SDP: The Birth, Life and Death of the Social Democratic Party

315 Pages·1995·26.483 MB·English

by  Ivor Crewe and Anthony King

The Birth, Life and Death of t
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the Social Democratic Party
• • • •
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Ivor Crewe and Anthony King
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
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©Ivor Crewe and Anthony King 1995
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Preface
• • • •
This book bears a disconcerting resemblance to a biography of someone who
showed early promise but died young,_The..S1le..existed for. only seven years. It
has taken us rather longer to complete our book about it.
We decided to write the SD P's history on 2 6 November 19 81. the day that
Shirley Williams won the Crosby by-election. We were not sure that the new party
would survive. but we thought that it might and that, if it did, someone ought to be
on hand to chronicle its early years. We were conscious of the fact that at the begin
ning of this century no one had taken the formation of the Labour RepreseQtation
Committee very seriously, with the result that historians of the Labour party (as the
LRC soon became) have had considerable difficulty ever since in piecing together
the early history of what soon became a major political force.
In the event, of course. our analogy with the Labour party proved wrong. The
SDP did not survive. It went up like a rocket but came down like the stick. We
believe, nevertheless. that its story is worth telling, partly for its own sake. partly for
what the SDP's failure tells us about the British political system and partly because
the episode can be read as a series of cautionary tales. There must be many former
members and supporters of the SDP who, to this day, are wondering what befell
their old party- a party in which so many of them had vested so much hope. Many
others outside the party must be equally puzzled.
Both of us were initially attracted by the idea of the new party and knew many
of those who set it up. Without ever formally joining the SDP. we sat on
one or two of its committees in the early days. However, once the party's head
quarters had been established, our involvement gradually ceased. For most of the
party's short history. we viewed it from the outside as intrigued-and sometimes
astonished-spectators. In the endless quarrels between the Jenkinsites and the
Owenites. we usually found it easy to see both sides' points of view. We also found
it easy to see why some people stayed in the Labour party in 19 81-2 while others
felt forced to leave. Our detachment probably unfits both of us to be politicians. We
hope it does not unfit us to be sympathetic political observers.
Several of the early chapters of SDP were drafted soon after the events to
which they relate, and we have largely resisted the temptation to revise them in the
light of hindsight. The narrative chapters, in particular. are meant to catch the
mood of the time. however false to reality that mood may now appear. The book is
a genuinely collaborative effort. Although one or other of us prepared a first draft
of each chapter, every chapter is the result of our joint efforts.
vii
PREFACE PREFACE
Two features of the book's structure should be pointed out. First, it is divided their time. especially since some of the interviews lasted for several hours. David
into five parts and they are not quite chronological. Parts I and II tell the story of Steel, when he saw us arriving in his office on one occasion, said jokingly, 'Oh no,
the SDP's birth and infancy, from its origins in the divisions of the Labour party up not you two again!' But he spoke to us in the most friendly and helpful manner all
to the general election of 1983. Part IV describes the SDP's development under the same-as did all our other interviewees.
David Owen up to the 19 8 7 election and Part V recounts the subsequent split over The total list of those we interviewed comprises: Paddy Ashdown, Rosie
the issue of merger and the demise of the party. These sections of the book are Barnes, Alan Beith, Tom Bradley. Christopher Brocklebank-Fowler, Roger Carroll,
largely narrative and historical. Part III is more anatomical: it analyses the party's John Cartwright, Tim Clement-Jones, Alex de Mont. Lord Diamond, Bernard Doyle,
structure-its constitution, finances, media relations, membership and electoral Andy Ellis, Tom Ellis, Roy Evans, Frank Field, (Sir) William Goodhart, John Grant,
support-for the whole of the 1981-7 period. Secondly, all the tables have been Tony Halmos, Lord Harris of Greenwich, Alan Haselhurst, Richard Holme (Lord
gathered together at the end of the book, to avoid interruption of the narrative. Holme of Cheltenham), Sarah Horack, John Horam, Peter Jenkins, Roy Jenkins
Readers interested in the statistical evidence for our arguments can look it up in (Lord Jenkins of Hillhead), Charles Kennedy, Roger Liddle, Clive Lindley, Edward
Appendix 5. Lyons, John Lyttle, Bryan Magee, Alec McGivan, Robert Maclennan, David
We have relied throughout on four main sources. One of the last acts of the Marquand, Paul Medlicott, Sir Leslie Murphy, Julia Neuberger, Dick Newby,
SDP, before it merged with the Liberals in 1988, was to donate the party's papers Matthew Oakeshott, David Owen (Lord Owen of the City of Plymouth), John
and archives to the Albert E. Sloman Library at the University of Essex. We have Pardoe, Chris Phillips, Giles Radice, Bill Rodgers (Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank),
used these materials extensively, but they still contain a great deal that will be of John Roper, David Sainsbury. Neville Sandelson, Christopher Smallwood, Anne
interest to students and scholars of British party politics. We are enormously grate Sofer, (Sir) David Steel, Dick Taverne, Mike Thomas, Polly Toynbee, Jim Wallace,
ful to Robert Butler, the University's librarian, for the patience and professional skill William Wallace, Alan Watson, Ken Weetch, Phillip Whitehead, Shirley Williams
he displayed in organizing and cataloguing this very extensive collection. (Baroness Williams of Crosby), Des Wilson, Eric Woolfson and (Sir) Ian \Yrig
Secondly, we have made use of the considerable numbers of memoirs and glesworth. We received helpful correspondence from Bruce Douglas-Mann, Lord
diaries that have become available since we first started work. James Callaghan's Gilmour of Craigmillar, Vincent McKee and Bob Mitchell.
