Social Democratic Party (UK) facts for kids
The Social Democratic Party (often called the SDP) was a political party in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1981 by some politicians who used to be part of the Labour Party. These politicians felt that the Labour Party was becoming too far to the left in its ideas.
The SDP worked closely with another party called the Liberals. Together, they were known as the "SDP-Liberal Alliance". This alliance did quite well in elections, getting a good number of votes in 1983 and 1987. In 1988, the SDP and the Liberals decided to join together. They formed a new, bigger party called the Liberal Democrats.
How the SDP Started
The Social Democratic Party was officially created on March 26, 1981. It was started by four important Labour Party politicians. They were sometimes called the "Gang of Four." These four leaders were Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers, and Shirley Williams. They believed in more moderate, or "centrist," ideas for politics. This meant they were not too far left or too far right.
Working with the Liberals
After the SDP was formed, it quickly decided to team up with the Liberal Party. This partnership was a big deal in British politics. They aimed to offer voters a different choice from the two main parties at the time, Labour and the Conservatives.
- In the 1983 general election, the SDP-Liberal Alliance won about 25% of all the votes.
- In the 1987 general election, they still did well, getting around 23% of the votes.
Even though they got many votes, the way the UK election system works meant they didn't win many seats in Parliament.
Becoming the Liberal Democrats
After working together for several years, the leaders of the SDP and the Liberal Party decided it would be better to become one party. They thought this would make them stronger and more effective. So, in 1988, the two parties merged. This merger created the Liberal Democrats, which is still an important political party in the UK today.
