The Social Democratic Party was a centre-left to centrist political party in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1981 and was dissolved in 1988 when it merged with the Liberal Party to form Liberal Democrats.
This article encompasses results of historical UK general elections and European Parliament elections which the Social Democratic Party participated in.
Westminster elections
Summary of UK general election performance Year of Candidates Total votes Mean votes per candidate % UK vote Change % +/- Saved deposits of MPs 1983 311 3,570,834 11,482 11.7% New — 61987 306 3,168,183 10,354 9.7% 1.9% — 5
Parliamentary by-elections, 1981–1983 Through by-elections during the 1979–1983 UK Parliament, the SDP succeeded in electing 2 Social Democrat MPs. SDP results in Parliamentary by-elections from 1981 to 1983ElectionCandidateVotes%Position1979ResultBy-electionLABLIBCONOTHLABSDPCONOTH1981 Warrington by-election 12,521 42.40 261.69.128.89.6LAB hold48.442.47.12.1 1981 Crosby by-election 28,118 49.0 125.415.257.02.4SDP gain from CON9.549.139.81.61982 Glasgow Hillhead by-election 10,106 33.40 134.414.441.010.1SDP gain from CON25.933.426.614.11982 Mitcham and Morden by-election (Incumbent Labour MP) 9,032 29.40 245.28.943.92.0CON gain from LAB24.429.443.42.81982 Gower by-election 9,875 25.10 253.29.130.67.2LAB hold43.525.122.19.31982 Peckham by-election 7,418 32.91 259.97.728.1LAB hold50.332.912.44.41983 Darlington by-election 12,735 24.5 345.610.243.40.9LAB hold39.524.534.91.1
General election 1983 SPD results in the 1983 general electionConstituency CandidateVotes%PositionResultAberdeen North 10,118 24.7 2ndLAB holdAberdeen South 10,372 26.2 3rdCON hold, but SDP and LAB together outpolled themAldridge-Brownhills 11,599 24.4 3rdCON holdAlyn and Deeside 9,535 21.6 3rdLAB win (new seat)Angus East 4,978 11.4 3rdCON win (new seat)Ashford 13,319 27.8 2ndCON holdAshton-under-Lyne 7,521 17.8 3rdLAB holdAylesbury 15,310 29.4 2ndCON holdBanbury 13,200 26.9 2ndCON holdBanff and Buchan 6,084 15.0 3rdCON win (new seat)Barnsley West and Penistone 9,624 21.7 3rdLAB holdBarrow and Furness 11,079 21.7 3rdSDP split left-wing vote allowing CON gain from LABBasildon 11,634 25.7 3rdCON hold, but SDP and LAB together outpolled themBasingstokeEdnyfed Hudson Davies(defecting Labour MP from Caerphilly) 15,931 28.8 2ndCON holdBassetlaw 8,124 16.7 3rdLAB holdBath 17,240 36.0 2ndCON hold, but SDP and LAB together outpolled themBatley and Spen 11,678 21.6 3rdCON win (new seat), but SDP+LAB outpolled themBattersea 7,675 17.5 3rdLAB win (new seat)South West Bedfordshire 16,036 27.8 2ndEast Berkshire 17,868 29.9 2ndBirmingham Edgbaston 8,167 22.4 2ndBirmingham Erdington 7,915 21.1 3rdBirmingham Selly Oak 10,613 20.7 3rdBirmingham Small Heath 5,722 16.0 3rdBirmingham Sparkbrook 3,416 10.4 3rdBirmingham Yardley 8,109 23.1 3rdBlackburn 8,174 14.4 3rdBlackpool South 9,417 24.0 3rdBlaydon 12,607 26.3 3rdBlyth Valley 13,340 31.8 2ndBolsover 7,886 16.8 3rdBolton North EastJohn Alcock8,31118.33rdBradford NorthPeter Birkby11,96225.53rdBradford WestEdward Lyons(defecting Labour MP)13,30127.13rdLAB hold (that is, reverted to 1979 status quo)Caithness and SutherlandRobert Maclennan(defecting Labour MP)12,11952.01stSDP gain from LAB (held 1981 gain)Cannock and Burntwood Joseph Withnall11,33622.13rdCardiff WestJeffrey Thomas(defecting Labour MP from Abertillery)10,38825.53rdSDP split left-wing vote allowing CON gain from LABClwyd South WestTom Ellis(defecting Labour MP from Wrexham)13,02430.22ndCON win in new