drawal from the EEC passed as policy. Shirley Williams and Tom Bradley refuse to speak from the Research Notes platform on behalf of the NEC. October James Callaghan resigns as Labour Chronology leader. November Key Alliance dates 1979–88 First round of Labour’s leadership election (Healey , Foot , Silkin Compiled by Mark Pack , Shore ). November 1979 they will leave Labour if it supports Michael Foot elected leader of La- withdrawal from the EEC: ‘There are bour (defeating Healey –). May some of us who will not accept a November General election won by Tories. De- choice between socialism and Eu- Owen announces he will not be feated Labour MPs include Shirley rope. We will choose them both.’ restanding for Shadow Cabinet. Williams. June November June Williams warns that a centre party Williams announces she cannot be Social Democrat Alliance (SDA) re- would have ‘no roots, no principles, a Labour candidate again with its organises itself into a network of lo- no philosophy and no values.’ current policies cal groups, not all of whose mem- bers need be in the Labour Party. June December Roy Jenkins delivers lecture to Labour proscribes SDA. November House of Commons Press Gallery, Roy Jenkins delivers the Dimbleby calling for a realignment of the ‘radi- December lecture, ‘Home thoughts from cal centre.’ Meeting in Williams’ flat, including abroad’. Ivor Crewe and Anthony King, who June outline considerable possible support November Labour’s Commission of Inquiry for a new party. Bill Rodgers gives speech at backs use of an electoral college for Abertillery: ‘Our party has a year, not electing the leader and mandatory much longer, in which to save itself.’ reselection of MPs. 1981 December July January Meeting of Jenkinsites and others SDA announces plans to run up to Jenkins returns from Brussels. considering forming a new party or- candidates against Labour left- January ganised by Colin Phipps (Robert wingers. Maclennan declined invitation). Liberals publish ten-point plan for August economic recovery. Several Labour Open letter to members of Labour MPs publicly welcome it. 1980 from Owen, Rodgers and Williams January published in Guardian. May Gang of Four (Jenkins, Owen, Local elections. Liberal vote changes September Rodgers and Williams) agrees to is- little, though seats gained with large David Marquand speaks at Liberal As- sue a joint statement following advances in Liverpool and control of sembly. David Steel says Labour rebels Wembley Conference. Adur and Hereford. have six months to leave the party. January May September Labour Special Conference at Wem- Labour Special Conference at Wem- Group of MPs, led by Michael bley. New electoral college for elect- bley. Policy statement Peace, Jobs, Free- Thomas, publish statement in The ing the leader gives trade unions the dom, including pro-unilateralism and Times, calling for major reforms in largest share of the vote (%, with anti-EEC policies, supported. Owen Labour’s structure. % for MPs and % for constitu- deeply angered by vitriolic heckling ency parties). September – October Labour during his speech. conference at Blackpool votes to January June change method for electing leader. Limehouse Declaration issued by Owen, Rodgers and Williams warn Unilateral disarmament and with- Gang of Four.
48 journal of liberal democrat history 18: spring 1998 January majority cut from , to ,. fecting to the SDP in order to stand Nine Labour MPs join Council for Jenkins stands for Alliance: ‘This is again under his new party’s colours). Social Democracy my first defeat in years of politics June and it is by far the greatest victory January End of Falklands war. in which I have participated.’ Owen tells his local party he will not July be standing for Labour in the next September Jenkins defeats Owen to become election. Liberal Assembly at Llandudno. SDP leader. Jenkins and Williams address fringe February meeting. Motion calling for an elec- September Advert published in Guardian sees toral pact overwhelmingly carried. Williams elected SDP President. people declare their support for Steel calls for delegates to ‘Go back the Council for Social Democracy, to your constituencies and prepare and elicits , letters of support. for government.’ 1983 Alec McGivan appointed organiser. SDP rolling conference travels by February February train between London, Perth and Simon Hughes wins Bermondsey Council moves into offices in Queen Bradford. byelection. Anne’s Gate. Williams resigns from NEC. October March Croydon North-West byelection Darlington byelection: SDP candidate February won by Liberal Bill Pitt. slumps to a poor third; Labour’s vic- Two Labour MPs resign whip to sit tory saves Michael Foot’s leadership. as social democrats. October Healey just defeats Benn’s challenge May March for the Labour deputy leadership. Local elections. Alliance’s national Ten Labour MPs and nine peers re- vote slips, though number of seats in- sign whip so sit as social democrats. November creases. Thatcher calls general elec- Crosby byelection won by Shirley March tion for June. Williams. Christopher Brocklebank-Fowler May becomes only Conservative MP to December Ettrick Bridge meeting: Steel at- join Council. Gallup poll shows % would vote tempts to remove ‘Prime Minister- Liberal/SDP. March designate’ title from Jenkins. Official launch of SDP in Con- June naught Rooms, Covent Garden at- 1982 Mrs Thatcher wins general election; tracts more than press. Alliance (.