 On 20 February 1981 Bradley announced he would not seek to contest his seat again as a Labour Candidate.He claimed that the Party's National Executive Committee and the Party Conference were "knocking the living daylights out of decent, well established party practices" and said he would be morally compelled to join any new party formed by the Council for Social Democracy which had been created by the Gang of Four the previous month.The same day three other supporters of the Council for Social Democracy resigned the Labour whip.