▁He ale y ▁in ▁Labour ' s ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁leadership ▁election ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁acceler ate ▁the ▁dis integration ▁of ▁the ▁Labour ▁Party . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁Ell is ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁found ing ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁SD P . ▁Ell is ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁three ▁Wel sh ▁MP s ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁new ▁party ▁( the ▁others ▁were ▁Jeff rey ▁Thomas ▁and ▁Ed ny f ed ▁Hudson ▁Dav ies ) ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁serve ▁as ▁the ▁President ▁of ▁Wel sh ▁Social ▁Democr ats . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁boundary ▁changes , ▁Ell is ▁did ▁not ▁contest ▁W re x ham ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 3 ▁election , ▁instead ▁he ▁stood ▁in ▁the ▁new ▁constitu ency ▁of ▁Cl w yd ▁South ▁West ▁which ▁incorpor ated ▁much ▁of ▁his ▁old ▁constitu ency . ▁ ▁Ell is ▁finished ▁second ▁to ▁the ▁Conserv ative ▁candidate ▁Robert ▁Har vey ▁by ▁ 1 , 5 5 1 ▁votes ▁in ▁a ▁compet itive ▁three - way ▁race . ▁ ▁Later ▁life ▁At ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁general ▁election , ▁Ell is ▁stood ▁again ▁in ▁Cl w yd ▁South ▁West , ▁finishing ▁a ▁respect able ▁third . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁mer ger ▁of ▁the ▁SD P ▁and ▁the ▁Liber als , ▁he ▁stood ▁for ▁the ▁then ▁Social ▁and ▁Liberal ▁Democr ats ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁Pont y pr idd ▁by - e lection , ▁finishing ▁a ▁weak ▁fourth ▁behind ▁the ▁vict or