The manifesto: A Britain that canRead it, or watch the video. Voting opens 16 November.
Eleanor Rofe
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ManifestoEleanor Rofe10 November 202613 min read

A Britain that can…

  1. …make things, power itself and defend itself.

  2. …act in its own national interest.

  3. …speak freely.

The manifesto at a glance

Created during the leadership election campaign. Not an official SDP communication.

Watch8 min 36

What an SDP future would look like

How Britain became a country that can’t, and what it would take to be a Britain that can. Eight and a half minutes.

The video on its own page

The manifesto at a glance

  1. 01Why I'm standingBritain has become a Britain that can't. The SDP has the philosophy to turn it round, but it's too small. I'm standing to grow it.
  2. 02Five foundationsEnergy, immigration and state competence are holding us back. Rebuilding and education adapt us to the 21st century.
  3. 03What the party needsWhat the party needs to flourish is not so different from what the country needs.
  4. 04Building the machineSix areas that must move forward together, so we can grow fast and sustainably.
  5. 05The road to 202920,000+ members, £5m raised and at least one MP, in three stages that start on Day 1.
  6. 06The teamThe NCC governs, spokespeople speak for the party, and project teams get things done until we can hire.
  7. 07About meTwenty years in communications, £150m raised for companies since 2020, and a festival built on volunteers.
  8. 08The choiceA party that grows a little, or a party that seizes the opportunity.

01

Why I'm standing

Britain has become a Britain that can't. The SDP has the philosophy to turn it round, but it's too small. I'm standing to grow it.

I'm standing because we have no time to waste, neither as a party nor as a country.

When I was growing up, Britain was a place where you could: you could make a home, raise a family, build a career, trust our institutions. People could make a life and believe their children would do better.

But we now live in a Britain that can’t. People can’t find a job, can’t rely on public services, can’t speak freely. We can’t even manage the border.

And now the 'Britain that can't' is heading into some of the biggest challenges most of us will see in our lifetimes. Energy, defence, supply chains and AI are shifting all at once. Even the most blinkered 'liberal world order' devotee is having to admit the world around us is growing less safe and less predictable.

Fixing this won't be easy. But we're in the SDP because we know the old parties can't face up to it. They're still running on 20th-century dogma: Thatcherism, hyperglobalisation, public spending as a cure-all. They're all too busy courting this vote bloc or appeasing that activist faction to go back to first principles and address the source issues. Dogma has taken over from our natural British pragmatism, and the consequences can be seen everywhere.

The SDP has the philosophy to turn this round, but we can't do it as we are. It's just physics. We're too small. We don't yet have the money, the people or the wider organisation to take our ideas to the country.

The time to act is now. We have to bring our ideas, and hope and determination, to the country. We have an astonishingly smart and capable membership. It's time to add far more to our ranks. With a larger party, more members, more candidates, more money, professional communications, stronger regions, we can build A Britain That Can.

  • A Britain that can…

    …make things, power itself and defend itself.

  • A Britain that can…

    …act in its own national interest.

  • A Britain that can…

    …speak freely.

I'm standing to grow this party into a serious electoral force. The SDP will only succeed if it has a leader that knows how to build something, and knows how to gather a team of other experienced people to help her do this.

William Clouston was the man to rebuild this party. I'm the woman to grow it.

02

Five foundations

Energy, immigration and state competence are holding us back. Rebuilding and education adapt us to the 21st century.

These are the five areas of policy I think are the tip of the spear in British politics at the moment.

Energy, immigration and state competence are holding us back. We need to fix these so they are no longer headwinds for our society. Building and education are about adapting ourselves to the 21st century and creating a more prosperous and peaceful future.

Holding us back

Energy

The substrate

Use the North Sea while we have it, and build nuclear for the long term.

Holding us back

Immigration and assimilation

Manage the flows. Then offer a clear cultural identity people can join, and reject what's inimical to it.

Holding us back

State competence

Redesign how things get done: accountability, incentives, planning reform and a legible state.

Adapting us

Rebuilding

Reindustrialisation, housing, defence and AI

Know what we can build here, what the threats are, and how we defend ourselves.

Adapting us

Education and training

Retraining for a changing labour market, and rethinking what children learn, not just how.