Time and Chance, Susan Crosland's biography of Tony Crosland and, to an even Our gratitude to our interviewees extends to a large number of other people
greater extent, Denis Healey's The Time of my Life reveal much about the internal and organizations. The Nuffield Foundation provided us with generous financial
conflicts in the Labour party during the Wilson, Callaghan and Foot years. Tony support during the early stages of our research, and we were also supported
Benn's diaries, in their full rich candour. are also useful. On the Liberal and SDP side financially by the Research Endowment Fund of the University of Essex. The staff
we have drawn on David Steel's Against Goliath, Roy Jenkins' European Diary of the picture libraries of the Daily Telegraph and the Guardian went out of their way
1977-1981 and A Life at the Centre and David Owen's two volumes of memoirs, to be helpful. First-class research and administrative assistance were provided by
Personally Speaking and Time to Declare. Since David Owen is so often accused of re Alun Evans, John Bartle, John Brice, Deborah Crewe, Brian Fearnley, Graeme Hall,
writing history, we should perhaps say that his version of the SDP's history largely Stuart Hollinghurst, Peter Hollister, Graham Kinshott, Luke Morris, David Page,
coincides with what he was telling us at the time about his opinions and actions. Melvyn Read, David Samways and Adam Searing. For painstaking and patient
Thirdly, we have relied heavily on the contemporary press, whose reporting of secretarial assistance we are grateful to a number of staff at the University of Essex
the SDP, especially in The Times, the Guardian, the Observer and latterly the Independ Department of Government, including Sarah Bayes, Hazel Burke, Linda Day, Jane
ent, we found to be full, accurate and largely reliable. The Guardian frequently acted Harder, Chris Jennings, Caroline Morris and Jenny Mortimer. Finally, we are
as, in effect, the SDP's parish magazine. The most perceptive newspaper commen indebted to our experienced and sharp-eyed copy-editors, Heather Bliss and Hilary
tators at the time were the late Peter Jenkins, Adam Raphael, Geoffrey Smith and Walford, for pouncing on our typescript's slips and inconsistencies.
Hugo Young. Two books by journalists on the SDP's early years were particularly The manuscript has been read in its entirety by a deliberately variegated
helpful: Ian Bradley's Breaking the Mould? and Hugh Stephenson's Claret and Chips. group of people, including Jeremy Beecham, Vernon Bogdanor, Seth Dubin, Jan
Mr Bradley deserves credit for having, unfashionably for the time, included the King, David Marquand and Dick Newby. Graham C. Greene, Peter Pulzer and
question mark in his title. Hilary Rubinstein read the earlier chapters and made valuable comments. Individ
Finally, many chapters are largely based on the interviews that we conducted ual chapters were read by Andrew Gilmour and Holli Semetko. We are grateful
throughout the 19 81-8 period with members of the SDP and the Liberal and to all of them for their help, even though their comments forced us to change a
Labour parties. We interviewed many of the leading participants in the SDP's story considerable number of passages that we were reluctant to change. In return for
on a number of occasions, and we are grateful to them for giving us so much of their help, we grant them the usual absolution.
viii ix
PREFACE
We referred earlier to our feelings of detachment. Perhaps we should add that. Acknowledgements
as we write. neither of us bas any party affiliation. Between us we would probably
vote for Roy Hattersley in Sparkbrook (if he were standing again). Sir David Steel in • • • •
Tweedale. Ettrick. and Lauderdale (if he were). Richard Ryder in Mid-Norfolk.
