List of political parties in the United Kingdom

This is a list of political parties in the United Kingdom.

Brief history and overview

Prior to the mid-19th century politics in the United Kingdom was dominated by the Whigs and the Tories. These were not political parties in the modern sense but somewhat loose alliances of interests and individuals. The Whigs were associated with the newly emerging moneyed industrial classes, and the Tories were associated with the landed gentry, the Church of England and the Church of Scotland.

By the mid 19th century the Tories had evolved into the Conservative Party, and the Whigs had evolved into the Liberal Party.

These two parties dominated the political scene until the 1920s, when the Liberal Party declined in popularity and suffered a long stream of resignations. It was replaced as the main left-wing party by the newly emerging Labour Party, who represented an alliance between the trades unions and various socialist societies.

Since then the Conservative and Labour Parties have dominated British politics, and have alternated in government ever since. However, the UK is not quite a two-party system since a third party (recently, the Liberal Democrats) can prevent 50% of the votes/seats from going to a single party. The Liberals merged with the Social Democrats because they had very similar views and became the Liberal Democrats which is now a sizeable party whose electoral results have improved in recent years.

The UK's First Past the Post electoral system leaves small parties disadvantaged on a UK-wide scale. It can, however, allow parties with concentrations of supporters in the constituent countries to flourish. Other than the Respect coalition and Health Concern, the only other parties winning seats in the House of Commons at the 2005 General Election were based in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Since 1997, proportional representation-based voting systems have been adopted for elections to the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the London Assembly and the UK's seats in the European Parliament. In these bodies, other parties have had success.

Traditionally political parties have been private organisations with no official recognition by the state. The Registration of Political Parties Act 1998 changed that by creating a register of parties.

Register of Political Parties

The Electoral Commission's Register of Political Parties lists the details of parties registered to fight elections, and their registered name, in the United Kingdom. Under current electoral law, including the Registration of Political Parties Act, the Electoral Administration Act 2006, and the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, only registered party names can be used on ballot papers by those wishing to fight elections. Candidates who do not belong to a registered party can use "independent" or no label at all.

As of 27 October 2009 it shows the number of registered political parties as 347 in Great Britain, and 46 in Northern Ireland.

• 168 parties have their name registered for use only in England
• 1 party has its name registered for use in England and Scotland.
• 9 parties have their name registered for use in England and Wales.
• 141 parties have their name registered for use in England, Scotland and Wales.
• 18 parties have their name registered for use only in Scotland.
• 10 parties have their name registered for use only in Wales.
• In Northern Ireland, 46 parties are on the register, including the Conservative Party who will fight elections in the province under a new joint-ticket agreement with the Ulster Unionist party with the ballot paper description "Ulster Conservative and Unionists — New Force"
• 7 parties are registered as "Minor Parties", who stand for elections to community councils (in Wales) or parish councils (in England) under slightly modified electoral legislation.

Major political parties in the House of Commons

Three parties dominate politics in the House of Commons. They all operate throughout Great Britain (only the Conservative Party stands candidates in Northern Ireland). Most of the British Members of the European Parliament, the Scottish Parliament, and the National Assembly for Wales represent one of these parties:

• Labour Party, centrist to Democratic Socialist (traditionally social democratic is now a broadly centrist party) (355 seats in the House of Commons)
  • Co-operative Party (all 29 Co-operative Party MPs are also Labour MPs as part of a long-standing electoral agreement)
• Conservative Party, centrist to right-wing (traditionally centre-right and pragmatic has always been a diverse and not always harmonious coalition) (197 seats)
• Liberal Democrats, centrist to centre-left (heavily influenced by social liberalism). (63 seats)

See also: Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Members of the European Parliament for the United Kingdom 2004-2009

Political parties with elected representation at a national or international level

