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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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SDP
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The abbreviation commonly used for the Social Democratic Party, which emerged during 1981. In January of that year four leading members of the Labour party (Roy Jenkins, Shirley Williams, David Owen and Bill Rodgers) held a press conference criticizing trends in the Labour party (such as its tolerance of the *Militant Tendency) and setting up a Council for Social Democracy. They became collectively known as the 'gang of four', after the widow of Mao Tse-tung and her three colleagues who tyrannized China in the mid-1970s and were imprisoned in 1981. During 1981 nearly 20 Labour members and one Conservative gave their support, so the new party was formed around a group of sitting MPs.
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The SDP and the *Liberal party, campaigning together as the *Alliance, pushed the centre vote in the next few years to unprecedented heights. After the 1987 election the party voted to merge with the Liberals, forming what became the *Liberal Democrats. But David Owen, who had succeeded Roy Jenkins as leader in 1983, rejected this decision and carried on with a small group (himself and two other MPs) which still called itself the SDP. This rump of the party was finally disbanded in 1990 for lack of support.
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