Social Democratic Party (UK, 1990–present)#Leaders

The second incarnation of the Social Democratic Party, often referred to as "the continuing SDP", decided to dissolve itself after a disastrous result in the May 1990 Bootle by-election. However, a number of SDP activists met and voted to continue the party in defiance of the National Executive. The continuing group was led by Jack Holmes, who by polling fewer votes than the Official Monster Raving Loony Party at the Bootle by-election had caused the party's end. The much-reduced SDP decided to fight the 1991 Neath by-election. With Holmes serving as the party's election agent, the SDP candidate received 5.3% of the vote—only 174 votes behind the fourth-placed Liberal Democrats, although the SDP candidate joined the Lib Dems shortly after.{{cite web |url=http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/m12.pdf |title=By-election Results: 1987-92 |date=November 2003 |access-date=November 28, 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060105123951/http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/m12.pdf |archive-date=January 5, 2006 |work=House of Commons Information Office}} The party subsequently won just three seats on the Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council during the next eight years.

In 1992, the SDP had concentrated on campaigning at local level, holding a few council seats in Yorkshire and South Wales. Bridlington Central and Old Town ward on East Riding of Yorkshire Council remained a hotspot of SDP activity, with Ray Allerston holding a council seat there from 1987. From 2003 to 2007, he was joined by his wife Christine Allerston.{{cite web |title=Bridlington Central and Old Town Ward — East Riding |url=http://www.andrewteale.me.uk/leap/ward/2943/ |publisher=Andrew Teale |work=Local Elections Archive Project |access-date=10 May 2015 |archive-date=18 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518083911/http://www.andrewteale.me.uk/leap/ward/2943/ |url-status=live }} Meanwhile, Tony Pelton and Brian Smith were elected in 1999 in Tunstall Ward in Richmondshire. A third hotspot consisted of SDP councillors Jeff Dinham, John Sullivan and Anthony Taylor in Aberavon Ward, Neath Port Talbot.

In the 2003 elections, Tony Pelton was re-elected, but Brian Smith was not. In 2005, Christine Allerston became Mayor of Bridlington for a year; however, she stood down before the 2007 local elections in which her husband Ray Allerston was re-elected and made Mayor and David Metcalf picked up the vacant seat. All three Aberavon councillors remained in place, with Anthony Taylor becoming local mayor. However, Tony Pelton in Tunstall stood down before the 2007 locals, ending SDP representation there. Jackie Foster was elected to Bridlington town council in 2008.

In 2012, Councillors Dinham and Sullivan lost their seats in Aberavon, leaving only Anthony Taylor in position. David Metcalf stepped down in early 2014, owing to ill-health. He died soon afterward. This left just Allerston, Foster and Taylor in post. Ray Allerston died on 16 September 2014.{{cite web |url=http://www.bridlington.gov.uk/index.php?id%3Drayallerston |title=Tribute to Ray Allerston – Bridlington Town Council |access-date=February 7, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141227023636/http://www.bridlington.gov.uk/index.php?id=rayallerston |archive-date=December 27, 2014}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.bridlingtonfreepress.co.uk/news/local/former-bridlington-mayor-ray-allerston-dies-1-6845497|title=Former Bridlington mayor Ray Allerston dies|access-date=2015-02-07|archive-date=2015-02-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150207191135/http://www.bridlingtonfreepress.co.uk/news/local/former-bridlington-mayor-ray-allerston-dies-1-6845497|url-status=live}} A by-election was held in his ward on 27 November which was won by the UK Independence Party (UKIP).{{cite web |url=http://www2.eastriding.gov.uk/council/elections-and-voting/elections/ward-elections/ |title=Ward Elections |access-date=7 February 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141204220636/http://www2.eastriding.gov.uk/council/elections-and-voting/elections/ward-elections/ |archive-date=December 4, 2014}}

