Democrat",[12] but remained listed on the party website as an SDP councillor.[13]
In August 2015, Solihull's Green councillor, Mike Sheriden, defected to the SDP.[14] However, when he stood for re-election in May 2016, Sheriden lost his seat.
Six SDP candidates stood in the 2017 general election: one in Glasgow East and five in Sheffield constituencies.[15] The SDP candidates received a total of 469 votes.[16]
Burton Latimer town councillor Sam Watts[17] joined the party in June 2017, praising it on BBC Radio as a fresh choice for sensible moderates.[18] He had been the UKIP candidate in Corby in the June 2017 general election.[19]
In January 2018, Councillor Kevin Hickson, former Leader of Crewe Town Council, joined the SDP after quitting Labour and briefly sitting as an Independent.[20] In an article published in the Crewe Chronicle, Cllr Hickson, who represents Crewe East, stated that he quit Labour because of growing unease with that party's "almost daily changes" on Brexit policy. He went on to state "The SDP combines centre left policies on the economy and the welfare state with a firm commitment to implement the will of the people on Brexit, reclaiming sovereignty over money, laws, borders and trade." Hickson is a Senior Lecturer in Politics.[21]
New leadership and New Declaration
William Clouston became leader of the SDP in 2018. William was a member of the original SDP in the 1980’s and remained with the independent party post the merger with the Liberals.
In October 2018 the party published a New Declaration of aims and values, which it describes as putting the principles of social democracy in a modern setting. It calls for a "communitarian, social democratic nation-state".
Patrick O'Flynn, Member of the European Parliament for East of England, defected from the UK Independence Party (UKIP) to join the SDP in November 2018.[4] O'Flynn cited UKIP leader Gerard Batten's appointment of Tommy Robinson as an adviser as a key reason for his departure from the party.[16] O'Flynn became the first MEP affiliated with the current-day SDP.
On 22 December 2018, Sam Stopp, former Labour Party Councillor[22] and editor of the (now defunct) blog Labour Vision, announced his intention to join the SDP.[23] Although Stopp has declared his support for the party's eurosceptic views,[24] he has previously criticised the referendum on Britain's membership of the EU as being an example of bad governance.[25] Former Labour deputy leader of Southampton City Council Daniel Jeffrey has similarly joined the SDP.
In March 2019 prominent political journalists Rod Liddle and Giles Fraser announced that they were joining the party.[citation needed]
Leaders
- Jack Holmes (1990–1991)
- John Bates (1991–2008)
- Peter Johnson (2008–2018)
- William Clouston (2018-present)
Westminster elections
| Election | Seats | ± | Candidates | Total votes | % | Government |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 0 / 651
|
|
10 | 35,248 | 0.1% | No Seats |
| 1997 | 0 / 659
|
|
2 | 1,246 | 0.0% | No Seats |
| 2010[26] | 0 / 650
|
|
2 | 1,551 | 0.0% | No Seats |
| 2015[27] | 0 / 650
|
|
2 | 125 | 0.0% | No Seats |
| 2017[28] | 0 / 650
|
|
6 | 469 | 0.0% | No Seats |
References
- ^ "Vote 2014". BBC News. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
- ^ "Local Council Political Compositions". Keith Edkins. 6 May 2018. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
- ^ "Statement of Accounts (Yearly), 2017 Party name: Social Democratic Party". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ a b "East of England MEP Patrick O'Flynn quits UKIP". ITV News. 27 November 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 5, 2006. Retrieved November 28, 2005.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ SDP Brexit
- ^ "Bridlington Central and Old Town Ward — East Riding". Local Elections Archive Project. Andrew Teale. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on December 27, 2014. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Former Bridlington mayor Ray Allerston dies".
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on December 4, 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ a b "Councillors – Bridlington Town Council". bridlington.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 2015-02-07. Retrieved 2015-02-07.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Councillor details - Councillor Anthony Taylor: NPT CBC".
- ^ "Councillors". Socialdemocraticparty.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-12-27.
- ^ Annette Belcher (2015-08-17). "Solihull Green Party's first councillor defects". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 2017-12-27.
- ^ "Social Democratic Party candidates in the 2017 General Election". Retrieved 12 May 2017.
- ^ a b Stone, Jon (27 November 2018). "Ukip MEP Patrick O'Flynn quits party in protest at growing Tommy Robinson links". The Independent. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
- ^ "Burton Latimer Town Council councillors / Sam Watts". Web.archive.org. 2017-08-01. Retrieved 2018-11-27.
- ^ BBC Radio Northampton, [1]
- ^ "Defeated Corby Parliamentary candidate defects". Northamptonshire Telegraph. 29 June 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
- ^ http://www.sdpuk.nationbuilder/kevin_hickson
- ^ "Kevin Hickson". University of Liverpool. 2013-02-18. Retrieved 2018-11-27.
- ^ Stopp, Sam (21 April 2018). "Councillor Sam Stopp: why I had to leave the Labour Party". onlondon.co.uk. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
- ^ Imgur. "Imgur". Imgur. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
- ^ "Brits want to leave Europe's party because the fun's over and we're all tired - View". euronews. 16 October 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
- ^ "Academic Society Lecture". Prior Park College. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
- ^ "BBC Election 2010 Results". Retrieved 27 March 2017.
- ^ Election 2015: The Results and Tables, Rallings, Thrasher & Borisyuk, University of Plymouth
- ^ "Election 2017 Results". BBC News. Retrieved 9 June 2017.