Following the largest group defection from the Labour Party since 1931, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) was launched on the 26 March 1981 under the collective leadership of the "Gang of Four":- Roy Jenkins, Shirley Williams, David Owen, and Bill Rodgers. The first meeting of the SDP Scottish Liaison Committee took place on the 7 June 1981 . The Regional Committee became known as the SDP Council for Scotland . It had the power to summon consultative assemblies for discussion and submission of issues of special concern to Scotland to the National Policy Sub-Committee. The first meeting of this Council took place on 22 January 1983. The Scottish Council also co-ordinated the activities of the Scottish area parties. Despite winning with the Liberal Party a quarter of the vote in two general elections, infighting between the "Jenkinsites" and "Owenites" and acrimony over the issue of merger brought about the end of the SDP in its original form in early 1988 , when by majority vote it merged with the Liberal Party. The continuing SDP lead by David Owen was wound up in May 1990 .
From the guide to the Records of the Social Democratic Party (Scotland), political party, Scotland, 1981-1990, (Glasgow Caledonian University Archives)