%) almost catches La- January bour (.%). Liberals win MPs April Rodgers breaks off negotiations with (from ), SDP (from ); Rodgers Anglo-German Königswinter con- Liberals over seat allocation for and Williams defeated. ference: Rodgers, Williams and Steel forthcoming general election. meet and agree on the outlines of June March an alliance between their parties. Foot announces he will not restand Jenkins wins Glasgow Hillhead as Labour leader. May byelection. Local elections: Liberal vote rises June April thanks to increase in number of can- Jenkins resigns as SDP leader. didates; take control of Isle of Wight Liberal-SDP negotiations over divi- and hold balance on eight county sion for seats for general election June councils. Small number of independ- concluded. Owen becomes SDP leader unop- posed. ent social democrat candidates make April little impression. Argentina invades Falkland Islands. July Liberals fail to win Penrith & Bor- June May der byelection by votes. Publication of A Fresh Start for Brit- Local elections. Liberals win five ain, a joint Liberal-SDP policy state- times as many seats as the SDP, July ment, along with photo-opportunity which makes a net loss. David Steel starts three months’ sab- of Steel and Williams sitting on the batical. lawn of Dean’s Yard, Westminster. June To r ies gain Mitcham & Morden September July (byelection caused by Bruce Doug- SDP conference at Salford rejects Warrington byelection: Labour’s las-Mann resigning his seat on de- proposals for joint selection of Euro journal of liberal democrat history 18: spring 1998 49 and Westminster candidates and any June July chance of merger before election. Alliance Defence Commission re- ‘Yes to Unity’ campaign launched by ports, avoiding decision on Polaris SDP pro-merger members. replacement. Owen and Steel sub- August 1984 sequently explore options for Anglo- SDP votes %–% in favour of French cooperation over nuclear May merger negotiations. Local elections. Alliance makes net deterrent (the ‘Euro-bomb’). August gains of seats. July Owen resigns as SDP leader. June Liberals narrowly fail to win New- European elections. Alliance wins castle-under-Lyme after hard-hitting August .% and no seats but SDP wins campaign which draws criticism Maclennan becomes SDP leader. from David Steel. Portsmouth South byelection. September September September Liberal Assembly votes to open ne- Steel defeated at Liberal Assembly Liberal Assembly in Eastbourne de- gotiations on merger. feats leadership over European co- over calls to withdraw cruise missiles December operation on nuclear weapons. from Britain. Merger negotiators agree on ‘New Liberal Social Democratic Party’ (or 1985 1987 ‘Alliance’ for short) as the new par- ty’s name, but forced to rethink af- May January ter Liberal Party Council protests. Local elections. Alliance gains over ‘Relaunch’ of Alliance at Barbican seats and out of English rally. Joint Alliance parliamentary county councils end up under no spokesmanships announced. 1988 overall control. February January July SDP wins Greenwich byelection. ‘Dead parrot’ policy document (Voices and Choices for All) issued and Liberals win Brecon & Radnor March then withdrawn. byelection. During July (and again Liberals hold Truro in byelection in September), Alliance briefly tops caused by David Penhaligon’s death January opinion polls. in a car accident in December . Special Liberal Assembly in Black- pool approves merger by to September May , subject to a ballot of members. Successful SDP conference at Local elections: Alliance gains over To r quay represents high point of seats. Labour losses and Con- January SDP strength and self-confidence. servative gains lead Thatcher to call SDP conference in Sheffield ap- December general election. proves merger by to (Owenites largely abstain or are ab- Audience of over million watches June sent), subject to a ballot of members. John Cleese present party political Mrs Thatcher wins general election. broadcast on PR for SDP – possibly Alliance’s vote drops by .%. SDP March the most-watched PPB ever. falls from to seats (Jenkins loses Liberal and SDP members’ ballots Hillhead) and Liberals from to . give majorities for merger (Liberals , – ,; SDP , – ,). 1986 June May Owen gives press conference where March Liberals win Ryedale byelection and he appears to reject any attempts at Press launch of Social and Liberal just miss West Derbyshire. Local elec- merger. Democrats. tions: Alliance gain control of Adur June March and Tower Hamlets and make a net Steel announces to media support Constitution of new party comes gain of around seats. for merger. Owen fails to receive his into force at midnight. May message before being contacted by the press and accuses Steel of trying March Owen reacts furiously to Steel’s hints Owenite ‘Continuing SDP’ to bounce him. to press that Alliance Defence Com- launched. mission report will recommend no June March replacement for Polaris nuclear sub- SDP National Committee decides to Public meeting to launch Social and marine fleet. hold a ballot on whether to negoti- ate over merger with Liberals. Liberal Democrats.