The SDP fielded two candidates in the 2015 general election. Jackie Foster remained an SDP councillor on Bridlington Town Council after the 2015 local elections,{{cite web |url=http://www.bridlington.gov.uk/index.php?id=councillors|title=Councillors – Bridlington Town Council |work=bridlington.gov.uk |access-date=2015-02-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150207162536/http://www.bridlington.gov.uk/index.php?id=councillors |archive-date=2015-02-07 |url-status=dead }} but as of 2016 was listed as a Labour councillor. Until May 2017, Anthony Taylor sat on Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council as an independent democrat,{{cite web |url=https://democracy.npt.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=74 |title=Councillor details - Councillor Anthony Taylor: NPT CBC |date=29 August 2021 |access-date=7 February 2015 |archive-date=7 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150207172212/https://democracy.npt.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=74 |url-status=live }} but remained listed on the party website as an SDP councillor.{{cite web |url=http://www.socialdemocraticparty.co.uk/councillors.html |title=Councillors |publisher=Socialdemocraticparty.co.uk |access-date=2017-12-27 |archive-date=2016-08-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160802190941/http://www.socialdemocraticparty.co.uk/councillors.html |url-status=live }}

Solihull's Green Party councillor Mike Sheriden defected to the SDP in August 2015.{{cite news |author=Annette Belcher |url=http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/solihull-green-partys-first-councillor-9872825 |title=Solihull Green Party's first councillor defects |newspaper=Birmingham Mail |date=2015-08-17 |access-date=2017-12-27 |archive-date=2017-12-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171228000508/http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/solihull-green-partys-first-councillor-9872825 |url-status=live }} However, when he stood for re-election as an SDP candidate in May 2016, he lost, receiving only 17 votes.

Six SDP candidates stood in the 2017 general election: one in Glasgow East and five in Sheffield constituencies.{{cite web |title=Social Democratic Party candidates in the 2017 General Election |url=https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/election/parl.2017-06-08/party/party:243/social-democratic-party |access-date=12 May 2017 |archive-date=2018-11-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116052556/https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/election/parl.2017-06-08/party/party:243/social-democratic-party |url-status=live }} The SDP candidates received a total of 469 votes and came last in every constituency.{{cite news |title=Ukip MEP Patrick O'Flynn quits party in protest at growing Tommy Robinson links |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tommy-robinson-ukip-patrick-oflynn-resigns-mep-sdp-gerard-batten-edl-islam-a8653816.html |first=Jon |last=Stone |access-date=27 November 2018 |newspaper=The Independent |date=27 November 2018 |archive-date=27 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181127145453/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tommy-robinson-ukip-patrick-oflynn-resigns-mep-sdp-gerard-batten-edl-islam-a8653816.html |url-status=live }} According to accounts filed with the Electoral Commission, in 2017 the party—before its present financial growth—had a total income of £2,095.{{cite web |title=Statement of Accounts (Yearly), 2017 Party name: Social Democratic Party |url=http://search.electoralcommission.org.uk/English/Accounts/ST0018226 |publisher=Electoral Commission |access-date=15 February 2019 |archive-date=7 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407184957/http://search.electoralcommission.org.uk/English/Accounts/ST0018226 |url-status=live }}

In January 2018, Kevin Hickson, former leader of Crewe Town Council, joined the SDP.http://www.sdpuk.nationbuilder/kevin_hickson {{Dead link|date=March 2022}} In an article published in the Crewe Chronicle,{{citation needed|date=June 2019}} Hickson, who represented Crewe East on the town council, stated that he left Labour because of growing unease with that party's "almost daily changes" on Brexit policy. He went on to say that the SDP "combines centre left policies on the economy and the welfare state with a firm commitment to implement the will of the people on Brexit, reclaiming sovereignty over money, laws, borders and trade". Hickson is a senior lecturer in Politics at the University of Liverpool{{cite web |url=https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/politics/staff/kevin-hickson/ |title=Kevin Hickson |publisher=University of Liverpool |date=2013-02-18 |access-date=2018-11-27 |archive-date=2018-11-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181127151946/https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/politics/staff/kevin-hickson/ |url-status=live }} and a former Labour parliamentary candidate.{{Cite web |title=Kevin Hickson Labour Parliamentary Candidacy for East Yorkshire |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Yorkshire_(UK_Parliament_constituency)#Elections_in_the_2010s |website=Wikipedia |access-date=2022-12-24 |archive-date=2022-09-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929090902/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Yorkshire_(UK_Parliament_constituency)#Elections_in_the_2010s |url-status=live }}{{Circular reference|date=September 2023}} He became the party chairman, until being replaced by Paula Watson in January 2020.

