Editing Limehouse Declaration

{{Short description|British political manifesto (1981)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

The '''Limehouse Declaration''' was a statement issued on 25 January 1981 by four senior [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] politicians, all [[Member of Parliament|MP]]s or former MPs and [[Cabinet Ministers]]: [[Roy Jenkins]], [[David Owen]], [[Bill Rodgers, Baron Rodgers of Quarry Bank|Bill Rodgers]] and [[Shirley Williams]].<ref name="bbc 2011">{{cite news|newspaper=BBC News | title= The legacy of the SDP's Gang of Four | url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12170121 | date= January 12, 2011 | last=Ley | first= Shaun }}</ref> It became known as the Limehouse Declaration as it was made near David Owen's [[London]] home in [[Limehouse]].<ref name="bbc 2011"/> The four were known as the [[Gang of Four (SDP)|Gang of Four]].

The opening paragraph of the declaration indicates that it was triggered by decisions taken at the Labour Party conference in January 1981.
{{blockquote|The calamitous outcome of the Labour Party Wembley conference demands a new start in British politics. A handful of trade union leaders can now dictate the choice of a future Prime Minister.|title=''The Limehouse Declaration'' (opening)<ref>{{cite news|last1=Williams|first1=Shirley|last2=Owen|first2=David|last3=Rodgers|first3=Bill|last4=Jenkins|first4=Roy|title=Why Gang of Four Set Up New Council|work=The Guardian|date=26 January 1981|page=2}}</ref>}}

In this document, the so-called 'Gang of Four' signalled their intent to leave the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] and form a Council for [[Social Democracy]], as they felt the party had been taken over by the left-wing members.<ref name="guardian">{{cite news|newspaper=The Guardian|title=Looking back on Limehouse| date=January 21, 2006 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2006/jan/21/labour.liberaldemocrats}}</ref> This Council became the basis for the British [[Social Democratic Party (UK)|Social Democratic Party]] (SDP).

The declaration was launched on [[Limehouse Cut#National politics|a small bridge]] on [[Narrow Street]], [[Limehouse]]. Organisation was last-minute, with [[Matthew Oakeshott]] being sent to the [[Savoy Hotel]] to make photocopies of the statement, and visiting the flat of Shirley Williams to find appropriate clothes for her to wear at the press call.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Roy Jenkins- A well Rounded Life|last=Campbell|first=John|publisher=Jonathan Cape|year=2014|isbn=978-0-224-08750-6|pages=558–9}}</ref>

The four stated that they would soon produce an initial list of politicians and others who would support the new Council for Social Democracy.<ref name="Herald26Jan81">{{cite news|last1=Russell|first1=William|title=Gang of Three to form Social Democracy Group|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=GGgVawPscysC&dat=19810126&printsec=frontpage&hl=en|access-date=20 February 2019|work=The Glasgow Herald|date=26 January 1981}}</ref> At this point the 'Gang of Three' (Williams, Rodgers and Owen) had not yet left the Labour Party, but Williams admitted that "almost inevitably" they would take this step. However Williams, whom ''The [[Glasgow Herald]]'' considered  to be the new group's "greatest asset as far as public appeal is concerned",  was reported to want to delay the formal split until after [[1981 United Kingdom local elections|the local elections in May]] in order to avoid upsetting Labour moderates whose support they hoped to win.<ref name="Herald26Jan81"/>

One week later, on 5 February 1981, an advertisement was published in ''[[The Guardian]]'' under the name of the Council for Social Democracy announcing that they had received 8,000 individual messages of support. The advertisement listed one hundred of their names, which included thirteen former Labour MPs, four of whom had been cabinet ministers including [[Lord George-Brown]], former [[Deputy Leader of the Labour Party (UK)|Deputy Leader of the Labour Party]].<ref name="hundred">{{cite news|title=Advertisement - Council for Social Democracy|work=The Guardian|date=5 February 1981|page=3}} Reproduced in {{cite web|title=5 February 1981: Support for the SDP|url=https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/from-the-archive-blog/2011/jun/03/guardian190-sdp-ad-1981|website=From the archive blog|publisher=The Guardian|access-date=9 September 2017|date=3 June 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Alan|last=Rusbridger|author-link=Alan Rusbridger|title=Academics and Councillors Dominate Gang of 100|work=The Guardian|date=5 February 1981|page=2}}</ref>