50 journal of liberal democrat history 18: spring 1998 Marquand, Liberalism & Social De- mocracy (Liberal Publications, ) Bibliography Stuart Mole, The Decade of Realign- ment: The Leadership Speeches of Key sources on Alliance history. David Steel – (Hebden Compiled by Mark Pack Royd, ) Matthew Oakeshott, The Road from Limehouse to Westminster (Radical Books and booklets Ralf Dahrendorf, After Social Democ- Centre for Democratic Studies in racy (Unservile State Paper, ) Industry and Society, ) Leighton Andrews, Liberalism versus the Radhika Desai, Intellectuals and So- David Owen, Face the Future Social Market Economy (Hebden cialism: ‘Social Democrats’ and the (Jonathan Cape, ) Royd Publications, ) Labour Party (Lawrence & David Owen, A Future That Will Paddy Ashdown, After the Alliance Wishart, ) Work: Competitiveness and Com- (Hebden Royd Publications, Henry Drucker, ‘All the King’s passion (Penguin, ) ) Horses and All the King’s Men’, David Owen, A United Kingdom Peter Bartram, David Steel (W.H. in Paterson and Thomas (eds.), (Penguin, ) Allen, ) Social Democratic Parties in Western David Owen, Personally Speaking to Alan Beith, The Case for the Liberal Europe (OUP, ) Kenneth Harris (Weidenfeld & Party and the Alliance (Longman, R Eccleshall (ed.), British Liberalism: Nicolson, ) ) Liberal Thought from the s to David Owen, Time to Declare Alan Beith, The Fullness of Freedom s (Longman, ) (Michael Joseph, ) (Hebden Royd Publications, To ny Greaves & Rachel Pitchford, David Owen & David Steel, The ) Merger: The Inside Story (Liberal Time Has Come (Weidenfeld & Ver non Bogdanor (ed.), Liberal Party Renewal, ) (reviewed in this Nicolson, ) Politics (OUP, ) issue) S. Padgett & W. Patterson, A History Duncan Brack, The Myth of the So- M.B. Hamilton, Democratic Socialism of Social Democracy in Postwar Eu- cial Market (LINk Publications, in Britain and Sweden (Macmillan, rope (Longman, ) ) ) William Paterson & Alistair Thomas Duncan Brack (ed.), Why I am a Lib- Stephen Haseler, The Tragedy of La- (eds.), The Future of Social Democ- eral Democrat (Liberal Democrat bour (Basil Blackwell, ) racy (Clarendon Press, ) Publications, ) Roy Jenkins, Partnership of Principle William Rodgers, The Politics of Ian Bradley, Breaking the Mould? (Secker & Warburg, ) Change (Secker & Warburg, ) (Martin Robertson, ) Roy Jenkins, A Life at the Centre Hannan Rose (ed.), Where Next?, Ian Bradley, The Strange Rebirth of (Macmillan, ) Radical Quarterly special edition, Liberal Britain (Chatto & Windus, Jeremy Josephs, Inside the Alliance ) (John Martin, ) David Steel, Partners in One Nation John Campbell, Roy Jenkins David Marquand, Russet-coated Cap- (Bodley Head, ) (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, ) tains: The Challenge of Social De- David Steel, Against Goliath: David N. Carter, Is There Life After Hanging? mocracy (SDP, ) Steel’s Story (Weidenfeld & (Centre for the Analysis of Social David Marquand, The Unprincipled Nicolson, ) Policy, Bath University, ) Society (Fontana, ) Hugh Stephenson, Claret and Chips: Ken Coates, T¡he Social Democrats: John Martin (ed.), The Meaning of The Rise of the SDP (Michael those who went and those who stayed Social Democracy and Other Essays Joseph, ) (Nottingham ) (John Martin, ) John Stevenson, Third Party Politics Chris Cook, A Short History of the Don MacIver (ed.), The Liberal since : Liberals, Alliance and Lib- Liberal Party – (Fourth Democrats (Prentice Hall, ) eral Democrats (Blackwell, ) edition, Macmillan, ) Michael Meadowcroft, Liberalism and Patricia Lee Sykes, Losing from the In- Ivor Crewe & Anthony King, SDP: the Left (Liberator Publications, side: The Cost of Conflict in the Brit- The Life and Death of the Social ) ish Social Democratic Party (Second Democratic Party (OUP, ) (re- Michael Meadowcroft, Liberalism and edition, Transaction Books, ) viewed in History Group Newslet- the Right (Liberator Publications, (reviewed in this issue) ter , December ) ) David Thomson, The Shock Troops of Arthur Cyr, Liberal Politics in Britain Michael Meadowcroft, Social Democ- Pavement Politics? An Assessment of (Transaction Books, ) (re- racy – Barrier or Bridge? (Libera- the Influence of Community Politics viewed in History Group Newslet- tor Publications, ) in the Liberal Party (Hebden ter , March ) Michael Meadowcroft & David