Alliance for Democracy (UK)

Alliance for Democracy

File:Alliance for Democray.png
Formation	2009
Type	Political organisation
Purpose	Electoral alliance
Headquarters	London
Location	Alliance For Democracy England, PO Box 65106, London, England, SW1P 9PN
Region served	United Kingdom
Membership	5000
Official language	English
Leader	Sir Paul Judge
Remarks	Ideology: English nationalism, Christian democracy, Conservatism, Euroscepticism

The Alliance for Democracy is an electoral coalition of four British political parties, the English Democrats, the Jury Team, the Christian Party, and Veritas.

Its priorities are expanding the use of referenda, promoting non-career politicians, and cleaning up government and the processes surrounding the selection of the prime minister. The Alliance was launched on 10 February 2010.

Background

The Friends Meeting House in Euston, the location of early meetings.

Following the 2004 European Union elections, representatives of four parties who stood in those elections, Robin Tilbrook and Steve Uncles from the English Democrats, Steve Radford from the Liberal Party, Grahame Leon-Smith from the Senior Citizens Party and the late Richard Malbon of the Countryside Party met to consider working together in the 2005 General Election. They met twice at the Friends House in Euston Road, London and agreed a common set of principles under which to consent the election, intending to stand enough candidates to obtain a collective party political broadcast. However, the National Executive of the Liberal Party opposed the plan due to some of the policies of the Countryside Party, although that party did not stand at the election.

Although there was no formal agreement, candidates were co-ordinated so that with the exception of one constituency, the English Democrats, Liberal Party and Senior Citizens Party did not stand against each other.

Foundation

Following the 2009 European elections, the English Democrats, Jury Team, and Popular Alliance held a similar meeting to discuss working together at the 2010 General Election. The Popular Alliance involved the Christian Party, United Kingdom First Party, and Veritas, with Alan Wood of the United Kingdom Independence Party attending one meeting. The English Democrats invited the UK Libertarian Party to join the discussions, but they declined to participate. The first meeting of the Alliance was on 7 November 2009, again at the Friends House in Euston.

2010 general election

Steve Uncles and Elaine Cheeseman from the English Democrats, George Hargreaves from the Christian Party, Paul Judge from the Jury Team, Robin Page from the United Kingdom First Party, Therese Muchewicz from Veritas and Brian Buxton from the Popular Alliance discussed their plans for the 2010 general election, meeting five times in Euston and Vauxhall and agreed common principles and to not to stand against each other.

The Alliance is led by the English Democrats and Jury Team. The Christian Party and Veritas have associate status, while United Kingdom First and the Popular Alliance withdrew as they were unlikely to field candidates. Following the launch of the Alliance on 15 February 2010, other parties were invited to join the Alliance, aiming to field 350 candidates.

Opponents have pointed to the diversity of viewpoints as a potential pitfall for the Alliance, noting in particular that while the Christian Party promises to "uphold marriage between one man and one woman for life", leader Sir Paul is a divorcé and used his ex-wife's alimony to fulfil a moral obligation to cover the losses of a charity which had invested in a failed vending-machine business on his recommendation.

See also

Constituent parties

• Christian Party (UK)
• English Democrats
• Jury Team
• Popular Alliance (UK)
• UK First Party
• Veritas (political party)

External links

• Official website
• Summary from the English Parliament online website
• BBC Article on Jury Team & Alliance for Democracy