The SDP and the Liberal Party

• With the increasing influence of the far left in the Labour party in the late 1970s and early 1980s, a number of Labour MPs broke away to form the new SDP in 1981
• The leading figures in the SDP were Roy Jenkins, David Own, Shirley Williams and William Rogers
• The SDP believed that in a polarized political climate, with Thatcher representing the right and Foot representing the left, there was a need for a centre-left party
• The SDP hoped to claim new members from the Labour party, but also some disaffected Conservatives unhappy with the direction of the Party under Thatcher
• In order to mount a serious challenge to the status quo, the SDP allied with the Liberal Party for the 1983 election, where the alliance gained 1/4 of the popular votes but only 23 seats
• The SDP were unable to capitalize on their early success and formally merged with the liberals in 1988 to form the Liberal Democrats
• The Liberal Democrats have always been socially liberal and pro-European, some Thatcherite influence can be seen in the commitment of many of their MPs to free-market principles and low taxation