What was the name of the political statement made by four members of the Labour Party in January 1981 effectively launching the SDP?
History of the Labour Party (UK) The party's move to the left in the early 1980s led to the decision by a number of centrist party members led by the Gang of Four of former Labour cabinet ministers (Shirley Williams, William Rodgers, Roy Jenkins, and David Owen) to form the breakaway Social Democratic Party (SDP) on 25 January 1981. The broader aims of the party were set out in the Limehouse Declaration the following day. In 1981 the St Ermins group of senior trade union leaders was created, meeting secretly every month initially at the St Ermin's Hotel, who organised to prevent the Bennite left taking
SDP–Liberal Alliance SDP–Liberal Alliance The SDP–Liberal Alliance was a centrist political and electoral alliance in the United Kingdom. Formed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Liberal Party, the Alliance was established in 1981, contesting the 1983 general election, 1984 European election and 1987 general election. The Alliance ceased to exist in 1988, when the two component parties merged to form the Social and Liberal Democrats, later renamed the Liberal Democrats. Following the establishment of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) by the 'Gang of Four' (Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers, Shirley Williams), who had left the Labour Party in March