13 The SDP/Liberal Alliance
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Matt Cole
Abstract
This chapter focuses on the political alliance of the Liberal Party (LP) with the Social Democratic Party (SDP). The launch of the SDP, led by Roy Jenkins, in March 1981 presented Liberals with a dilemma. Liberal Party leader David Steel decided to work with the new party through an electoral and policy alliance instead of trying to defeat the well-resourced organisation. This chapter explains that Richard Wainwright did not dismiss or disown the Alliance in public and only tried to get as much out of it as possible, until circumstances presented an opportunity to move on. It also suggests that from an early stage Wainwright foresaw the end of the SDP, and the subsuming of much of its membership into a single, liberal, party.
Abstract
This chapter focuses on the political alliance of the Liberal Party (LP) with the Social Democratic Party (SDP). The launch of the SDP, led by Roy Jenkins, in March 1981 presented Liberals with a dilemma. Liberal Party leader David Steel decided to work with the new party through an electoral and policy alliance instead of trying to defeat the well-resourced organisation. This chapter explains that Richard Wainwright did not dismiss or disown the Alliance in public and only tried to get as much out of it as possible, until circumstances presented an opportunity to move on. It also suggests that from an early stage Wainwright foresaw the end of the SDP, and the subsuming of much of its membership into a single, liberal, party.
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Dedication v
- Contents vii
- List of figures ix
- Foreword xi
- Acknowledgements xiii
- Chronology xiv
- Introduction 1
- Part I: Before Parliament 13
- 1 Early life 15
- 2 Cambridge 26
- 3 Wainwright’s War 36
- Part II: Outside Parliament 49
- 4 Liberal Clubs 53
- 5 Wainwright’s faith 61
- 6 The press 71
- 7 The Party in the country 77
- 8 Colne Valley 90
- 9 Campaigning 106
- Part III: In Parliament 149
- 10 The Parliamentary Liberal Party 151
- 11 Wainwright and Jeremy Thorpe 166
- 12 The Lib-Lab Pact 187
- 13 The SDP/Liberal Alliance 195
- Part IV: After Parliament 203
- 14 The merger and the Liberal Democrats 205
- Conclusion 220
- Appendices 229
- Bibliography 232
- Index 237
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Dedication v
- Contents vii
- List of figures ix
- Foreword xi
- Acknowledgements xiii
- Chronology xiv
- Introduction 1
- Part I: Before Parliament 13
- 1 Early life 15
- 2 Cambridge 26
- 3 Wainwright’s War 36
- Part II: Outside Parliament 49
- 4 Liberal Clubs 53
- 5 Wainwright’s faith 61
- 6 The press 71
- 7 The Party in the country 77
- 8 Colne Valley 90
- 9 Campaigning 106
- Part III: In Parliament 149
- 10 The Parliamentary Liberal Party 151
- 11 Wainwright and Jeremy Thorpe 166
- 12 The Lib-Lab Pact 187
- 13 The SDP/Liberal Alliance 195
- Part IV: After Parliament 203
- 14 The merger and the Liberal Democrats 205
- Conclusion 220
- Appendices 229
- Bibliography 232
- Index 237