Holding us back

Energy

The substrate

Chris Bowden, Energy spokesperson

Everything runs on energy. It heats our homes and runs our businesses, and it decides whether we can make things here and defend ourselves. Currently, it's a drag on all of that, with some of the highest industrial electricity prices in the developed world and a grid system that is on the brink of collapse every time it's cold, grey and windless.

We cannot move forwards without a large dose of realism here about how fractious and unreliable renewables have been.

Because energy should be a booster. That means using the North Sea while we have it and building nuclear for the long term. The party's energy policy is a strong base, and Chris Bowden, who has worked in energy for twenty years, will act as our spokesman.

Holding us back

Immigration and assimilation

Managing flows

Our current immigration policy already addresses some of the key issues around flows, from ending mass immigration altogether, to disincentivising small boats and deporting criminals. You have to manage flows. Indifference to this in our current and previous government has caused problems ranging from growing civil unrest through to groaning infrastructure (housing, schools, the NHS).

Managing multiculturalism

One area we haven't yet covered as a party is assimilation and cultural confidence. We are already seeing 'blank slate multiculturalism' tipping us towards civil unrest and conflict, so we have to address it. We must offer a clear, cultural identity and allow immigrants to become part of that, just as we did in the past. And we have to be courageous enough to reject ideas that are entirely inimical to the cultural settlement we'd arrived at over centuries.

This is a policy that requires the mix of boldness, pragmatism and compassion that the SDP is built for, and it's a key area I'd propose for policy development.

Holding us back

State competence

We are the party of state competence, so this is foundational. At the moment, Britain can't build power stations, control the border, deal with crime or treat sick people well enough.

Projects take decades and cost far more than they should. When things go wrong, nobody is accountable. And too many decisions that belong to Parliament are now outsourced.

So we need to redesign how things get done: clear lines of accountability, proper incentive structures, planning reform, decisions made by people voters can remove, and a legible state, judged on whether it can deliver.

Adapting us

Rebuilding

Reindustrialisation, housing, defence and AI

These four are all linked, in that they all rely on national capacity, adaptability, and the foresight to understand where the threats and opportunities are. All of them depend on understanding how the shape of the economy is going to change, and what a government can and can't do about it.

Our reindustrialisation policy is a good base, but it was written before AI changed the landscape. We need to know what we can build here, what the threats are, and how we defend ourselves when so much is changing at once.

I've already started research on this vast topic, but I'd ask a research team to continue and improve on that work with help from experts across our party and beyond.

Adapting us

Education and training

AI and a new immigration system will change the labour market fast. People will need to retrain. Education is going to change too: not just how children are taught, but what. Kids are already asking "What's the point of learning this?" We will need to be creative on how teachers and children can conceive of education and curricula in a time when knowledge itself is being automated.

03

What the party needs

What the party needs to flourish is not so different from what the country needs.

What the party needs to flourish is not dissimilar from what the country needs.

Echoes: Energy

Abundant energy

We also need abundant energy, in the form of both people and money. We can't have a party where a 'windless day' (volunteers all too busy) becomes a missed opportunity or a broken process.

Echoes: State competence

State competence

While there are many very competent people within the party, the party as a machine needs to work faster and better. That requires resources, but also ingenuity, and eventually people in paid roles.

Echoes: Rebuilding

Rebuilding

Building the party is a detailed and complex process. Concrete things have to happen, and they are all interlinked. As leader, I will need to focus my energies on being the public face of the party, and on attracting donors, but I have to first set our ambition, our direction and lead a team that can execute on it.

Echoes: Education

Education

With enough funding and resources in place, we'll build "SDP University": a place to learn how to campaign, how to volunteer on specific roles, how to stand as a candidate, the deeper angles on our policy. A place we can set standards and help shape the new politicians that must replace the old. We must become a learning organisation that can grow and adapt in the same way we want Britain to grow and adapt.

04

Building the machine

Six areas that must move forward together, so we can grow fast and sustainably.

William gave us a great philosophical and political foundation. This is our engine. We now need to build the machine around that engine. That is comprised of six focus areas that must all move forwards together to allow us to grow fast and sustainably.

And for six weeks I've set out my thinking on one area at a time, held a surgery on each, and published what members said and what changed. An overview of each is below, with links to the full proposals.

