Problems in Labour, the SDP and the 1983 general election Flashcards
When did the crisis of Labour begin?
The crisis began when the left-wing candidate, Michael Foot, a Bevanite and a supporter of UND was elected instead of Denis Healey in 1980, the ‘obvious’ candidate from the centre-right of the party.
Describe the formation of the SDP.
Formed in Jan 1981 when a group of leading Labour politicians, the so-called ‘Gang of Four’, David Owen, Roy Jenkins, Shirley Williams and Bill Rodgers issues their ‘Limehouse declaration’, announcing the formation of the council for Social Democracy.
What did the SDP feel about Labour?
They believed:
- They had been driven out of Labour by extremists who were now taking over.
- The best way to save Labour was not to fight a losing battle against the ‘Bennite’ Left within Labour, but to build a new centrist alternative capable of appealing to the middle ground.
What was the Wembley conference of 1981 notorious for?
The hostility shown towards speakers by the hard-left.
Give an example of the SDP making an impact on national politics.
- Shirley Williams won a sensational by-election in the tory seat of Crosby in Nov 1981 and in the following March
- Jenkins won Glasgow Hillhead.
- The ‘safe’ working-class seat of Bermondsey was taken by the Liberals, who claimed they had ‘broken the mould’ of the old two-party system.
What had the 2 centre parties done?
They had forged a formal agreement known as the SDP-Liberal Alliance and worked together in both the 1983 and 1987 elections.
Was the SDP-Liberal Alliance always a steady relationship?
No. Relationships between them were often tense and there were differences between the leaders, the 2 ‘Davids’, Steel and Owen.
Describe the Alliance’s overall position by 1987.
The Alliance seemed able to have overtaken Labour as the credible opposition to Thatcher’s government and until 1987, Labour was widely regarded as unelectable.
What were the 3 main factors that caused the SDP to form?
- Labour’s election defeat in 1979
- The election of Michael Foot as leader in 1980
- The Labour Party’s constitutional changes that had pushed it still further to the left.
How did Michael Foot lead the Labour party in the 1983 election?
In an uninspiring way.
What was Labour already weakened by in the 1983 election?
The party was weakened by its serious and public internal disputes.
Describe Labour’s ill-thought out manifesto in the 1983 election.
It was largely a concession to its left wing and in particular to the CND. Among its pledges was the promise to abandon Britain’s independent nuclear deterrent and reintroduce nationalisation.
What did Labour MP Gerald Kaufman describe the 1983 manifesto as?
‘the longest suicide note in history’.
How did the Falklands affect Labour in the 1983 election?
- Thatcher was riding high on the Falklands factor.
- The apparent pacifism of Foot and Kinnock during the Falklands War made the Labour Party look unpatriotic at a time of national crisis.
How had the SDP and liberals affected Labour in the 1983 election?
In alliance with the liberals, the SDP gained a quarter of the popular vote in the 1983 election. But despite early success, was never established as a credible alternative to the major parties.