Charles Kennedy in Ross. Cromarty. and Skye. Giles Radice in North Durham. Nigel
Forman in Carshalton and Wallington and Robert Maclennan in Caithness and
Sutherland. Readers can make of that what they will.
LC.
A.K.
We wish to acknowledge the New Statesman and Society for permission to reproduce
Colchester, Esse:1:
an extract from 'SDP Sunk in Private Gloom' by Peter Kellner (12 ovember 1982).
January 19 9 5
We wish to acknowledge the following for permission to reproduce photographs:
Daily Telegraph. Srdja Djukanovic, Guardian. Tom Kidd. Press Association, Ian South
ern Photography, Sunday Telegraph. Whilst every effort has been made to trace the
copyright holders. this has not been possible in every instance. The Publishers
would be glad to hear from any copyright holders who proved untraceable.
We wish to acknowledge the following for permission to reproduce cartoons:
Daily Telegraph. Nick Garland. Guardian, Independent. Bryan McAllister. Sunday
Telegraph.
x xi
Contents
• • • •
LIST OF PLATES xv
LIST or FIGt;RES xvii
LIST OF TABLES xix
LIST or L'ARTOOJ\S xxi
ABBREVlATTONS xx iii
Part I: Birth
1. Pre-History: 1964-1979 3
2. The Gang of Three 27
3. Jenkins and the Jenkinsites 52
4. Anguish: 'Severe Mental Pain' 71
5. Born in Despair 85
6. Defectors and Loyalists 104
7. What Kind of Party, and Whose? 117
Part II: Infancy
8. The Golden Age: March-December 19 81 131
9. Jenkins as Leader: 1982-1983 146
10. A 'Partnership of Principle' 167
11. Disappointment: June 1983 191
Part Ill: Anatomy
12. New Institutions for a New Party 217
13. Machinery, Members and Money 238
14. A Media Party? 254
15. The Party of a New Class? 272
16. The SOP, the Alliance and the Electorate 283
xiii
CONTENTS
Part IV: Maturity and Death List of Plates
17. The Owen Ascendancy I: 1983-1985 303 ••••
18. The Owen Ascendancy II: 1985-1987 338
19. Humiliation: June 1987 366
(Between pages 328 and 329)
20. TheSDPDisintegrates: 1987-1988 383
21. Of Merger and a Dead Parrot 411
22. Who Was to Blame? 441
1. Jenkins hit by flour bomb (Press Association)
Part V: Obituary 2. Owen at the special Labour party conference (Srdja Djukanovic. Daily
Telegraph)
23. The SDP: A Study in Failure 455 3. The Gang of Four at the SDP launch (Daily Telegraph)
4. 'Like two young lovers' (Micky Webb, Daily Telegraph)
EPILOGUE 471
5. Williams campaigns for Jenkins in Warrington (Don McPhee. Guardian)
6. Jenkins leans in a forward direction (Denis Thorpe, Guardian)
APPENDICES
7. Jenkins sits down to acclamation (Don McPhee, Guardian)
1. Former Labour MPs. ot Elected to the 19 79 Parliament, 476
8. Jenkins at Central Hall, Westminster (Srdja Djukanovic, Daily Telegraph)
who Joined the SDP
9. Williams campaigns from the back of a van (Sunday Telegraph)
2. SDP Peers 478 10. Williams with exuberant supporters at Crosby victory party (Don McPhee,
3. Potential Recruits to the SDP who Remained in the Labour Party 479 Guardian)
4. Liberal-SOP Alliance Guidelines for the Allocation of Seats in the 480 11. Rodgers, Owen and Jenkins discuss the seats row (Press Association)
198 3 General Election 12. Williams shields her eyes from the television lights (Sunday Telegraph)
5. Tables 482 13. Jenkins returns to the House of Commons (Daily Telegraph)
14. Rodgers ponders a point (Srdja Djukanovic, Daily Telegraph)
NOTES 524 15. The Gang of Three in consultation (Guardian)
16. Williams addressing the SDP Conference at Salford (Don McPhee, Guardian)
BIBLIOGRAPHY 588 17. David Steel (Frank Martin, Guardian)
INDEX 599 18. 'Ringmastering with mirrors': The SDP in Parliament in 1986 (Srdja
Djukanovic. Daily Telegraph)
19. Spitting Image squeaky dolls of the two Davids (Don McPhee. Guardian)
20. Owen and Steel launch the Alliance's 1987 manifesto (Martin Argles,
Guardian)
21. 'Not waving but drowning': Steel and Owen greet supporters (Graham
Turner, Guardian)
22. Maclennan stiffens his party's resolve (Frank Martin. Guardian)
2 3. Putting on a brave face: Steel and Maclennan meet the press (Guardian)
24. Owen addresses the 'continuing SDP' (Sunday Telegraph)
2 5. A grim-faced Owen arrives at Broadcasting House (Philip Hollis, Daily