1Funds and fundraising

Full proposals

We need at least £5m by 2029. That's too much to ask of a few thousand members, however generous. So we bring together the ambition, a plan and a team, and then go and find the 'seed' donors who will back us before success is visible. I'd experiment with a transparency pledge, a way to protect both sides of the agreement. And we'd do due diligence on every donation, turn down money with strings attached, and make sure giving to us never taints anyone by association.

What members changed

I need to explain more clearly why someone would back a growing party without expecting anything improper in return.

Five million pounds: why we need donors, and how we can do it properly

2Communications and brand

Full proposals

Too few people know who we are. We'll decide what we need to be known for, make the SDP easy to understand, give it an identity people recognise before they see the logo, and help more people find us and join. The exciting thing to remember is that we haven't even begun communicating this party. The opportunity here is boundless!

What members changed

The test is whether a member can explain the SDP to a friend in a sentence or two. We'll start with two or three channels, online and in person, and only expand once they're working. Templates, tools and training go to volunteers in every region.

3Campaigning and candidates

Full proposals

Good ideas need a voice in Parliament. We'll pick the right battles, find candidates among our members, in communities and in other parties, build campaigns that last for years rather than weeks, learn something from every campaign, and give members clear asks at the right time.

What members changed

We'll trial three or four different kinds of seat, including places we'd assume are weak based purely on data.

4Membership and regional growth

Full proposals

Members are the party. Every region gets a realistic plan agreed with the NCC. Regional chairs get support, branches get starter kits, and regions get a path to their own budgets. New members get a warm welcome and an open door to get involved at the level that suits them. And when you send us a question, an idea or an offer of help, you'll get an answer.

5Policy and research

Full proposals

We have good policy and research that doesn't yet join up. We'll split research from policy: research does the thinking, and can be bold and exploratory; policy is the party's position, shaped into a political and material reality that is interconnected.

A research team uses members' expertise to generate ideas and analysis, while data and AI help map the wider political landscape, so a small party can do the work of a big one. The members, working groups and our Policy Governance Board bring it all together.

What members changed

Green papers stay bold, but they're published clearly as discussion papers, not party policy. The policy areas we 'own' are likely to sit under an umbrella idea with several policies underneath (this is part of the initial comms project in my first month).

6Party organisation

Full proposals

If we want to run a country, we have to be able to run a party. We'll start from the strategic review by Ross, Graham and Peter, fix what we can fix quickly, and bring everything from these six weeks into one phased plan for the whole party. We'll also recruit deliberately for the volunteer roles we need so the work doesn't rest on a few people.

05

The road to 2029

Here's how we get from where we are to the 2029 general election.

More members bring more money, more attention and more hands. That attracts donors and strong candidates, and it creates momentum. We get there in three stages.

By the 2029 general election

  • 20,000+

    members

  • £5m

    raised

  • 1+

    MP elected

  1. Starts on Day 1

    Stage 1Now to May 2027

    Stabilise, then build

    Get off life support, then lay the foundations.

    Why: Nothing grows until the party works. May 2027 is close.

  2. Stage 2May 2027 to May 2028

    Grow and test

    Learn from the first results; strengthen regions and find more candidates.

    Why: There will be missteps. We'll make them, then adapt.

  3. Stage 3May 2028 to 2029

    Get election-ready

    Build the war chest and campaign at every level.

    Why: To win at least one MP at the general election.

Stage 1 in detailThe first 100 days: 9 stepsIn priority order, each with its reason.

  1. Review and refine the plan with the NCC, then publish it

    Why: So it's the party's plan, shaped with regional chairs and officers and ratified by the NCC.

  2. Fix the quick wins and urgent problems in how we run

    Why: What we run on now won't scale.

  3. Start the comms project

    Why: One clear way to explain who we are.

  4. Set up a campaign strategy group

    Why: May 2027 target areas can't wait.

  5. Launch the first funding round

    Why: None of this happens without money, and members alone can't fund an election.

  6. Review the Constitution and Rule Book

    Why: Our rules have to work for a party that's growing fast.

  7. Recruit for the volunteer roles we need

    Why: So the work doesn't rest on a few people.

  8. Meet with every region

    Why: Find what works and repeat it elsewhere.

  9. Split research from policy

    Why: Research can be bold; policy is our line.

Stage 1 starts on Day 1. I have been building this plan alongside members and my team since the start of this election campaign, because we do not have time to waste.

