A Study Guide to the Social Democratic Party (SDP)

Date01 April 1987
AuthorHolli A Semetko
DOI10.1111/j.1467-9256.1987.tb00267.x
Published date01 April 1987
Subject MatterArticle
~&i#
(1987)
7,
21-28
A STUDY GUIDE TO THE SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC
PARTY
(SDP)
Holli
A
Semetko
THE LITERATURE
available on the SDP
is
relatively scant and widely scattered: there is no
authoritative and up-to-date single book on the SDP to which students can refer. Since the
party was founded
only
on
26
March
198
1,
we
might not
yet
except to find a major academic
work on the
SDP,
though the support for
and
interest in the party among academics suggest
that there might be something in the making. The
two
significant books on the SDP are still the
journalists’ accounts of the party’s creation and development in
its
first
two
years
-
Bradley‘s
(1
98 1)
Breahing
the
Mould?
and Hugh Stephenson’s
(1
982)
Claret and
Chips.
This study guide is on
the SDP and, though
a
number
of
the articles and books mentioned deal with the SDP/Liberal
Alliance, writings specifically about the Liberal party are excluded. The references, which
include most writings
on
the SDP up to late
1986,
have been classified under eight subject
headings, though some do not always fit neatly under one category.
SDP
Protagonists
An early adviser to the SDP’s Communications Committee once told me that the publica-
tion
of
a book by one of the ‘Gang of Four’ can become
a
‘media event’. Henig
(1 982)
notes
the
value of the politicians’ contribution
as
‘tructsfor
the
times’(p
331).
If
handled properly,
it
can
produce a series
of
articles in the press and possibly even broadcast time on news or current
affairs
programmes. Maybe this explains why at least ten books have been published
by
SDP
politicians and protagonists over the past
six
years. David Owen leads the race in publishing
potentid‘mediaevents’(0wen
1981; 1984; 1986).
His
FacetheFuturewas
first published before
the new Parry Was formed and contains references to socialism but not
to
the
SDP;
the revised
version
(1
98
1)
emphasizes
‘social
democratu values and trditiomJ.
Coates
(1983)
offers a stinging
critique of Owen’s book under the heading ‘Doctor Jekyll and the Rt. Hon.
Mr.
Hyde’. In
1981,
Shirley Williams published
Politics
is
fw
People
which, although billed by Penguin
as
an’%
honesl
and
backed
UP
by
carewj marshalled
facts:
was dismissed by most
reviewers
as
‘hwbstantial and umahfaacloty’(Barry,
1982).
Beer, however, praised the book and
believes Williams’
‘strength
lies
in the detailed and
f.ct..r
way
in
w&h
sk
&.
.
.fami&r
dm
the
grain
ofher
Wgwnent’
(1982,
pp
204-5).
Stanley
Henig
(1982),
former Labour MP,
also
reviews Owen
(1981)
and
Williams
(1982)
as
well
as
William Rodgers
(1
982),
and
he
dismisses Zentner
(1
982)
as
another
Y;adypn9agadkt
@ce against
Labour
and
fw
the
Social
Demartts
which
makes
little
seriouc
contribution’
(p
331).
Two
other pro-SDP books published the year
after
the party was mated contained refleaions and
proposals for action by the more eminent politicians (Kennet,
1982)
and
the not
so
eminent
members and sympathizers (Martin,
1982).
More recently, Jenkins’ speeches and writings
were published (Jenkins,
1982).
Owen
(1986)
argues for proportional representation and
stateShis and SDP
views
on issues such
as
national security, health
care,
education, industrial
partnership and urban regeneration.
Williams
(1
986)
addresses questions about unemploy-
ment policy and the impact of new technology on hture employment.
A
new student to the subject should probably consult some party propaganda.
A
reading of
the
1983
Joint
Progmmme
fw
GmmnW
is instructive, and
to
return
to
the flavour of the early
days read
‘Twelve Tasks fm
SOGial
Dtm~~~ats’
in
lXe
Times
(27
March
1981),
and the
my
artides
appearing in
Thc
Guardian
around this time. The Tawney Society
is
another source of
sympathetic material.
A
look through
the
party
newspaper is interesting-
7heWDenmcW,
a
fortnightly tabloid sent
to
all
SDP members was first published in May
1982.
An Alliance
magazine
is
also
published though it has changed
its
name and format three times since it first
appeared in June
1982.
Published monthly,
AUiance,
‘the
magazine
4th
~es’became
Zhe
Democrat;
in February
1988
and by ApriVMay
it
had become the bi-monthly
New
Demomat; ‘the
magazine
ofthe
newjditics,
incotporati~
Alliance’. New
Dmrocmt
includes sections on
am,
books
and travel,
as
well
as
current
political
issues;
its
editorial board is composed
of
members
from
both
parties. Nuffield College library houses
all
of those issues
as
well
as
other original SDP
policy documents.

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