SDP the Social Democrats Have Managed to Maintain Their

6 October 1981 Marxism Today FOCUS In August there was the defection of eight next major publicity boost. All councillors in prominent Tory ex-students, including three the London boroughs are up for re-election, recent ex-chairmen of the Federation of Con- as well as a third in the boroughs in the servative Students from the period of co- metropolitan counties, a third in some non- operation with the left. metropolitan districts, and all seats in the With rather rabid Thatcherites now in Scottish regional councils. control of the FCS, the large minority of Tory Already the SDP has reached agreements students who voted for one of the defectors, locally with the Liberals in Birmingham Anna Soubry, for the post of chairman (sic) (where all seats are being contested because last year — she only lost by 119 votes to 128 of redrawing of boundaries) and Sheffield to — will be tempted to follow them. The share the seats 50-50, to the fury of the defecting wets had planned to make a bigger community activists in the Association of splash at the beginning of this academic year, Liberal Councillors who believe the two but their plans were leaked, and they had to parties should plough their own furrows. go early. The prospect of an SDP/Liberal majority The Tory right accuses them of never on Birmingham city council must be making having really been Tories at all, and they will SDP publicists' mouths water, though what accept, when pressed, that they were 'not they would actually do with it remains an perfectly at home' with the core of open question. Grand conclusions would be conservatism despite their seniority in the drawn, based on Birmingham's position at party. That does not mean that others will not the border of the Labour north and the Tory follow them. Daily Telegraph leaders (they south. It is often argued that the Midlands is had one headed 'Steady the Buffs' after where the last election was won and lost. Norman St. John Stevas's warning of the After that the crystal ball fades, though dangers of the SDP) are not likely to stem the there is no doubt the SDP will be looking for flow. further coups to maintain momentum. The SDP's student organiser, ex-Young This almost American concern with 'the Communist John Mumford (it is two years big mo' is perhaps partly a matter of style. since he left the YCL) will be trying to But it is not just style. For the SDP the capitalise on this and his own success last May 1983/84 general election will be, to use an in being elected as full-time student union inappropriately vulgar phrase, shit or bust. official at the London School of Economics It is a party which is not yet dug in to on an SDP ticket. political life. So far its now 60,000 member- Mumford estimates that there are 1,200 ship — growing, but perhaps not quite as fast SDP students at the moment, and hopes for as expected — shows little sign of engaging in 2,500 by Christmas, after a publicity continuous political activity directed towards campaign including a speaking tour by SDP the public at large in the localities. It is leaders. involved in policy formation and thrashing But he won't necessarily accept the leaders' out a constitution (though some of that will line. He expects the students to act as a left be quite interesting, for example various within the party, moving closer to the proposals to keep a minimum number of community politics wing of the Liberals and seats for women on leading bodies). aiming to work in a similar way in localities, That may change, though there are as well as in colleges. undoubtedly many in the party who do not Relations between the SDP students and see what one might call 'micro-political' the left alliance, a grouping of Labour, activity as important, thinking that pulling Liberal, Communist and non-aligned the levers at the 'macro' level will do. SDP students, are so far rather cautious, on both For such a party, each election is crucial; The Social Democrats have managed to sides, but it is likely that many SDP activists and its first general election, if it does not maintain their momentum since their — including ex-Tories — will want to contest bring great success, could herald a serious remarkably successful launch in March, and next summer's elections for sabbatical posts crisis. their hopes of continuing to do so, at least as Left Alliance candidates, though some of until next summer, look secure. those who have come in with no political Roy Jenkins did so well at Warrington that background may be keener to stand alone. even Labour leaders have to be alert to avoid Outside the student world, the next batch referring to Doug Hoyle's election as a of Labour defectors is planned for this 'defeat'. The SDP's rating in the opinion autumn, and, as well as a number of MPs, is polls has not so far faded, as it seemed at one expected to include even more councillors. time that it might. There have been and will The reselection process in those areas where be downs as well as ups, but the August elections are due next May will concentrate Gallup poll showed support of 19% compared the minds of a lot of Labour councillors over with 12% in July — partly no doubt the effect the next few weeks. of Warrington. Those elections will probably produce the.

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