== The Gang of Four ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! width=150|Name<br /><small>(Birth–Death)</small>
! Portrait
! Constituency
! Previous Office(s)
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|[[Roy Jenkins]]<br /><small>(1920–2003)</small>
| [[File:Roy Jenkins 1977b.jpg|60px]]
| [[Glasgow Hillhead]] <small>(from March 1982)</small>
| [[Deputy Leader of the Labour Party (UK)|Deputy Leader of the Labour Party]] <small>(1970–1972)</small><br />[[Chancellor of the Exchequer]] <small>(1967–1970)</small><br />[[Home Secretary]] <small>(1965–1967, 1974–1976)</small><br />[[Minister of Aviation]] <small>(1964–1965)</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|[[David Owen]]<br /><small>(1938–)</small>
| [[File:David Owen-1.jpg|60px]]
| [[Plymouth Devonport]]
| [[Foreign Secretary (United Kingdom)|Foreign Secretary]] <small>(1977–1979)</small><br />Minister of State for Foreign Affairs <small>(1976–1977)</small><br />Minister of State for Health and Social Security <small>(1974–1976)</small><br />Under-Secretary of State for the Navy <small>(1968–1970)</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|[[Bill Rodgers, Baron Rodgers of Quarry Bank|Bill Rodgers]]<br /><small>(1928–)</small>
| [[File: Official portrait of Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank crop 2.jpg|60px]]
| [[Stockton-on-Tees (UK Parliament constituency)|Stockton-on-Tees]]
| [[Transport Secretary]] <small>(1976–1979)</small><br />Minister of State for Defence <small>(1974–1976)</small><br />Minister of State for the Treasury <small>(1969–1970)</small><br />Minister of State for Trade <small>(1968–1969)</small><br />Under-Secretary of State for Economic Affairs <small>(1964–1967)</small><br />Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs <small>(1967–1968)</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|[[Shirley Williams]]<br /><small>(1930–2021)</small>
| [[File:Shirley Williams, 1984.jpg|60px]]
| [[Crosby (UK Parliament constituency)|Crosby]] <small>(from November 1981)</small>
| [[Secretary of State for Education|Education Secretary]] and [[Paymaster General]] <small>(1976–1979)</small><br />[[Department of Prices and Consumer Protection|Prices and Consumer Secretary]] <small>(1974–1976)</small><br />Minister of State of Home Affairs <small>(1969–1970)</small><br />Minister of State for Education and Science <small>(1967–1969)</small><br />Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Housing and Local Government <small>(1966–1967)</small>
|-
|}