William Clouston became leader of the SDP in 2018, and was re-elected by 89% of ballots returned by members in March 2020.SDP Leadership Election Result (13 March 2020) SDP Party Secretary He was a member of the original party in the 1980s and remained with the "continuing" SDP after the merger with the Liberal Party. He was a Conservative councillor on Tynedale District Council from 1999 to 2003{{cite web |title=William Clouston |date=16 September 2021 |url=https://sdp.org.uk/people/william-clouston/ |publisher=SDP |access-date=20 December 2022 |archive-date=20 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221220172405/https://sdp.org.uk/people/william-clouston/ |url-status=live }} and is chairman of Corbridge Parish Council.{{cite web | url=http://www.corbridge.ukpc.net/your-council/ | title=Your Council – Corbridge Parish Council | access-date=2022-12-19 | archive-date=2022-12-19 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221219215703/http://www.corbridge.ukpc.net/your-council/ | url-status=live }}

Patrick O'Flynn, Member of the European Parliament for East of England, defected from the UK Independence Party (UKIP) to join the SDP in November 2018. He cited UKIP leader Gerard Batten's appointment of Tommy Robinson as an adviser as a key reason for his departure from the party. In April 2019, O'Flynn stated that the SDP would not be standing in the 2019 European Parliament election.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00042j9 "09/04/2019"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190407030201/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00042j9 |date=2019-04-07 }}. Newsnight. BBC2. 9 April 2019. "As a representative of the SDP, a party that's not contesting the European elections [...]".

In March 2019, the political journalist, Rod Liddle announced he had joined the party.

The SDP won a non-parish council seat at election for the first time since 2003 when Wayne Dixon was elected in the 2022 Leeds City Council election.{{Cite web|url=https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/leeds-local-election-results-labour-23888256|title=Labour sees victory on local election day in Leeds|first=Sebastian|last=McCormick|date=May 6, 2022|website=LeedsLive|access-date=May 11, 2022|archive-date=May 6, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220506172227/https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/leeds-local-election-results-labour-23888256|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/politics/local-elections-2022-sdp-wins-first-council-seat-in-leeds-for-34-years-in-shock-result-3683790|title=Local elections 2022: SDP wins first council seat in Leeds for 34 years in shock result|website=www.yorkshirepost.co.uk|date=6 May 2022|access-date=11 May 2022|archive-date=12 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220512230912/https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/politics/local-elections-2022-sdp-wins-first-council-seat-in-leeds-for-34-years-in-shock-result-3683790|url-status=live}} Dixon was elected to Leeds City Council for Middleton Park and has a majority of 14%.{{cite web |url=https://www.leeds.gov.uk/your-council/elections/leeds-city-council-election-results |title=Leeds City Council election results |author= |date=6 May 2022 |website=Leeds.gov.uk |publisher=Leeds City Council |access-date=6 May 2022 |quote= |archive-date=6 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220506222414/https://www.leeds.gov.uk/your-council/elections/leeds-city-council-election-results |url-status=live }} The party gained a second non-parish council seat later that year in October 2022, when Richard Bright, a Conservative Party councillor for Derbyshire Dales District Council, defected to the party.{{Cite web|url=https://sdp.org.uk/2022/10/03/conservative-councillor-joins-the-sdp/|title=CONSERVATIVE COUNCILLOR JOINS THE SDP|website=www.sdp.org.uk|date=3 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221023154311/https://sdp.org.uk/2022/10/03/conservative-councillor-joins-the-sdp/| archive-date=23 October 2022}}

