The Assisted Dying Bill is an affront to democracy
London (5th January 2026) – The SDP recognises Assisted Dying as a conscience issue. However, if it is to be introduced it must be done so humanely, with utmost precaution and with well-funded alternatives in place. To our regret – and in a process that amounts to an affront to democracy – the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill has failed to attain the necessary standard for legislation of this importance.
It is now public knowledge that Labour plotted to make this momentous change behind voters’ backs by abusing the Private Members’ Bill process. As a result of this subterfuge, in place of the thoroughgoing processes on which Government Bills run, they have relied on the inadequate vehicle of a Private Members Bill. It has veered through Parliament with naive drafting, partisan sponsorship, and with reckless disregard for the impact on the values and integrity of the NHS, its staff and wider networks of caring and safeguarding.
Professional associations of those who work in these end-of-life situations and know how vulnerable those affected can be – from elder charities to coroners – have almost unanimously objected to the way this Bill handles the key issues. Their constructive suggestions have been set aside and disregarded.
In place of firm guard rails in law, this Bill leaves far too much to the whim of any existing or future Secretary of State. The extensions to eligibility for Assisted Dying seen in other jurisdictions might arise in Britain at the mere stroke of a Minister’s pen – a bleak and anti-democratic prospect.
The Government must finally accept that this is a wholly inappropriate approach for such a weighty matter. End-of-Life healthcare is a strategic, structural issue, not simply a question of individual autonomy. There is no true choice for individuals so long as the only alternative to early death is the inhumanity and neglect experienced by many senior citizens. This shameful little Bill sheds our social duties and shrugs off responsibility for caring for our most vulnerable fellow citizens. It satisfies neither those who favour nor those who oppose a right to euthanasia.
If Assisted Dying is ever to be brought into law in Britain it must be done so with requisite deliberation, proper consideration and with all of the necessary safeguards in place. The approach chosen and promoted by the government is demonstrably failing to achieve any of these and must be abandoned.
Security Through Partnership: On Greenland and the High North
London (15th January 2026) The continued efforts of the Kingdom of Denmark and the Greenlandic Parliament to accommodate the security concerns of the United States are to be welcomed. As the deployment of Nordic and European allies to Greenland demonstrates, security in the High North must be addressed collectively, through alliance consultation and cooperation.
However, the persistent hostile, disrespectful, and threatening tone projected by the US administration towards Greenland and Denmark obstructs such a collective response. It degrades trust and confidence between allies, weakens the North Atlantic Alliance, and ultimately, harms the interests of all parties, including the United States.
Any attempt to by-pass or coerce the Greenlandic people, undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark, or that of Greenland’s place within it, or to seize Greenland by force, cannot be understood as anything but hostile to both.
It is therefore deeply disappointing that President Trump persists in his use of threatening, hostile statements towards loyal American allies rather than work with them.
Henry Bolton, Party Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, Defence & Security, said:
“We in the SDP are committed to the principles of collective security within the established rules based order, and also to the territorial and sovereign integrity of all democratic countries. I would urge the United States to reassure its friends and allies by re-stating its commitment to the same principles.”
New Party Secretary announced - Aaron Powell
Stephen Balogh, Party Chairperson, writes:
On behalf of the National Co-ordinating Committee, I am delighted to announce the appointment of Aaron Powell as our new Party Secretary. Aaron is based in Worcestershire and has extensive political experience as a councillor in a London borough and, until recently, in Worcestershire, much of that time in cabinet/executive board positions. Professionally, he is a technologist by background and has served in senior positions in a number of larger national organisations. As a newer member of the SDP, he is fully committed to its principles and aims.
Aaron will take up his new role formally on 1st February. We warmly welcome Aaron to the party leadership.
SDP condemns AR7 energy auction outcome
London (18th January 2026) The Social Democratic Party (SDP), the party of the patriotic state, has condemned the recent AR7 energy auctions for failing to meet the country’s urgent need for firm dispatchable capacity to deliver affordable, reliable and predictable energy. Britain’s industry and households will be ever more reliant on intermittent renewables as a result – and poorer with it.
The AR7 round does nothing to change the fundamental facts:
- Record capacity is not the same as energy security. 8.4GW of awarded capacity does not solve Britain’s need for giga-watts of power when needed, not when the wind blows. A renewable-dominant system still requires vast amounts of standby assets and storage which add real, recurring costs to bills.
- Strike prices conceal system and financing costs. Comparing LCOE (the cost of generating electricity) of isolated projects with the full-system cost of running a grid that needs reliability is misleading; the SDP has warned that the current market framework externalises these costs onto consumers and industry, driving up the very prices the government claims to be driving down.
- Budget top-ups and ad-hoc interventions are not a strategy. Raising the Contracts for Difference (CfD) budget to chase capacity is a cosmetic, short-term fix; Britain needs a planned programme of dispatchable capacity and state coordination to cut prices structurally.
The SDP is committed to rapid, state-led delivery of firm capacity. We continue to call for an immediate programme of grid stabilisation via a new fleet of thermal assets, followed by a scalable public nuclear build and the creation of a national energy body to plan, finance and deliver it. This remains the only credible route to restoring low, stable industrial energy prices, and we increasingly see other nations pivoting towards such an essential, common sense approach.
