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English Democrats

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English Democrats
LeaderRobin Tilbrook - National Chairman
Chairmannone
Founded2002
HeadquartersNorwich, Norfolk, England
IdeologyEnglish nationalism
Political positionNationalist
European affiliationNone
European Parliament groupNone
International affiliationNone
ColoursWhite and red
Website
www.englishdemocrats.org.uk, www.englishdemocraticparty.org.uk

The English Democrats Party is a political party in the United Kingdom committed to the formation of a devolved English Parliament with at least the same powers as those granted to the Scottish Parliament.

Formation

The English National Party was formed in 1997 by Robin Tilbrook, with the aim of reforming the English National Party (founded in the 1960s), in response to calls for the devolution of power to Scotland and Wales. The English National Party formed by Tilbrook included members of the Campaign for an English Parliament.

The party was relaunched as the English Democrats Party in September 2002, after merging with several other smaller political parties. In October 2004, the party merged with the Reform UK Party. The Reform UK Party was a small splinter group from the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP).

The English Democrats are co-founders of the English Constitutional Convention[1].

In December 2004 is was reported that Robert Kilroy-Silk, former UKIP MEP had entered into negotiation to join the English Democrats, [2]

Organisation

English Democrats has an England-wide network of area and county officers. In April 2006 it announced full national representative coverage of the nine English Areas. In addition to the 20-person National Council and nine area chairmen, there are 14 National Sub-Committees to expedite progress in the party development. It is stronger in the Home Counties, covered by the East England and South East England areas, and also the North West and Yorkshire and the Humber areas.

The national party chairman of the English Democrats is Robin Tilbrook, a solicitor and former member of the Conservative Party. The party claimed a total membership of 1,011 at the end of 2004, and 1,202 at the end of 2005.[3]

Elections

2004 European Parliament elections

English Democrats stood candidates for election in the 2004 European Parliament election in five of the nine regions of England. Its candidates won 130,056 votes in aggregate. On the same date the party received over 20% of votes cast in one ward in Basildon [4], and a month later just 1.4% of votes cast at the 2004 Birmingham Hodge Hill by-election. Their 2004 election canvassing leaflet featured the slogan, "Not left, not right, just English".

2005 general election

In total, the English Democrats fielded 24 candidates for the May 2005 general election (including Staffordshire South where the election was delayed until June due to the death of a candidate). A further three English nationalist 'affiliated' candidates also ran in the election. The 23 candidates polled an average of 593 votes (1.5%). Nine English Democrats candidates also contested the County Council elections held on the same day. They polled an average of 299 votes (5.6%). The party's slogan for the May 2005 general election was "English Democrats - Putting England First!"

Garry Bushell (former Sun journalist and currently Sunday People TV critic) became the most high profile candidate for the English Democrats for the 2005 general election, standing in the Greenwich and Woolwich constituency in London. Bushell's 1,216 votes (a 3.4% share for that constituency) represented the party's best showing for the election, beating the UKIP candidate, Stan Gain, who secured 2.0% of the vote. In June 2005, Bushell also stood in Staffordshire South. Bushell received 643 votes (2.5%) coming fifth out of eight candidates[5].

Local elections 2005 & 2006

In the May 2006 local elections, 16 English Democrats contested council seats. Across those seats, the average English Democrats poll was 11%, and their best result was in the Finningley ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster (21.2%), finishing 2nd after the Conservative Party.

Local elections 2007

In February 2007, the English Democrats contested a by election in the Bede ward of Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council. They polled 75 votes, 4.3%, and came 5th of of 7 candidates, beating 'Save the NHS' and UKIP candidates.

Electoral performance

English Democrats have contested the following elections:

Note that unsuccessful Borough and Parish Council By-Elections have been excluded from this list.

Councillors

In November 2005, Paul Adams became the first elected English Democrat councillor, winning his seat on Crowborough Town Council in East Sussex in a by-election. He received 56.8% of the poll, beating the Liberal Democrats and Green Parties.

In July 2006, Paul Rogan, a Conservative Party councillor for the Rastrick ward of Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council defected to the party. [7]

In February 2007, Michael Tibby and Austen Brooker both New England Party councillors in the Kent Borough of Dartford, joined the English Democrats [1].

Policies

The English Democrats publish a manifesto each year with alterations voted for by their membership at an Autumn AGM and occasional Spring EGM.

English Parliament

The party contends that the Scottish Parliament and National Assembly for Wales provide a voice to those two constituent nations of the UK that England lacks. The party proposes to convene the first exclusively English Parliament since the initial Laws in Wales Act 1535 through one of three methods:

  1. by converting the current House of Commons into a Devolved English parliament within the asymmetrical devolution framework currently existing in the United Kingdom;
  2. by creating a new legislature with equal status to the Scottish Parliament and a more powerful Welsh Parliament within a re-constituted federal or confederal United Kingdom;
  3. as an independent, sovereign legislature for the re-founded state of England, upon dissolution of the Union -- most likely to be created by independence for Scotland and Wales.

The party has rejected suggestions that non-English MPs in the House of Commons should be barred from voting on England-specific matters, on the basis that this would lead to their being, in effect, two parliaments in the same building and that this would be problematic[8].

European Union

The party is opposed to Britain's membership of the European Union, is a member of the "Better Off Out" Campaign and is against the establishment of regional assemblies in the Regions of England.

Traditional counties

The party is supportive of historic counties and has called for a referendum on whether Monmouthshire should be part of England as opposed to Wales:

"The English Democrats Party consider that the position of Monmouthshire in Wales is anomalous, as historically it had mostly been part of England until recent boundary re-organisation. Accordingly, we would wish to see a county referendum in Monmouthshire as to whether the people of Monmouthshire would wish to be treated as being part of Wales or part of England."

House of Lords

In April 2006, the English Democrats became members of the Elect the Lords Campaign, whether the English Parliament is within a Federal UK or the simply as a Devolved Parliament within the current UK structure.

Immigration

The party's manifesto states that "we need to be change immigration policy so that it better reflects the needs and wishes of the English people". A points system for entry to the UK, based on the Canadian and Australian models, is advocated. The party's manifesto also suggests that the country should withdraw from international conventions on asylum and immigration.

See also

References

  1. ^ English Constitutional Convention website
  2. ^ The Guardian - Diary, Tuesday December 14, 2004, Martin Hyde
  3. ^ Electoral Commission - English Democrats annual return
  4. ^ Basildon election results
  5. ^ BBC News Online - Staffordshire South election results
  6. ^ Crowborough Town Council - election results 24 November 2005
  7. ^ Paul Rogan, English Democrat Councillor - official profile
  8. ^ BBC News article - "No English parliament - Falconer"
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