On 22 October 2022, the Social Democratic Party announced a general election pact with the right-wing Reform UK. The deal includes both parties standing aside for each other in certain constituencies and both parties standing under a joint branding of "Reform UK & The Social Democratic Party (SDP)" in over a dozen seats in South Yorkshire for the 2024 United Kingdom general election.{{cite web |date=22 October 2022 |title=Reform UK and SDP agree general election pact |url=https://sdp.org.uk/2022/10/22/reform-uk-and-sdp-agree-general-election-pact/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221022144652/https://sdp.org.uk/2022/10/22/reform-uk-and-sdp-agree-general-election-pact/ |archive-date=22 October 2022 |access-date=23 October 2022 |website=SDP}}

At the 2023 local elections, SDP councillor Richard Bright lost his seat to the Conservative Party candidate at the Derbyshire Dales Elections, placing third with 19% of the vote in Hulland.{{cite web |title=Elections results service |url=https://www.derbyshiredales.gov.uk/your-council/news-and-social-media/latest-news/elections-results-service |website=Derbyshire Dales District Council |date=5 May 2023 |access-date=5 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230505223444/https://www.derbyshiredales.gov.uk/your-council/news-and-social-media/latest-news/elections-results-service |archive-date=5 May 2023}} The SDP won a second council seat on Leeds City Council at the Leeds elections, with Emma Pogson-Golden gaining Middleton Park with 1,985 votes.{{cite web |title=Local election 2023: Full Leeds City Council results for every ward as count confirms who has been elected |url=https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/politics/council/local-election-2023-full-leeds-city-council-results-for-every-ward-as-count-confirms-who-has-been-elected-4131711 |website=Yorkshire Evening Post |last=Morris |first=Georgina |date=5 May 2023 |access-date=5 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230505231344/https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/politics/council/local-election-2023-full-leeds-city-council-results-for-every-ward-as-count-confirms-who-has-been-elected-4131711 |archive-date=5 May 2023}}

File:Social Democratic Party contested seats at GE2024.svg.]]

The party contested the 2024 London mayoral election with candidate Amy Gallagher, an NHS nurse who took legal action against the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.{{Cite web |last=Vickers |first=Noah |date=2024-01-10 |title=Nurse and property broker announce London mayoral election bids |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/london-mayoral-election-candidates-amy-gallagher-sdp-shyam-batra-independent-b1131483.html |access-date=2024-01-10 |website=Evening Standard |language=en}} Policies the party campaigned on included opposition to "woke ideology" by pledging to "defund woke projects" in order to increase spending on policing and transport, abolishing ULEZ, and tackling violent crime.{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Joanna |date=2024-02-07 |title='Londoners deserve a new kind of politics' |url=https://www.spiked-online.com/2024/02/07/londoners-deserve-a-new-kind-of-politics/ |access-date=2024-05-05 |website=Spiked |language=en}} Gallagher won 34,449 votes, coming seventh with a 1.4% share of the total.{{Cite news |title=London Mayor election results |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2024/england/mayors/E12000007 |access-date=2024-05-05 |language=en}}

The SDP won a third seat on Leeds City Council, with Rob Chesterfield gaining 1,882 votes in Middleton Park ward and defeating sitting Labour councillor Sharon Burke.{{Cite web |last=Morton |first=Jeremy |date=2024-05-03 |title=SDP win again in Middleton Park |url=https://southleedslife.com/sdp-win-again-in-middleton-park/ |access-date=2024-05-05 |website=South Leeds Life |language=en}}

SDP candidate David Bettney gained 20,835 votes in the South Yorkshire mayoral election, coming last with 7.6% of the total.{{Cite web |last=Coyle |first=Simon |date=2024-05-02 |title=South Yorkshire mayoral election 2024 results in full |url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/south-yorkshire-mayoral-election-2024-29041137 |access-date=2024-05-05 |website=Manchester Evening News |language=en}} A former soldier who served in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan, Bettney campaigned on tackling homelessness, boosting manufacturing in the region, reopening Doncaster airport and working with disadvantaged teenagers to reduce crime.{{Cite web |date=2024-04-24 |title=South Yorkshire mayor candidate: David Bettney |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cle03vp08peo |access-date=2024-05-05 |website=BBC |language=en}}

