Inside the Alliance

An inside account of the development and prospects of the Liberal-SDP Alliance

There are many examples in the history of British politics of inter-party cooperation or pacts but nothing quite like the Liberal/Social Democratic Alliance. The Alliance sought to change the political landscape itself by replacing the two-party system and the ‘single member - simple majority’ electoral method, with a system of proportional representation.
The Alliance duly declared war on the old parties and threatened to end their unchallenged dominance for ever more. Not surprisingly, the Labour and Conservative Parties retaliated with vigour.
Jeremy Josephs was assistant to David Steel from the inception of the Alliance in 1981. In this book he gives a spirited account of the its formation and development from the Liberal point of view.
A fascinating insider's view, all the more topical with the Cameron/Clegg alliance today.