Chapter 5

Party Representation Comments

UK House of Commons Scotland Wales Northern Ireland Europe

Labour Party 355
(inc 29 as Lab Co-op) 46
(inc 9 as Lab Co-op) 26
(inc 4 as Lab Co-op) N/A 19 Traditionally left-wing now claims the "centre ground" of British politics; allied to Trade unions; free market policies have replaced its earlier socialist platform in recent years; supports greater European integration; socially progressive

Conservative Party 196 17 12 0 27 Centre-right to right-wing party which can be loosely divided into three categories, though with considerable overlap: The Thatcherites, who strongly support a free market and tend to be Eurosceptic, the economically moderate but socially conservative One Nation Tories, and the more radical Libertarian wing

Liberal Democrats 63 16 6 N/A 12 Traditionally centrist, has drifted increasingly to the left since the emergence of New Labour; supports greater European integration; socially progressive

Democratic Unionist Party 9 N/A N/A 36 0 More hardline Unionist party in Northern Ireland, has a right wing political agenda

Scottish National Party 6^[1] 47 N/A N/A 2 Centre-left party in favour of Scottish independence.

Sinn Féin 5 N/A N/A 28 1^[2] Irish Republican party in Northern Ireland, supports socialism; abstentionist.

Plaid Cymru - Party of Wales 3^[1] N/A 15 N/A 1 Centre-left party in favour of Welsh independence.

Social Democratic and Labour Party 3 N/A N/A 16 0 Constitutional Irish nationalist party in Northern Ireland, has a centre-left and social democratic political orientation.

Ulster Unionist Party 1 N/A N/A 18 1 Unionist party in Northern Ireland which is traditionally an amalgam of the political spectrum, considered more moderate than the Democratic Unionist Party.

Respect Coalition 1 N/A 0 N/A 0 Far Left party active in England and Wales; concentrates on an anti-war platform. Ideology is socialism.

Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern 1 N/A N/A N/A N/A Local party based in Kidderminster.

Scottish Green Party 0 2 N/A N/A 0 Ecologist party in favour of Scottish independence.

Alliance Party of Northern Ireland 0 N/A N/A 7 0 Liberal party in Northern Ireland that aims to breakdown sectarian divisions between Catholics and Protestants. Has a neutral stance on the Constitutional issue of Northern Ireland's status and is linked with the Liberal Democrats

Progressive Unionist Party 0 N/A N/A 1 0 Loyalist party in Northern Ireland broadly sympathetic to the Labour Party, has links to a loyalist paramilitary, the Ulster Volunteer Force.

Green Party in Northern Ireland 0 N/A N/A 1 0 Ecologist party in Northern Ireland.

UK Independence Party 1 ^[3]^[4] 1 0 0 10 Eurosceptic party which favours withdrawal from the EU and free market economics.

Green Party of England and Wales 0 N/A 0 N/A 2 Generally centre-left, ecologist party.

Boston By-pass Independents, single issue party that took overall control of Boston Borough Council in the 2007 May elections.

Community Action Party, local centre-left party active in Wigan (the second biggest party on Wigan Metropolitian Borough Council) and in parts of Cheshire.

English Democrats Party, a party campaigning for self-government for England.

British First Party, a neo-Nazi party.

Epsom and Ewell Residents Association, a local party who run the borough council in Epsom and Ewell.

European Community Party, a pan-European party aiming to contest local, national and European Parliament elections.

Generalist Party, a party set up in Great Grimsby planning to stand in Local and General Elections.

Heald Green Ratepayers, a local party with council seats in Stockport.

Idle Toad, an "independents" party holding district and county council seats in Lancashire, England, registered since 2003.

Independent Community Group, a local party with half a dozen councillors on the Hounslow Borough Council and forms part of the current council administration with the Conservative Party.

Isle of Wight Party, local party.

Mebyon Kernow, long established Cornish nationalist party campaigning for Cornish self-government, has a number of local councillors in Cornwall. Allied to the SNP & Plaid Cymru.

Men's Representative Party, Britain's first political party for men.

Money Reform Party, a party opposed to private banks, arguing that money creation should be limited to a public agency

Morecambe Bay Independents, Local party active in the Morecambe and Heysham wards of City of Lancaster. Currently the second largest with 12 councillors, and in an all party coalition. Has been in power in the past as well.

Mum's Army, a party primarily campaigning against yob behaviour, started in 2006 by Take A Break magazine. The party is also registered to stand in Scotland and Wales, but has not stood in these areas yet.

National Liberal Party - The Third Way

One London, a London political party with two seats on the London Assembly, originally elected as UKIP.

Popular Alliance, a party campaigning for National referendums on important issues, split from Veritas and United Kingdom Independence Party.

Save our Soil, a local party active in Northampton.

Social Democratic Party - the remnants of the party that that did not dissolve in 1990. Has several councillors in East Riding of Yorkshire and Neath Port Talbot. Held Mayorship of Bridlington in 2007.

South Tyneside Progressives, a local party with a number of councillors on South Tyneside Borough Council.

Southampton First, a local party active in Southampton.

Wessex Regionalist Party, seeking devolution for Wessex