It consisted mostly the "Young Turks" faction of the Democratic Party which took a more pro-grassroots and street action approaches.

The factional struggle began in the 1998 Democratic Party leadership election where the Young Turks who believed in more pro-grassroots and radical approaches launched a "coup d'etat", supporting trade unionist Lau Chin-shek to run against incumbent Vice-Chairman Anthony Cheung who was leader of the Meeting Point faction who believed in pro-middle class and moderate methods.

Led by Convenor Fung Chi-wood, SDF core members included Andrew To and Lau San-ching.

The SDF took an active role in the campaign against Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa seeking for second term, co-founding the Hong Kong Democratic Development Network and Coalition Against Secord Term which opposed the unfair Chief Executive election.

[1] On 17 April 2002, the SDF general meeting announced dissolution of the SDF, in which 25 members including convenor Fung Chi-wood, deputy Steve Chan Kwok-leung, Andrew To, Leung Wing-kuen, Tsui Pak-tai and Lam Sam-shing who had already joined the Frontier, with about 25 other associates, in total of 50 members would join The Frontier, in which 42 would become the party members.