Libertarian Party (UK)
Libertarian Party | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Leader | Adam Brown[1] |
Founded | 21 November 2007[2] |
Headquarters | BM LPUK, London, WC1N 3XX |
Youth wing | Young Libertarians[3] |
Ideology | Libertarianism[4] |
International affiliation | International Alliance of Libertarian Parties[5] Interlibertarians[6] |
European Parliament group | Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy |
Colours | Blue Gold |
Website | |
libertarianparty.co.uk | |
Part of a series on |
Libertarianism |
---|
|
The Libertarian Party, also known as the Libertarian Party UK (LPUK), is a libertarian political party in the United Kingdom.[2][4] Adam Brown has been the party's leader since August 2015.[1][7]
History[]
The party was founded in January 2008 under the leadership of Patrick Vessey, having registered the party with the Electoral Commission in November 2007.[2] In May 2008, The Daily Telegraph leader writer Alex Singleton claimed the founders should have set up a pressure group rather than a party. Singleton believed the new party would reduce the influence of libertarianism.[8]
On 17 September 2008, Vessey resigned as party leader and was replaced by Ian Parker-Joseph.[citation needed] The party claimed a membership of 1,000 and hoped in the wake of the parliamentary expenses scandal "to establish themselves in the media landscape with a couple of robust performances".[9] He said the party wanted much smaller government and would initially cut taxation to 10% before removing it altogether.[10]
On 28 November 2010, Andrew Withers was elected as party leader.[11][better source needed]
Following an internal ballot on 15 August 2015, party members elected Adam Brown as the party leader.[1]
During the 2018 local elections, the party was described as on "the fringes of mainstream British politics".[12]
In October 2018, MEP Bill Etheridge, a former member of the UK Independence Party, joined the party[13] and became its deputy chairman.[14] Etheridge continued as a member of the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy parliamentary group in the European Parliament.[15] However, he then left to join the Brexit Party in February 2019.
Electoral performance[]
General elections[]
Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % |
---|---|---|---|
Devizes | Nic Coome | 141 | 0.3[16] |
Sutton and Cheam | Martin Cullip | 41 | 0.1[17] |
The party did not field parliamentary candidates at the 2015 general election, describing it as a "waste of time and funds".[11]
Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % |
---|---|---|---|
Basingstoke | Scott Neville | 213 | 0.4[18] |
Blaydon | Michael Marchetti | 114 | 0.2[19] |
Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle | Will Taylor | 67 | 0.2[20] |
Portsmouth North | Joe Jenkins | 130 | 0.3[21] |
Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % |
---|---|---|---|
Chichester | Adam Brown | 224 | 0.4[22] |
Sevenoaks | Sean Finch | 295 | 0.6[23] |
Stroud | Glenville Gogerly | 567 | 0.9[24] |
Crewe & Nantwich | Andrew Kinsman | 149 | 0.3[25] |
Leicestershire North West | Dan Liddicott | 140 | 0.3[26] |
By-elections[]
- 54th Parliament
Election | Candidate | Votes | % of votes | Position |
---|---|---|---|---|
Norwich North | Thomas Burridge | 36 | 0.1 | 11th |
- 57th Parliament
Election | Candidate | Votes | % of votes | Position |
---|---|---|---|---|
Lewisham East | Sean Finch | 38 | 0.2 | 11th |
See also[]
- Classical liberalism
- Liberalism in the United Kingdom
- Libertarianism in the United Kingdom
- Right-libertarianism
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "Adam Brown is Elected New Party Leader for Libertarians UK". Retrieved 6 October 2015.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Electoral Commission registration (Online search of registration database at http://search.electoralcommission.org.uk/English/Registrations/PP684)
- ^ "Young Libertarians". facebook.com.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "About". Libertarian Party UK. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
- ^ "Under Construction". Retrieved 16 June 2015.
- ^ "Libertarian movements and parties in the world that are members of Interlibertarians". Archived from the original on 12 June 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
- ^ "Edition 116". thatalks.com. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
- ^ Alex Singleton (30 May 2008). "How Libertarians undermine liberty". Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 25 June 2009. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
- ^ "Interview: The Libertarian party". Politics.co.uk. 1 June 2009. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
- ^ "Libertarian Party plans to clear national debt". BBC News. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Croucher, Shane (29 April 2015). "Election 2015: Meet the Libertarian Party UK, which wants to turn Britain into Switzerland". International Business Times UK. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
- ^ "Elections 2018: Warndon Parish North ward". Worcester News.
- ^ Madeley, Pete. "UKIP exodus in Dudley continues as two more quit". Express and Star. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
- ^ Bagdi, Annabal (8 October 2018). "Bill Etheridge joins Libertarian Party days after UKIP exit". Express & Star. Wolverhampton. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
- ^ Etheridge, Bill (6 October 2018). "UKIP has changed from the policy mandate I was elected on I will continue to honour the original mandate with the EFDD group and use the same voting lists so I'd check your facts". Twitter.
- ^ "UK General Election results May 2010". Politicsresources.net.
- ^ "UK General Election results May 2010". Politicsresources.net.
- ^ "Election 2017: Basingstoke". BBC News. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
- ^ "Election 2017: Blaydon". BBC News. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
- ^ "Election 2017: Hull West & Hessle". BBC News. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
- ^ "Election 2017: Portsmouth North". BBC News. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
- ^ "Chichester parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". BBC News. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
- ^ "Sevenoaks parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". BBC News. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
- ^ "Stroud parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". BBC News. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
- ^ "Crewe & Nantwich parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". BBC News. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
- ^ "Leicestershire North West parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". BBC News. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
External links[]
- 2008 establishments in the United Kingdom
- Political parties established in 2008
- Libertarian parties in the United Kingdom
- Libertarianism in the United Kingdom
- Eurosceptic parties in the United Kingdom
- Non-interventionist parties