Northern Independence Party

Northern Independence Party
Leader	Philip Proudfoot
Deputy leader	David Heaven[1]
Founders	Philip Proudfoot Evie McGovern[2]
Chairwoman	Suzanne Clifton[2]
Founded	22 October 2020; 15 months ago (2020-10-22)[3]
Registered	30 June 2021; 7 months ago (2021-06-30)[4]
Headquarters	10 Houghton Avenue Warrington Cheshire WA2 7EQ[4]
Membership	1,400[5]
Ideology	Secessionism Democratic socialism
Political position	Left-wing
Colours	Burgundy and yellow
Slogan	It's About Bloody Time[5]
Website
www.freethenorth.co.uk
Politics of the United Kingdom Political parties Elections

The Northern Independence Party (NIP) is a secessionist and democratic socialist political party that seeks to make Northern England an independent nation, under the name of Northumbria. Founded in October 2020 by Philip Proudfoot, the party currently has no elected representatives above the parish council level.

History[]

The NIP was formed on 22 October 2020 by Philip Proudfoot,^[6] an international development studies lecturer at the University of Sussex and former Labour Party activist from County Durham,^[7][8] along with his colleague Evie McGovern and other former Labour activists who were alienated by what they saw as Keir Starmer's move towards the centre as leader of the party.^[2][7][9] Proudfoot was inspired to found the party after watching Andy Burnham's critical response to the Westminster government's limited support package for Greater Manchester during the COVID-19 pandemic.^[7] He told Big Issue North that the centralisation of power in London had played a part as well, highlighting the North-South divide in healthcare, transport, education, and general standard of living as motivating factors.^[10]

The NIP applied to the Electoral Commission for registration on 12 February 2021, but the application was rejected on the grounds of its initial application being incomplete.^[11] On 24 March, the party reapplied for registration,^[12][13] and announced on 30 June that it was registered with the Electoral Commission.^[4][14]

Following the NIP announcement that it had selected former Labour MP Thelma Walker as its candidate for the Hartlepool by-election in May 2021, it was reported by Huffington Post UK that the party's membership had increased from 300 members to 1,300.^[15]

On 20 January 2022, it was announced that a "memorandum of understanding" had been agreed between the NIP, the Breakthrough Party, the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition and Left Unity. This alliance will work together on a future electoral strategy.^[16]

Policies[]

Inspired by the Scottish National Party's campaign for an independent Scotland,^[17][18] the NIP seeks to make the North of England an independent state under the name Northumbria,^[7] which previously existed as an Anglo-Saxon medieval kingdom from the 7th century until the 10th century.^[17][19] Proudfoot has said that the geography of Northumbria would consist of Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cumbria, Merseyside, Tyne and Wear, Greater Manchester, County Durham, Northumberland and Cheshire.^[20] The party has proposed York as a possible capital city,^[21] though has also proposed having multiple capitals.^[19]

The NIP describes itself as a democratic socialist party, advocating for a "green industrial rebirth" and "socialism with a northern accent".^[7][22] Proudfoot stated that the party would be a way of addressing the socio-economic disparity between the north and south of England.^[19] It has been reported that much of the party's initial support has been drawn from disillusionment with Starmer's leadership of the Labour Party, particularly on the party's left flank.^[7][9]

Economic policy[]

The NIP's proposed economic system for an independent North resembles a market socialist economy, with a more decentralised system and an emphasis on co-operatives, locally-owned businesses and social enterprises.^[15]

The party supports a Green New Deal, and building a green economy. They support increasing the national minimum wage and reversing the increase in pension age. Its policies include advocating for shorter working hours, efforts to increase stability for those on precarious contracts, and equal employment rights for gig workers.^[23] The party supports a Universal Basic Income (UBI), and supports the expansion of existing UBI trials by local authorities in the north, giving every adult £400 per month.^[15]

It endorses the principles of community wealth building, known as the Preston Model.^[24][15]

It supports a sustainable farming industry centred around a rural economy, with support for farmers,^[15] and opposes attempts to reduce food standards regulations.^[23]

Public sector[]

The NIP supports expanding the public sector, bringing privatised energy and water companies under local public control.^[15][24] It has said that in an independent North, it would nationalise some industries where feasible, including utilities, public transport and the National Health Service. It supports the nationalisation of broadband to make it free at the point of delivery.^[23]

It proposes an increase in NHS funding and a 15% pay increase for NHS staff.^[15] They support the expansion of funds for mental healthcare, through the recruitment and training of mental health professionals, including school counsellors. It opposes any increase in tuition fees and support the reduction or cancellation of student debt, and increased maintenance grants for students and higher education funding.^[23][24]

Its manifesto proposes that public libraries should be returned to council or community ownership, and that local independent newspapers should be supported by using advertising space for public information campaigns.^[24]

Constitutional issues[]

In an independent North, the NIP has proposed a federalist model, in contrast to the unitary system in the United Kingdom, with autonomous regional governments.^[9] It argues Northumbria's constitution should be written by a constitutional assembly, which would be the country's legislative branch.^[15][23]

The party identifies itself as a post-Brexit party, with the issue of joining the European Union to be decided by a future referendum that they would not call.^[15] It would also leave the question of whether an independent North would retain the monarchy to the electorate, in a referendum that would be held on the issue if it arose. The NIP opposes First Past the Post as an electoral system, but has not proposed an alternative, believing this should be decided by a constitutional assembly.^[15]

Social issues[]

The NIP manifesto opposes restrictions on the use of medicinal cannabis for appropriate conditions, and calls for GPs to be allowed to prescribe it. They support the legalisation of cannabis, a harm reduction approach to other illegal drugs, and drug rehabilitation over punishment.^[15] It supports the decriminalisation of sex work following the model used in New Zealand, and opposes the Nordic Model.^[23] However, it argues that coercion into sex work is trafficking and should remain illegal.

