Social Democratic Party (UK, 1990–present)
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Social Democratic Party (SDP)
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| Leader | Jack Holmes (1990–1991) John Bates (1991–2008) Peter Johnson (2008–present) |
| Founded | 1990 |
| Headquarters | 69, Oakdale Road, Birmingham, B36 8AU. |
| Ideology |
Hard euroscepticism Localism Social democracy |
| Colours | Blue and Red |
| Local government |
1 / 21,871
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| Website | |
| http://www.socialdemocraticparty.co.uk/ | |
The Social Democratic Party is a small political party in the United Kingdom. As of 2016, it has a few elected councillors but no parliamentarians. It traces its origin to the Social Democratic Party that 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". This party 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 immediately after with the same name. That 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 the accounts filed with the Electoral Commission for the year ending 2008 it had 41 members.
The second incarnation of the 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 Neath by-election in 1991. 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 LibDems shortly thereafter.) The Neath result proved that a greatly reduced SDP could continue to be a viable party without David Owen. The party subsequently won a number of seats on the Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council.
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