Breakthrough Party
Breakthrough Party | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Alex Mays[1] |
| Deputy Leader | Thom Barnes-Wise |
| Treasurer |
|
| Founder | Alex Mays |
| Registered | 26 January 2021 |
| Split from | Labour Party |
| Headquarters | 151 The Rock, Bury, Greater Manchester, BL9 0ND |
| Ideology | Democratic socialism[2] |
| Political position | Left-wing |
| National affiliation | People's Alliance of The Left[3] |
| Colours | Orange White |
| House of Commons | 0 / 650
|
| Local government (principal authorities) | 2 / 19,481
|
| Local government (parish & communities) | 6 / 78,000
|
| Website | |
| https://breakthroughparty.org.uk/ | |
| Part of a series on |
| Socialism in the United Kingdom |
|---|
 |
The Breakthrough Party is a minor political party in the United Kingdom. The party describes itself as a "new home for those determined to disrupt the failed status quo and build an alternative: a society that uses its considerable wealth to provide dignity, security and justice for all".[4] The party's constitution declares it to be a democratic socialist party.[5] It was registered with the Electoral Commission in January 2021.[1]
History
The Breakthrough Party was founded in 2021 by Alex Mays, a former member of the Labour Party,[6] in response to the 2020 Labour Party leadership election.
On 20 January 2022, it was announced that a "memorandum of understanding" had been agreed between Breakthrough, the Northern Independence Party, the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition and Left Unity under the name Peoples Alliance of The Left (PAL) and organised by former Labour MP Thelma Walker. This alliance will work together on a future electoral strategy.[7] On 29 January 2022, PAL came out in support of Dave Nellist's candidacy in the 2022 Birmingham Erdington by election.[8]
In mid August the party released their manifesto,[9] covering a broad range of policy aims in community, democracy, economy, education, environment, equality, foreign policy, health, housing, immigration, independent living, justice, media, culture and sport, transport and work. The manifesto, titled a "minifesto" stated in its foreword "Our aim is simple: to offer a genuine alternative in a political landscape which is lurching further rightwards."
Elections and elected representatives
The party's first appearance on a ballot paper was in the 2021 Chesham and Amersham by-election, when Carla Gregory,[10][11] a charity worker from the local area, stood. She received 197 votes, which represents 0.5 per cent of the vote.[12]
Various sitting town and parish councillors have defected to Breakthrough. On 16 August 2021 Samantha Cooper, a Labour councillor on Keighley Town Council, defected from the Labour Party and became the first Breakthrough elected representative.[13][14][15] On 12 November, a second Labour town councillor, Katie Parker of Bury St Edmunds Town Council, defected to the Breakthrough Party,[16] and on 16 November the chair of Thorngumbald Parish Council, Ben Munro, also defected from Labour to Breakthrough.[17] On 27 January 2022, Owen Hurcum, Mayor of Bangor, and a former member of Plaid Cymru, announced that they had joined the Party and was to serve the rest of their term as a Breakthrough Party representative.[18][19] On 4 February 2022, Jonathan A. Graham, a councillor on Folkestone Town Council, defected from Labour to Breakthrough.[20] On 24 February 2022, a Labour town councillor in Westgate-on-Sea, Tim Green, announced his intention to defect to the Breakthrough Party.[21]
On 8 March 2022, two borough councillors, Veena Siva and Jenny Vinson, originally elected for Labour on Spelthorne Borough Council had defected to the party, giving Breakthrough its first representation on a principal authority.[22]
In the 2022 United Kingdom local elections two candidates stood for the Breakthrough Party: Nazma Meah in the Aston ward for the 2022 Birmingham City Council election and Ewan Chappell in the Penygroes ward for the 2022 Carmarthenshire County Council election.[23][24] In the Aston ward in Birmingham, two seats were available; Nazma Meah, finished 5th out of 9 candidates with 265 votes, above both Conservative Party candidates.[25] In the Penygroes seat of Carmarthenshire County Council, one seat was available and the party's candidate, Ewan Chappell, finished last of 4 candidates with 87 votes, equating to 9% of the vote.[26]
On 15 May 2022, Oscar Wolf was appointed deputy leader of the party after elections triggered by the resignation of Sherilyn Wileman.[27]
Policies
The party has ten core policies listed on its website:[28] a "£16 minimum wage",[29] scrapping zero hour contracts and banning "fire and rehire", "renationalisation of the NHS and social care", "genuinely affordable housing, for need not profit", limiting rents to 30 per cent of local income and an end to no-fault evictions, a universal basic income, "publicly owned utilities, transport and broadband", defence of the right to protest "and stand in solidarity with marginalised communities", an effort to "collaborate across borders to build a global Green New Deal", and proportional representation.