The SDP stood in 122 constituencies in the 2024 United Kingdom general election including the journalist Rod Liddle. The party campaigned on a manifesto titled 'Homecoming' which pledged to put "family, neighbourhood and nation" front and centre. According to BBC News, "major themes of the launch and the manifesto included reindustrialisation and renationalisation." As part of the electoral pact with Reform UK (announced in 2022), the two parties stood aside for each other in six constituencies and over a dozen candidates stood under a joint Reform-SDP banner. The SDP candidates received a total of 33,811 votes. Two candidates, Daniel Whetstone in Leeds South and Dave Bettney in Doncaster North, retained their deposits. Bettney was the best performing candidate, coming in third place and receiving 6.9% of the vote share.

The SDP's 2022 accounts show income of £52,208, of which 51% was from donations, 38% from membership, and 11% from income associated with a party conference.{{cite web|url=https://search.electoralcommission.org.uk/Api/Accounts/Documents/24970|title=Social Democratic Party Statement of Accounts 2022|accessdate=5 July 2024|work=Electoral Commission}}

As of July 2024, all of the party's recent declared donations have been from Kathy Bushell (£35,000 in 2024 and £20,000 in 2022),{{cite web|url=https://search.electoralcommission.org.uk/English/Donations/C0575513|title=Donation details|accessdate=5 July 2024|work=Electoral Commission}}{{cite web|url=https://search.electoralcommission.org.uk/English/Donations/C0562499|title=Donation details|accessdate=5 July 2024|work=Electoral Commission}} a candidate for the party in the 2022 local elections and the 2024 general election.{{cite web|url=https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/person/89608/kathy-bushell|title=Kathy Bushell|accessdate=5 July 2024|work=Who Can I Vote For?}}

The SDP's leader, William Clouston has described it as a party of the "conservative left". The party formally declared its principles in its "New Declaration" of October 2018.{{cite web|url=https://sdp.org.uk/new-declaration/|title=New Declaration|last=SDP|website=SDP|access-date=2019-04-04|archive-date=2019-04-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404044105/https://sdp.org.uk/new-declaration/|url-status=live}}{{Third-party inline|date=April 2023}} The party has been variously characterised as a combination of "a left-leaning economic programme with moderate cultural conservatism",{{cite web |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2024/01/conservative-paradox-john-gray |title=The conservative paradox |date=31 January 2024 |first=John |last=Gray |author-link=John Gray (philosopher) |website=New Statesman |quote="William Clouston’s Social Democratic party has married a left-leaning economic programme with moderate cultural conservatism."}} "cultural conservatism with a left-wing economic agenda", "economically left" and "culturally traditional",{{cite web |url=https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/uk-election-live-coverage/ |title=UK Election: Labour Landslide, Sunak Concedes, Farage Enters Parliament |date=5 July 2024 |first=Michael |last=Curzon |website=The European Conservative |quote="The economically left, culturally traditional Social Democratic Party republished its 2024 election broadcast today, which can also be watched here."}} or as representing those with "economically left-wing but culturally right-wing" views.{{cite web |author-link=Joanna Williams (author) |first=Joanna |last=Williams |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/forgotten-party-is-a-home-for-frustrated-voters-f9djhxgdq |website=The Times |date=10 October 2022 |quote="When pushed into political boxes, many citizens express views that might be considered economically left-wing but culturally right-wing, but no major party occupies this space... The party leading the way with new politics and new thinking today is, ironically, the rather old Owenite SDP." |title=Forgotten party is a home for frustrated voters}} Eric Kaufmann has compared SDP to Paul Embery and Blue Labour, arguing that the party is similar to Blue Labour in terms of political beliefs and ideological positioning.{{cite web |url=https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/rebirth-left-conservative-tradition |first=Eric |last=Kaufmann |author-link=Eric Kaufmann |date=16 June 2020 |website=Tablet |title=The Rebirth of the Left-Conservative Tradition}}

The SDP opposes net-zero emissions, supports gas fracking, wants to encourage exploration in North Sea oil and gas, and accelerate new permits for oil and gas exploration.{{cite web |title= Energy & Utilities |url= https://sdp.org.uk/policies/energy-utilities/ |website= Social Democratic Party |access-date= 25 January 2025}}