Alastair Mellon, the SDP’s Energy & Industry Spokesperson, said:
“The SDP won’t be seduced by misleading headlines and false statistics. Labour, like the Tories before them, are trading Britain’s prosperity for their own self-righteousness.
“Britain needs cheap, continuous power to revive industry and protect living standards. AR7 may buy megawatts but they can only be delivered when the wind blows – you simply can’t build an industrial base on unreliable power. Without a planned programme of firm capacity and public finance, the British people and British firms will continue to pay a premium for insecurity. The only thing AR7 does on an industrial scale is to mislead the public into believing that Labour has a credible plan.
“The SDP is pushing the Government to implement the ten-year plan set out in our recent ‘Energy Abundance’ Green Paper and create a national energy institution, ‘Central Energy’, that will actually deliver cheap power for the nation.”
SDP accuses Government of Weakening National Security by Approving Chinese Super Embassy
London (20th January 2026) The Social Democratic Party (SDP), the party of the patriotic state, has criticised the Government’s decision today to approve China’s controversial new ‘super embassy’ at Royal Mint Court in central London. This caving in to Beijing undermines Britain’s security posture, damages our most important alliance, and signals weakness to our adversaries at a moment demanding strength.
The approval of this 20,000 square metre complex, set to become the largest Chinese diplomatic mission in Europe, is indefensible given the alarm bells raised by security experts across the board.
Henry Bolton OBE, SDP Defence & Security Spokesperson, said:
“The Government’s decision to approve the Chinese super embassy is unnecessary, and is a capitulation to Chinese economic pressure. It sends entirely the wrong message to our adversaries in the hard and soft power domains, namely Moscow and Washington.
“This is likely to antagonise the United States administration at a time in which we should be reinforcing, not further compromising the NATO alliance, and says a great deal in terms of the timidity and weakness of the current Government.
“The Government has still not responded to legitimate security concerns, and the question as to why this embassy needs to be so incredibly large. What is its true purpose?”
Denton and Gorton By-election, Sebastian Moore announced as SDP candidate.
Manchester, (29th January 2026) – The Social Democratic Party, the party of the patriotic state, today announces Sebastian Moore as its candidate for the Gorton & Denton parliamentary by-election.
Sebastian Moore serves as the SDP’s North West Chair and after spending many years working abroad moved back to the UK in 2022 and made Manchester his home. He previously stood as the party’s candidate in Manchester Central at the 2024 General Election. He has worked in education, volunteers at Burnage food bank and has been instrumental in building the SDP’s presence across the region
Sebastian Moore said:
“I’m standing in this by-election to set out a positive vision for our area and our country. If we want to rebuild Britain, we have to start in places like Gorton and Denton: improving housing, strengthening social cohesion, and creating meaningful work, with communities empowered to drive the change that’s needed. I’m proud to be standing in the city I now call home.”
SDP Leader William Clouston said:
“Sebastian has been tireless in building our party across the North West. He understands the concerns of working people in constituencies like Gorton & Denton – on housing, on jobs, on the cost of living. He provides a serious alternative.”
Adam Williams appointed as Party Spokesperson
Adam Williams has been appointed as an SDP Party Spokesperson by the National Co-ordinating Committee (NCC). Adam is authorised to speak for the party at a national level in association with his remit as Chair of the Young Social Democrats, and also on matters of interest about SDP policy.
Adam will fulfil his role alongside his Campaign Organiser work, in particular supporting the two major Leeds campaigns for the May elections.
Media Appearances
Please find below a list of recent SDP appearances on various channels:
William Clouston
The TaxPayers Alliance - Make or Break Time for the SDP | A Nation of Taxpayers
In the first episode of 2026 - podcast host Duncan Barkes is joined by Will Yarwood of the TPA. Their guest is William Clouston, leader of the Social Democratic Party. William talks about the origins and history of the party and outlines some of their current policies. [share]
SDP Talk - William Clouston interviews Conservative MP Nick Timothy
Video posted on YouTube by Social Democratic Party (SDP) [share]
John Gillam, Thinking Class - Why British Politics Is A Case Study In Governing Against The National Interest & What Is To Be Done
Why does British politics so often appear to work against the long-term national interest? In this episode of Thinking Class, we examine how governance became detached from purpose and what meaningful reform would actually require. [share]
Mike Graham - The Mike Graham Show Tuesday 13th January 2026 (from 1:16:00)
Welcome to the daily live stream of The Mike Graham Show! Broadcasting from London every morning from 7am to 9am. [share]
Stephen Balogh
John Gillam, Thinking Class - How Voters Across Britain & Europe Lost Faith In Democracy
Stephen Balogh is the Chairperson for the @SocialDemocraticParty. Stephen is also active in non-profit and public policy organisations that promote the flourishing of society through the thoughtful application of socially responsible, small-c conservative politics. Following a 30-year business career, he now devotes his time to initiatives aimed at community building from local neighbourhood to international levels, whether by means of social, political or commercial exchange. [share]
Tim Scott, Uncancelled - Stephen Balogh | News Review
Tim Scott and Stephen Balogh of the Social Democratic Party review stories from the news - including censorship in the UK, fat jabs and the joy of snow. A great watch - don't miss it! [share]