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

by Ivor Crewe, Anthony King

Launched on a wave of euphoria in 1981, the SDP aroused the hopes and enthusiasm of millions of people. Promising to break the mould of British politics, its leaders included three of the most respected figures in British public life--Roy Jenkins, David Owen, and Shirley Williams. But despite winning with the Liberals a quarter of the vote in two general elections, by the autumn of 1987 it had disintegrated amidst acrimony and bitter in-fighting. This book, based on unprecedented access to the SDP's archive and extensive interviews with all the leading players, chronicles the party's short but turbulent history and analyses in detail the reasons for its early success and its ultimate demise.

Genres: History

636 pages, Hardcover

First published November 16, 1995

About the author

Sir Ivor Crewe is the Master of University College, Oxford. He was formerly Professor of Government and Vice Chancellor at the University of Essex.

Reviews

[Jesse Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the rise of multiple new insurgent UK parties, this is a timely read indeed. I'd heard and read about this book for years (and the generous praise that usually accompanied it), but could never muster up the interest to actually find a copy and read it. Turns out -- it's worth it, and the praise is warranted.

I'm not sure there's a better, more instructive book on the flows and spasms of UK politics in the 80s. By charting the cradle-to-grave story of an entire political party, you get a satisfying and insightful narrative -- along with enough critical distance to make the analysis feel worthwhile. The writing is lively, and the authors have both a journalist's grasp of characterization and academic's knack for incisive study. If there's any flaw, it's the book pauses mid-narrative for a very boring examination of the party's structure, membership, and constitution -- such dry matters should have been left to an appendix, and not jammed in the middle of the book!