The SDP's orientation is Eurosceptic, supporting Brexit.{{cite web |title=Forgotten party is a home for frustrated voters |last=Williams |first=Joanna |url=https://www.thetimes.com/comment/article/forgotten-party-is-a-home-for-frustrated-voters-f9djhxgdq |website=The Times |date=10 October 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20221010205422/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/forgotten-party-is-a-home-for-frustrated-voters-f9djhxgdq |archive-date=10 October 2022}} While the founders of the original SDP in 1981 were pro-EEC, the continuing SDP voted against the concept of a United States of Europe at its conference at Scarborough in 1989 and the 1990 party's Eurosceptic position developed from there. In March 2019, the party advocated the UK leaving the European Union on WTO terms in the absence of a better deal on offer.[https://sdp.org.uk/policies/brexit/ "Brexit"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323081610/https://sdp.org.uk/policies/brexit/ |date=2019-03-23 }} As of November 2019, the party supported the latest iteration of the withdrawal agreement.William Clouston on LBC, 18 November 2019

The SDP's stance on the economy claims to be centre-left, advocating a social market economy. It balances a commitment to enterprise and the market with support for greater progressivity in the tax code, substantial increases in the council housing stock, protection of legal aid, changes to the roll out of Universal Credit and renationalising utilities and the railways.{{cite web|url=https://sdp.org.uk/policies/|title=POLICIES|last=SDP|website=SDP|access-date=2019-03-23|archive-date=2019-03-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323081620/https://sdp.org.uk/policies/|url-status=live}}{{Third-party inline|date=April 2023}} Its main economic postulates also include a large-scale programme of council house building, implementation of a national care service, increasing the funding of the NHS, establishing a 'national living wage', and increasing the state's role in the British economy by restricting marketisation and outsourcing.{{cite web |url=https://www.spiked-online.com/2019/09/27/liberals-dont-understand-the-importance-of-the-nation/ |title=‘Liberals don’t understand the importance of the nation’ |date=27 September 2019 |first=Fraser |last=Myers |website=Spiked}}

On housing, the SDP wants to build 100,000 social homes per year under a "British Housing Corporation", with subsidiary "County Housing Corporations".{{Cite web |title=Housing - SDP |url=https://sdp.org.uk/policies/housing/ |access-date=2022-11-28 |archive-date=2022-11-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221128163652/https://sdp.org.uk/policies/housing/ |url-status=live }}{{Third-party inline|date=April 2023}} These "CHCs" would have substantial powers, being able to issue Compulsory Purchase Orders and having the ability to grant themselves planning permission. They would also take on all existing social housing from their respective local authorities.{{Third-party inline|date=April 2023}}

The party would also introduce "a moratorium on buy-to-let mortgages" in order to re-balance the housing market in favour of young first-time buyers.{{Third-party inline|date=April 2023}} To combat negligence in the rented sector, the SDP would introduce a "Conditions Certificate", likened to a "housing MOT", without which rent collection on the uncertified property would be illegal. The SDP vowed to "reindustrialise" the UK, advocating a £10bn yearly investment into domestic manufacturing in order to reduce regional wealth disparities. It also proposes full sharing of tax allowances between children-raising couples, where the first £25,000 would be free of taxation.

The party supports restrictions on imported agricultural products, using a slogan "cheap food is very expensive". The party claims that while imported food appears cheap, it damages British agriculture and results in deteriorating public health, degrading fields, rivers and wildlife of the British countryside, and rural flight. The SDP proposes establishing charter co-operatives and regional marketing boards that would provide for 'small-scale producers', as well as a regulatory body for supermarkets that would clamp down on practices that are disadvantaging domestic farmers. It also calls for a state-provided affordable housing for farm workers, and for a ban on the routine use of antibiotics, TV and online advertisement of junk food, and of food imports that do not meet the environmental and animal welfare standards of the UK.{{cite web |url=https://unherd.com/2024/03/britains-farmers-need-to-revolt/ |title=Britain’s farmers need to revolt Both Labour and the Tories have betrayed rural voters |date=11 March 2024 |first=Ben |last=Cobley |website=UnHerd}}