References
- ^ a b c "Registration summary". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
- ^ "New Breakthrough Party adds three local politicians who left Labour after 'losing faith' in the party". National World. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
- ^ Breakthrough Party [@BThroughParty] (20 January 2022). "ANNOUNCEMENT
The People's Alliance of the Left #PAL is delighted to announce that a memorandum of understanding has been agreed between @BThroughParty, @FreeNorthNow, @TUSCoalition & @LeftUnityUK.
This Alliance will work together on a future electoral strategy" (Tweet) – via Twitter. - ^ "Breakthrough Party". Breakthrough Party. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
- ^ Smith, George (16 September 2021). "Our Constitution". Breakthrough Party. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- ^ Topple, Steve (18 April 2021). "A new political party wants a 'breakthrough' for young people". The Canary. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
- ^ Breakthrough Party [@BThroughParty] (20 January 2022). "ANNOUNCEMENT
The People's Alliance of the Left #PAL is delighted to announce that a memorandum of understanding has been agreed between @BThroughParty, @FreeNorthNow, @TUSCoalition & @LeftUnityUK.
This Alliance will work together on a future electoral strategy" (Tweet) – via Twitter. - ^ "Thelma Walker [@Thelma_DWalker] (29 January 2022). "Delighted to report that since #PAL announced our alliance ,membership in all 4 of our political parties has increased dramatically @BThroughParty @FreeNorthNow @LeftUnityUK @TUSCoalition #PAL is supporting @davenellist @Dave4Erdington campaign in the forthcoming by-election" (Tweet) – via Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
- ^ "Our Minifesto #HopeHasANewHome". Breakthrough. 15 August 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- ^ Sheth Trivedi, Shruti. "Breakthrough Party announces Chesham and Amersham by-election candidate". Bucks Free Press. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
- ^ Shone, Ethan. "Chesham and Amersham by-election: mum-of-two standing to be 'voice of unheard'". National World. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
- ^ "Election results for Chesham & Amersham". Buckinghamshire Council. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
- ^ Sewell, Chelsie (16 August 2021). "Keighley town councillor defects from Labour Party to join new democratic socialist group". Telegraph & Argus. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
- ^ Labour Buzz. "Labour Councillor defects to The Breakthrough Party, slams Starmer, becomes newly-formed party's first elected representative". Bywire News. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
- ^ "Exclusive: interview with Breakthrough party's first councillor as Sam Cooper resigns from Labour (video)". The Skwawkbox. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
- ^ "Bury St Edmunds town councillor Katie Parker defects from Labour Party to Breakthrough Party". Suffolk News. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ "Third Labour councillor defects to Breakthrough Party". Breakthrough Party. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
- ^ "World's First Openly Non-Binary Mayor joins Breakthrough Party". Breakthrough Party. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
- ^ Shone, Ethan (27 January 2022). "World's first non-binary mayor joins UK's 'only real progressive party'". National World. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
- ^ Party, Breakthrough (3 February 2022). "A big welcome to Folkestone town councillor @JAGrahamSnr who has defected from the Labour Party to Breakthrough". Twitter. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
- ^ Green, Tim (24 February 2022). "On another note it has been a hard decision but I have left the Labour Party, it really does not reflect the fairness and social views that I stand for and represent. This has not been an easy. I have decided to join @BThroughParty as soon as possible". Twitter. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
- ^ "New trio of councillors join Breakthrough". Breakthrough Party. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
- ^ "Nazma Meah Breakthrough Candidate for Aston". Breakthrough Party. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
- ^ "Ewan Chappell Breakthrough Candidate for Pen-y-groes". Breakthrough Party. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
- ^ Kemp, Paul (6 May 2022). "Every Birmingham local election result in 2022 so far". Birmingham Live. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
- ^ "Local Elections 2022". Carmarthenshire County Council. 12 May 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
- ^ @BThroughParty (15 May 2022). "Congratulations to our newly elected Deputy Leader, Oscar Wolf (@__wolf4)! His tireless work over the last few months have not gone unnoticed. See Oscar's comments below 👇" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Policies". Breakthrough Party. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ https://twitter.com/BThroughParty/status/1576670188254396416 [bare URL]