Royd, ) journal of liberal democrat history 18: spring 1998 51 Shirley Williams, Politics is for People (Penguin, ) Henry Drucker, ‘All the King’s The Two Davids Des Wilson, Battle for Power (Sphere Horses and All the King’s Men’, continued from page Books, ) in Paterson and Thomas (eds.), Sir Robin Day, Owen said he would Peter Zentner, Social Democracy in Social Democratic Parties in Western regard the Conservatives as ‘the lesser Britain: Must Labour Lose? (John Europe (OUP, ) evil’ and that Labour’s position (on Martin, ) S.J. Ingle, ‘The Alliance: Piggy in the Britain’s security) was ‘unacceptable’. Middle or Radical Alternative?’, The pass was sold. Articles Hull Papers in Politics , The Liberal-SDP Alliance never Vincent McKee, ‘Factionalism in the quite made the grade. While the Lib- Anon, ‘Social democracy doesn’t SDP, –’, Parliamentary Af- erals’ strength was growing, particu- thrive abroad,’ Economist fairs , larly in local government, the party March Michael Meadowcroft, ‘Eastbourne had not been able to consolidate its Te rry Barton & Herbert Doring, Revisited’, Radical Quarterly , new support. Nor had the SDP ‘The Social and Attitudinal Pro- caused sufficient defections from La- file of Social Democratic Activ- Michael Meadowcroft, ‘Steeling the bour to sustain a long-haul campaign; ists’, Political Studies , Party, Radical Quarterly , and it had failed almost entirely to John Bochel & David Denver, ‘The Alan Butt Philip, ‘Europeans first and attract prominent Conservatives. SDP and the Left-Right Dimen- last: British Liberals and the Eu- The two Alliance leaders found sion’, British Journal of Political Sci- ropean Community’, Political themselves locked in a pantomime ence , Quarterly : , horse, each pulling in different di- John Curtice & Michael Steed, ‘Turn- R. Pinkey, ‘An Active Political Strat- rections, with large sections of both ing Dreams into Reality: The Di- egy: Liberals in Power in English parties cheering the resulting con- vision of Constituencies between Local Government’, Local Gov- fusion. Just entering middle age, nei- the Liberals and the Social Demo- ernment Studies : , ther had the experience to analyse crats’, Parliamentary Affairs , Geoffrey Pridham & Paul Whiteley, his situation and plan a way out. John Curtice, Clive Payne and ‘Anatomy of the SDP: Is the Party Though Owen had served briefly as Robert Waller, ‘The Alliance’s Structurally Top-Heavy?’, Govern- Foreign Secretary after one or two First Nationwide Test: Lessons of ment and Opposition , junior ministerial positions, and Steel the English Local Elections’, William Rodgers, ‘The SDP and the had completed eighteen years in Par- Electoral Studies , Liberal Party in Alliance’, Politi- liament and seven as party leader, David Denver & Hugh Bochel, cal Quarterly , neither had substantial experience of ‘Merger or Bust: Whatever Hap- Colin Seymour-Ure, ‘The SDP and life outside politics. Nor was either pened to Members of the SDP?’, the Media’, Political Quarterly , entirely convinced that the game was British Journal of Political Science , worth the candle. In a cruel symbi- otic twist to their relationship, how- ever, each was determined to pre- Books on Liberal History and vent the other from scooping the prize. If there was ever a prize to British Politics scoop, they succeeded. In any event, the third force had to wait a decade We sell second-hand and hard-to-find books and before beginning to realise again the potential it had shown in the ephemera on Parliament, elections, politicians, Lib-Lab agreement. parties, and women in politics at competitive prices. Graham Watson was head of the Liberal Visit our website: leader’s private office in the House of Com- http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/ mons –. In he became the first 6196/ Liberal Democrat to be elected to the Eu- ropean Parliament. He is currently seek- or ask for a catalogue: ing a publisher for his book on the Alli- phone 01372-376002 or write to: ance in the – Parliament. Notes: Jaime Reynolds The quote is David Steel’s, in a televi- Political Bookcase, 10 Yarm Court Road, sion interview. Ivor Crewe and Anthony King, SDP: The Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 8PA Birth, Life and Death of the Social Demo- cratic Party (OUP, ).
52 journal of liberal democrat history 18: spring 1998