The SDP supports marginal reductions in aid spending, in its view made possible by more effective use of the aid budget. It proposes that the Department for International Development be absorbed into a new Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade which would ensure a greater alignment of aid and UK foreign policy interests. The SDP has criticised past UK efforts to "impose liberal democracy on complex societies in the Middle East".{{Third-party inline|date=April 2023}}

The SDP supports NATO and maintaining a minimum of 2% of GDP on defence. It would maintain and update Britain's nuclear deterrent and increase the size of the UK armed forces. It would complete the aircraft carrier programme and related air and naval investment to make and keep HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales fully operational. It supports increased spending on Intelligence to combat terrorism and cyber-warfare as a proportion of the overall defence budget. For veterans, it would increase their housing priority and create tax incentives for business to employ veterans.{{Third-party inline|date=April 2023}}

The SDP believes the tax and benefits system should offer "greater protection and support for family life". Couples raising children together (comprising a basic rate tax payer and a non tax payer) would benefit from full sharing of tax allowances under the party's proposals. Moreover, government policy in all domains would be subject to a basic test as to "whether it is supportive of the family as the fundamental foundation of society".{{Third-party inline|date=April 2023}} The party also supports giving a preference to "married families" in regards to council housing and social housing.{{cite web |title= Family |url= https://sdp.org.uk/policies/family/ |website= Social Democratic Party |access-date= 25 January 2025}} In its programmatic declaration, the SDP pledges to prioritise "family, neighbourhood and nation", arguing that the UK is affected by an "epidemic of family breakdown" where "a British 16-year-old is more likely to have a screen in their room than a father in the house".

The party has a strong stance on reducing immigration, stating that "A return to moderate, controlled migration for a sustained period [...] would be beneficial. It would result in a less divided, more socially harmonious and more prosperous Britain."{{Cite web |title=Immigration - SDP |date=12 January 2022 |url=https://sdp.org.uk/policies/immigration/ |access-date=2022-11-28 |archive-date=2022-11-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221128163655/https://sdp.org.uk/policies/immigration/ |url-status=live }}{{Third-party inline|date=April 2023}}

The party advocates a points-based immigration system which is "skills-based, needs-based, legal and subject to democratic control" and wants to contain net immigration to fewer than 50,000 per year.{{Third-party inline|date=April 2023}} They outline a zero-tolerance policy for illegal immigration, with asylum seekers who use illegal routes being repatriated immediately, or detained offshore for later repatriation. On "genuine refugees", their policy is to allow 20,000 visas per year for "carefully vetted families with children in UN refugee camps or near major conflict zones".{{Third-party inline|date=April 2023}}

The SDP's policy on transgender rights allows for a person to change their legal sex, subject to "medical gatekeeping". They oppose changes of legal gender by self-identification alone.{{Cite web |title=Transgender & Biological Sex-Based Rights - SDP |url=https://sdp.org.uk/policies/transgender-and-biological-sex-based-rights/ |access-date=2022-11-28 |archive-date=2022-11-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221110095454/https://sdp.org.uk/policies/transgender-and-biological-sex-based-rights/ |url-status=live }} The party supports biological sex-based segregation in sport, women's refuges and prisons.{{Third-party inline|date=April 2023}}

The SDP supports healthcare spending for treatment of gender dysphoria, in both psychological and physiological forms, but stipulates that no physical treatments, including hormones, should be allowed for under-18s.{{Third-party inline|date=April 2023}} Clouston stated that while gender dysphoria is a real issue, it "doesn’t mean that you can acquire rights and you can trample on sex-based rights."

• Jack Holmes (1990–1991)
• John Bates (1991–2008)
• Peter Johnson (2008–2018)
• William Clouston (2018–present)

{{main|Social Democratic Party (UK, 1990–present) election results}}

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• {{official website}}
• [https://sdp.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/SDP-Constitution-and-Rule-Book-2020.pdf SDP Constitution and Party Rulebook (PDF)]

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