06

The team

The NCC governs, spokespeople speak for the party, and project teams get things done until we can hire.

Note:Not all team members are free to be named here, so some areas are blank due to roles requiring neutrality. But there is also scope for members to step forward into roles here.

At our size, donors back the team as much as the plan. We need three layers, some already in place, some I'm building as I type.

  1. The NCC

    Governs the party.

    • Chairman
    • Leader
    • Party Secretary
    • Treasurer
    • Regional Chairs and YSD

  2. Spokespeople

    Advise on policy and speak for the party. Under the Rule Book, the leader proposes them and the NCC approves them.

    • EnergyChris Bowden (proposed)
    • HousingWilliam Clouston (proposed)
    • IndustryAlastair Mellon (proposed)
    • Defence
    • State Competence
    • AI & Technology
    • Education
    • Health
    • Foreign Affairs
    • Immigration and Culture
    • Economy and Treasury
    • Home Affairs

  3. Execution teams

    Get things done: projects now, permanent roles as funding grows.

    Project teams will be small groups of members working on a specific, time-bounded goal. It's a much better way of working with volunteer-led organisations than expecting one person to run a full 'department' part-time. As we get funding, we can start to hire people into full-time roles and establish teams.

    • Now: Campaign Strategy projectAs funding grows: National Campaign Director and team
    • Now: Comms Messaging projectAs funding grows: Comms Director and team
    • Now: Tech Review projectAs funding grows: Tech Lead and team

Already on board

  • William Clouston

    Honorary President (proposed)

    William will be proposed as Honorary President. He has shaped this party and he is respected and trusted across the political landscape. I wanted to ensure his continued involvement.

  • Chris Bowden

    Head of Strategy

    Chris is Head of Strategy. He has worked in energy and business development for twenty years.

  • Maryse Pomlett and Danielle Baldwin Rowe

    Membership Team

    Maryse and Danielle have shaped the membership work, from how we welcome new members to how the regions grow. They will form my Membership Team.

And around two dozen members have already pledged their time and skills to the plan, from campaigning to data to design.

07

About me

Twenty years in communications, £150m raised for companies since 2020, and a festival built on volunteers.

  • 20 years

    in communications

  • £150m

    helped companies raise since 2020

  • Watersprite

    founded and ran the world's largest student film festival

I left school at 17, worked in an office at the local Glaxo factory, and then built a career. At 29, I went to Cambridge as a mature student. I've made mistakes and I've been able to recover from them. I'm keenly aware that young people now cannot do the same. We need the SDP to recreate the world of freedom, security and opportunity I grew up in.

I've now spent 20 years in communications, from marketing and brand strategy to internal and external comms. Since 2020 I've helped companies raise £150 million. Comms and fundraising are two of the things this party needs most.

All my experience tells me there's huge possibility here for the party and therefore the country. Over the last six weeks, I've met members who are already contributing. Councillors who fight hard for their community, campaigners who've been out in the rain for years, people who have built or done extraordinary things.

We need to grow fast, but carefully. I know how to build around an idea while fiercely protecting it. I founded and ran Watersprite, the world’s largest student film festival. We kept the festival free and raised travel bursaries to bring talent to Cambridge, because opportunity should not depend on means. Even when it made things harder, that purpose guided our decisions and gave volunteers a reason to push on.

Our party needs a leader who can see the opportunity that's waiting for us, be realistic about what needs to be built, attract more great people to the party and create a determined, vibrant culture.

08

The choice

Our country is in a desperate state, because we don't have serious politicians or parties. We have to make the SDP that serious party, filled with serious politicians, so we can become a genuine electoral force and help save Britain.

This election is a choice between a party that grows a little and a party that seizes the opportunity, and grows fast enough to give a voice to the millions in Britain who don't have one.

I've started as I mean to go on. I've spent this campaign building my plans in the open: six weeks of proposals and member surgeries, learning, listening and adapting to the people who know more than me. I've built a plan and a team ready to move on Day 1. That's how I'll lead the party, and it's how we'll rebuild the country.

It may feel like there's a big gap between where we are today and where we need to be, but I firmly believe we can close that gap faster than many can imagine. So vote for me, and then come and help me do it.

A Britain that can needs an SDP that can.

Voting opens on 16 November.

Get involvedRead the full plan

Eleanor Rofe