Telegraph)
xiv xv
List of Figures
• • • •
1. The standing of the parties in the Gallup Poll, October 1980-March
1982 133
2. The standing of the parties in the Gallup Poll, October 1981-May 198 3 14 7
3. Front-page mentions of the SDP, or the Liberal-SDP Alliance, in The
Times, Daily Mail and Daily Mirror. January 1981-May 1983 2 S 7
4. The ideological self-placement of party activists 2 77
5. The perceived location of the parties on a left-right scale, July 1986-
June 1987 294
6. The standing of the parties in the Gallup Poll, 1983-1987 329
Figure Notes and Sources 587
xvii
List of Tables
• • • •
1.1. The major parties' electoral decline, 19 59-19 79 482
6.1. Actual and potential defectors by CLP vote for deputy leader 483
6.2. The deputy-leadership vote by the CLPs of actual or potential
defectors 483
6.3. Defection and loyalty, by age 484
6.4. Defection and loyalty, by class and prospects 484
6.5. Defection and loyalty, by different connections to the labour
movement 485
6.6. Defection, loyalty and roots in the labour movement 485
10.1. Estimated number of Liberal and SDP MPs at different levels of
Alliance vote in the 1983 election 486
12.1. Membership ballot on method of electing party leader, April
1982 487
12.2. The composition of the National Committee 488
12.3. Originators of policy motions at SDP Councils. October 1982-
September 19 8 6 489
12.4. Amendments to policy motions at SDP Councils, October 19 82-
September 19 8 6 489
13.1. SDP membership, 1981-1987 490
13.2. Regional distribution of SDP membership, May 19 81 490
13.3. The ten strongest SDP area parties, October 1986 491
13.4. Central income of SOP, 1981-1982 to 1986-198 7 492
13.5. Company donations to the SDP and the Alliance, 19 81-19 8 7 493
13.6. Election expenditure by local parties. 1983 and 198 7 494
13.7. SDP, Liberal and Alliance central expenditure on general
elections. 1983and1987 495
13.8. Candidates' general-election expenses, 1983and1987 496
14.1. Liberal-SOP Alliance support in opinion polls before and after
heavily publicized by-elections 497
14.2. Electoral support for the Alliance, by newspaper readers, 19 8 3
and 1987 498
14.3. Vote in 19 8 3 by whether or not influenced by a party election
broadcast 499
xix
LIST OF TABLES
14.4. Public awareness of party leaders on television and in the press. List of Cartoons
September 1984 500
1 S. l. A social profile of party activists S(Jl ••••
lS.2. The policy views of SDP members. 1981 503
lS. 3. Parliamentary candidates, by social background, 1983 and
1987 sos
lS.4. Parliamentary candidates. by occupational background, 1983
and 1987 S06
16.1. Identification with Liberal party. 19 64-19 79. and with Liberal
SDP Alliance, 1983-1987 S07 'I came ... I saw ... I thought about it!' 59
16.2. Where the SDP and Liberal vote came from. 1983 and 198 7 508 Sawing off the branch on which they sat 90
16. 3. The party leanings of different categories of Alliance voters, 'What do you mean, can't we slow down a bit? .. .' 9S
1983 and 1987 S09 'Classic SDP symptoms-votes for something. votes against it and
16.4. Voters' social profiles. by party. 198 3 and 198 7 SlO abstains. all at the same time' 149
16. S. Alliance voters, by social background, 198 3 and 198 7 Sll All aboard the Alliance stagecoach 172
16. 6. The vote of the salariat, 19 8 3 Sl3 'When the music stops, we each try to grab as many seats as we can' 182
16. 7. The policy beliefs of Alliance voters Sl4 The scapegoat designate 203
16. 8. Voters' preference for their own party in different policy areas, 'There's nothing in the phone book under Social Democrats .. .' 241
1979, 1983 and 1987 Sl7 'It's very convenient, you can join by credit card .. .' 242
16.9. The parties' images. 1983 and 1987 Sl8 Merger 403
16.10. General-electionresults, 1983and1987 Sl9 'This parrot is definitely deceased .. .' 437
16.11. Local-election results, 1982-198 7 S20
16.12. By-election results, 1981-1987 521
16.13. Public support in the opinion polls, 1981-198 7 S22
19 .1. How Labour drew away from the Alliance in the polls in the 19 8 7
election campaign S23
xx xxi