The party calls for reform of transgender healthcare in England, including decentralisation of care to GPs and specialists, avoiding the use of gender identity clinics, and legislation to protect transgender teenagers' access to puberty blockers. It argues for reform of the Gender Recognition Act to allow transgender people to self-identify without the need for a medical diagnosis and recognise non-binary identities in law.^[23]

The NIP calls for legal limits on eviction of renters and stricter regulations on private landlords, including mandatory standards for rental properties and rent controls to reduce rents to 30% of local income. It has criticised the hostile environment policy for immigrants, and calls for the United Kingdom to meet its obligations under international law to accept asylum seekers.^[15] It supports a Housing First policy to reduce homelessness, as piloted in Newcastle and Greater Manchester and used in many other countries.^[23]

Key people[]

National Executive Committee^[25]

• Heather Oldfield
• Zero Piraeus
• Harry Glover
• Joe Kenny
• Joe Wilson
• Joe Spearing
• Suzanne Clifton
• Billie Joe Gibson

Reception[]

Stewart Arnold of The Yorkshire Post argued that the party's presence would be "good for democracy as it will challenge the two main parties to present suitable plans that allow Yorkshire and the rest of the North to take control of its own destiny and unleash its potential",^[26] while in The Guardian, Alex Niven was sceptical of the party's chances, noting that the "archaic first-past-the-post system makes it extremely difficult for smaller parties to establish a foothold in Westminster". He compared the NIP's prospects to UKIP but with "none of UKIP's advantages and most of its limitations", although he suggested that the party "might just be the start of a more general realignment in British politics", noting "If even a minority of disaffected Corbynite northerners get behind NIP, [...] Labour's downslide will accelerate."^[27]

In an opinion piece for The Times, former Labour staff member James Matthewson called the NIP "a glorified joke" and accused it of being a "fetishisation of Northern working-class culture by privileged, middle class hard-left ideologues".^[28] Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside, Kim Johnson, dismissed the party's slogan 'It's About Bloody Time' and use of a logo featuring a whippet as "patronising in the extreme".^[5]

In the New Statesman, Freddie Hayward, while dismissing favourable comparisons to the Scottish independence movement, concluded that the party "may be quixotic, or it may be the germination of a political force that gives the north 'national consequence'" and that it may be "needed to hold the major parties accountable for failing to address the north–south divide".^[7] Fellow contributor Jonn Elledge criticised the party's decision not to contest northern mayoralties, writing that while anything to "make everyone pay more attention to the north has to be a good thing", he viewed the party's targeting of Labour voters as potentially "handing another red-wall seat to the governing party" which would be unlikely to "wake up ministers to the need to give more money and attention to anywhere north of Stevenage".^[29]

In an op-ed for Bella Caledonia, Niall Christie, the Scotland Editor of the Morning Star, called for solidarity between Scottish nationalists and the NIP, praising the NIP's social media presence for "striking a fine balance between radical policies and Sean Bean memes", while also having "developed a full manifesto calling for a 'green industrial rethink' of the UK along with messages of solidarity for other movements advocating self-determination".^[30] Writing for Novara Media, psephology blogger Ell Folan, though dismissive of Thelma Walker's chances to win Hartlepool, believed the NIP "could easily cost Labour key seats in the future (especially with the Tories so far ahead in the polls)", concluding that "with leftism still popular in the north, regionalism on the rise and Labour's red wall no longer solid, Starmer needs to take the NIP seriously – or it won't seem like a joke much longer".^[31]

Elections[]

On 28 March 2021, the party selected Thelma Walker, formerly the Labour MP for Colne Valley from 2017 to 2019, to stand as its first prospective parliamentary candidate at the Hartlepool by-election.^[32] However, as the party was not registered with the Electoral Commission before the candidate nomination deadline, Walker appeared on the ballot as an Independent.^[33] Walker won 250 votes, coming eighth with 0.84% of the vote and losing her deposit.^[34]

The party also endorsed independent candidates in the 2021 council elections in the Derby and Litherland wards of Sefton and the Pendleton & Charlestown ward of Salford.^[35] None of these candidates were elected.^[36]

The NIP will be contesting the 2022 United Kingdom local elections and intends to field candidates for the next United Kingdom general election as well. According to Deputy Leader, David Heaven, "We want the people of the North to have a real choice at the next election, not just between three London-centric, right-wing parties. We're giving people the option of a party that will invest in skills, infrastructure and a green revival for the North."^[1]

See also[]

• North East Party, a regional party calling for a North East Assembly
• Yorkshire Party, a regional party calling for a Yorkshire Parliament
• Northern Party, a defunct regional party that was based in Lancashire
• North–South divide in England

References[]

External links[]

• Official website
• Philip Proudfoot interview with Novara Media