== The list of 100 ==
Below is the list of 100 Council of Social Democracy supporters whose names were published in the ''[[The Guardian|Guardian]]'' advertisement of 5 February 1981:<ref name="hundred"/>
{{Div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Austen Albu]], former Labour MP
* George Apter, company director
* [[Michael Barnes (British politician)|Michael Barnes]], former Labour MP
* Peter Birkby, Chair, [[Bradford West]] [[constituency Labour party]] (CLP)
* [[Richard Buchanan (politician)|Dick Buchanan]], former Labour MP
* [[Lord Bullock]], [[crossbench]] peer and historian
* Philip Burgess, university teacher
* Tyrrell Burgess, educationalist
* [[Alec Cairncross]], economist
* George Canning, former Labour Lord Mayor of [[Birmingham]]
* [[John Cannon (historian)|John Cannon]], historian
* D. L. Carey-Evans, farmer
* [[Charles Frederick Carter|Charles Carter]], former university [[vice-chancellor]]
* Jim Cattermole, former Labour regional organiser
* [[Frank Chapple]], General Secretary, [[EETPU]]
* Ann Coulson, former Labour councillor, [[Birmingham City Council]]
* Danny Crawford, President, [[UCATT]]
* [[Frederick Dainton]], scientist
* Jim Daly, former Labour [[Greater London Council]] committee chair
* Richard Davies, administrator
* [[Edmund Dell]], former Labour MP and [[Cabinet of the United Kingdom|Cabinet]] minister
* [[Jack Diamond, Baron Diamond|Lord Diamond]], Labour peer and former Cabinet minister
* [[Jack Donaldson, Baron Donaldson of Kingsbridge|Lord Donaldson of Kingsbridge]], Labour peer and former government minister
* Douglas Eden, polytechnic lecturer and co-founder, [[Social Democratic Alliance (UK)|Social Democratic Alliance]] (SDA)
* [[Geraint Evans]], opera singer
* Eddie Fineran, member, [[ASTMS]]
* [[Jean Floud]], social scientist
* [[Lord Flowers]], crossbench peer and physicist
* John Frears, Labour councillor, [[Leicestershire County Council]]
* Paul Genney, Secretary, [[Great Grimsby (UK Parliament constituency)|Great Grimsby]] CLP
* [[Lord George-Brown]], former Labour MP and Deputy Leader, and Cabinet minister
* [[George Godber]], former [[Chief Medical Officer (United Kingdom)|Chief Medical Officer]] for England and Wales
* John Godfrey, university lecturer
* Celia Goodhart, school teacher
* [[William Goodhart]], barrister
* [[Frank Hahn]], economist
* [[William Hannan|Willie Hannan]], former Labour MP
* [[Stephen Haseler]], polytechnic lecturer and co-founder, SDA
* Eric W. Hawkins, university professor
* Michael Hughes, Secretary, [[Ceredigion (UK Parliament constituency)|Cardigan]] CLP
* Sydney Jacobs, former Labour agent and councillor, [[Liverpool City Council]]
* [[Jeffrey Jowell]], barrister
* [[Anthony Lester]], barrister
* Clive Lindley, businessman
* [[Evan Luard]], former Labour MP
* [[Kenneth Lomas]], former Labour MP
* [[Norman MacKenzie (journalist)|Norman MacKenzie]], journalist and author
* Anne Mallet, university lecturer
* [[David Marquand]], former Labour MP
* Robert McCullagh, former Labour [[prospective parliamentary candidate|PPC]]
* Alec McGivan, Secretary, [[Campaign for Labour Victory]] (CLV)
* [[James Meade]], economist
* [[Stephen Mennell]], sociologist
* Anne Mitchell, school teacher
* Joan Mitchell, economist
* [[John Morgan (British journalist)|John Morgan]], writer and broadcaster
* [[Norman Morris]], obstetrician and gynaecologist
* Huw Morris-Jones, university professor
* William Mowbray, former President, [[Scottish TUC]]
* [[Leslie Murphy (businessman)|Leslie Murphy]], businessman
* Richard Murray, former Labour PPC
* Angela Newton, former Labour councillor, [[South Holland District Council]]
* [[Julia Neuberger]], rabbi
* Hilda Nickson, Officer, [[North Norfolk (UK Parliament constituency)|North Norfolk]] CLP
* [[David Pannick]], barrister
* [[Walter Perry|Lord Perry of Walton]], crossbench peer and former university vice-chancellor
* [[Colin Phipps]], former Labour MP
* John Pick, engineer
* Frank Pickstock, former Labour Lord Mayor of Oxford
* [[Usha Prashar]], social administrator
* [[Sir Frank Price|Frank Price]], former Labour Lord Mayor of Birmingham
* [[Steve Race]], composer and pianist
* Dora Radcliffe, member, [[Bebington and Ellesmere Port (UK Parliament constituency)|Bebington]] CLP
* [[Michael Rawlins]], pharmacologist
* John Riches, school headteacher
* John Rickarby, branch Chair, [[Lowestoft (UK Parliament constituency)|Lowestoft]] CLP
* [[Eirlys Roberts]], consumer rights campaigner
* [[Kenneth Robinson (British politician)|Kenneth Robinson]], former Labour MP and Cabinet minister
* Kirby Robinson, Treasurer, [[Newcastle upon Tyne East (UK Parliament constituency)|Newcastle East]] CLP
* [[David Sainsbury]], businessman
* [[Alan Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury|Lord Sainsbury]], Labour peer and businessman
* [[Anthony Sampson]], author and broadcaster
* Jack Service, General Secretary, [[CSEU]]
* Keith Smith, Scottish Organiser, CLV
* Robert Souhami, physician 
* [[Janet Suzman]], actress
* [[Dick Taverne]], former Labour and [[Democratic Labour Party (UK, 1972)|Democratic Labour]] MP
* [[Clem Thomas]], rugby journalist and former [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal]] parliamentary candidate
* Stuart Thompstone, former Secretary, [[Newark (UK Parliament constituency)|Newark]] CLP
* Lady Thomson of Monifieth
* [[Polly Toynbee]], journalist
* [[Barbara Ward, Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth]], crossbench peer and economist
* Jack Watson, Secretary, [[Argyll (UK Parliament constituency)|Argyll]] CLP
* Clive Wilkinson, Leader, Birmingham City Council
* [[Philip Maynard Williams|Philip Williams]], political historian and biographer of [[Hugh Gaitskell]]
* Peter Wilson, Labour councillor, [[Lothian Regional Council#Governance|Lothian Regional Council]]
* Ian Wright, President, [[Cambridge Students' Union]] 
* [[Lord Young of Dartington]], Labour peer and sociologist
* [[Wayland Young, 2nd Baron Kennet]], Labour peer and author
* [[Michael Zander]], legal scholar
{{div col end}}

== Cultural references ==
The events leading up to the declaration were the basis of the play ''[[Limehouse (play)|Limehouse]]'' by [[Steve Waters]] at the [[Donmar Warehouse]].

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* [https://www.markpack.org.uk/17650/limehouse-declaration-anniversary/ Text of the declaration]

{{Liberal Democrats (UK)|state=collapsed}}

[[Category:1981 in British politics]]
[[Category:Politics of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Political manifestos]]
[[Category:Social Democratic Party (UK)]]
[[Category:1981 in politics]]
[[Category:History of the Labour Party (UK)]]
[[Category:Limehouse]]
[[Category:1981 documents]]
[[Category:January 1981 in Europe]]