seat; SDP+LAB together outpolled themCrosby(sitting SDP MP)27,20342.02ndCON hold (that is, reverted to 1979 status quo)DarlingtonRay Dutton8,73717.43rdDewsburyDavid Ginsburg(defecting Labour MP)13,06525.33rdSDP split left-wing vote allowing CON gain from LABErith and CrayfordJames Wellbeloved(defecting Labour MP)14,36934.92ndSDP split left-wing vote allowing CON gain from LABGlasgow HillheadRoy Jenkins(sitting SDP MP)14,85636.21stSDP gain from CON (held 1982 by-election gain)Hackney South and ShoreditchRonald Brown(defecting Labour MP)7,02518.33rdLAB hold (that is, reverted to 1979 status quo)HalifaxF. Cockroft11,86821.73rdHayes and HarlingtonNeville Sandelson(defecting Labour MP)11,84229.03rdSDP split left-wing vote allowing CON gain from LABHyndburnJohn Bridgen6,71614.63rdIslington NorthJohn Grant(defecting Labour MP from abolished Islington Central)8,26822.43rdLAB hold (that is, reverted to 1979 status quo)Islington South and FinsburyGeorge Cunningham(defecting Labour MP)13,09735.32ndLAB hold (that is, reverted to 1979 status quo)Leicester EastTom Bradley (defecting Labour MP)10,36221.13rdSDP split left-wing vote allowing CON gain from LABLewisham EastPolly Toynbee9,35122.03rdLeytonBryan Magee(defecting Labour MP)9,44824.93rdLAB hold (that is, reverted to 1979 status quo)Liverpool BroadgreenRichard Crawshaw(defecting Labour MP from abolished Liverpool Toxteth)5,16911.24thLAB win in new seatLiverpool West DerbyEric Ogden(defecting Labour MP)7,87118.03rdLAB hold (that is, reverted to 1979 status quo)MeridenPamela Dunbar10,67420.13rdNewcastle CentralJohn Horam(defecting Labour MP from abolished Gateshead West)9,92322.33rdSDP split left-wing vote allowing CON gain from LABNewcastle upon Tyne EastMike Thomas(defecting Labour MP)11,29326.73rdLAB hold (that is, reverted to 1979 status quo)Newham North WestAlec Kellaway5,20418.63rdNorth West NorfolkChristopher Brocklebank-Fowler(defecting Conservative MP)20,21137.62ndCON hold, but SDP and LAB together outpolled themNorwich SouthCharles Hardie11,96824.53rdPlymouth DevonportDavid Owen(defecting Labour MP)20,84344.31stSDP gain from LAB (held 1981 gain)Renfrew West and Inverclyde(replaced West Renfrewshire)Dickson Mabon(defecting Labour MP from abolished Greenock & Port Glasgow)12,34729.52ndSDP split left-wing vote allowing CON gain from LABRoss, Cromarty and Skye(replaced Ross and Cromarty)Charles Kennedy13,52838.51stSDP gain from CONSloughNicholas Bosanquet9,51918.53rdSouthampton ItchenBob Mitchell(defecting Labour MP)16,64731.52ndSDP split left-wing vote allowing CON gain from LABStockportThomas McNally(defecting Labour MP from abolished Stockport South)12,12927.63rdSDP split left-wing vote allowing CON win in new seatStockton North(replaced Stockton-on-Tees)William Rodgers(defecting Labour MP)14,63029.63rdLAB hold (that is, reverted to 1979 status quo)Stockton South(replaced Thornaby)Ian Wrigglesworth(defecting Labour MP)19,55036.81stSDP gain from LAB (held 1981 gain)Woolwich(replaced Woolwich East)John Cartwright(defecting Labour MP)15,49240.51stSDP gain from LAB (held 1981 gain)WorsleyJohn Roper(defecting Labour MP from Farnworth)14,54527.13rdLAB win in new seat
Parliamentary by-elections, 1983–1987 Through by-elections during the 1983–1987 UK Parliament, the SDP succeeded in electing 2 Social Democrat MPs.
Local elections The SDP participated in the 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987 local elections.
European Parliament elections
Year of Candidates Total votes % UK vote of MEPs1984 1,233,490 9.0 0
References