Party	Representation					Comments
	UK House of Commons	Scottish Parliament	National Assembly for Wales	Northern Ireland Assembly	European Parliament
Labour Party	350 (inc 29 as Lab Co-op)	46 (inc 9 as Lab Co-op)	26 (inc 4 as Lab Co-op)	N/A	13	Centre-left; historically allied to Trade unions; mixed market (Third Way) policies have replaced its earlier more socialist platform in recent years; supports greater European integration.
Conservative Party	193	17	12	0	25	Centre-right party which can be loosely divided into three categories, though with considerable overlap: The Thatcherites, who strongly support a free market and tend to be Eurosceptic, the economically moderate but socially conservative One Nation Conservatives, and the libertarian Conservative Way Forward.
Liberal Democrats	63	16	6	N/A	11	Traditionally centrist, had drifted slightly to the left since the emergence of New Labour while remaining socially progressive but now moved towards a tax-cutting agenda; strongly supports greater European integration. Promote social liberalism; opposing what they call the 'nanny state', while supporting the welfare state for the basic necessities of life.
Democratic Unionist Party	9	N/A	N/A	36	1	More hardline Unionist party in Northern Ireland, has a socially right-wing political agenda, with historical ties to Protestant working classes, thus a centre-left economic history until recently.
Scottish National Party	7	47	N/A	N/A	2	Centre-left party in favour of Scottish independence.
Sinn Féin	5	N/A	N/A	28	1	Irish Republican party in Northern Ireland, supports socialism; abstentionist.
Plaid Cymru - Party of Wales	3	N/A	15	N/A	1	Centre-left party in favour of Welsh independence.
Social Democratic and Labour Party	3	N/A	N/A	16	0	Constitutional Irish nationalist party in Northern Ireland, has a centre-left and social democratic political orientation.
Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern	1	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	Local party based in Kidderminster; Original aim was to restore the casualty unit at Kidderminster Hospital, and the National Health Service is still its primary focus, but the party has since diversified.
Respect Coalition	1	N/A	0	N/A	0	Far left party active in England and Wales founded by George Galloway; concentrates on an anti-war platform. Ideology is socialism.
Ulster Unionist Party	1	N/A	N/A	18	1	Unionist party in Northern Ireland which is traditionally an amalgam of the political spectrum, considered more moderate than the Democratic Unionist Party.
UK Independence Party	0	0	0	0	13	Eurosceptic, conservative and populist party which favours withdrawal from the European Union, small government and economic liberalism.
Scottish Green Party	0	2	N/A	N/A	0	Environmentalist party in favour of Scottish independence.
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland	0	N/A	N/A	7	0	Liberal party in Northern Ireland that aims to breakdown sectarian divisions between Catholics and Protestants. Has a neutral stance on the Constitutional issue of Northern Ireland's status and is linked with the Liberal Democrats
Progressive Unionist Party	0	N/A	N/A	1	0	Loyalist party in Northern Ireland broadly sympathetic to the Labour Party, has links to a loyalist paramilitary, the Ulster Volunteer Force.
Green Party in Northern Ireland	0	N/A	N/A	1	0	Environmentalist party in Northern Ireland.
Green Party of England and Wales	0	N/A	0	N/A	2	Generally centre-left, environmentalist party. Also favours British republicanism
British National Party	0	0	0	N/A	2	Far right, nationalist party who support withdrawal from the European Union, halting immigration and inequality of race. Have been described as fascist and Third Positionist. While historically associated with neo-Nazism, anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial, have since distanced themselves from these sentiments.

Minor political parties in the United Kingdom

Minor English political parties

Main article: Politics of England

Party name	Date registered with the Electoral Commission	Notes	Refs
Boston Bypass Independents	11 December 2006	Single issue party that took overall control of Boston Borough Council in the 2007 May elections.
Community Action Party	20 March 2002	Local centre-left party active in Wigan (the second biggest party on Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council) and in parts of Cheshire.
Community (London Borough of Hounslow)	23 August 2000	A local party with half a dozen councillors on the Hounslow Borough Council and forms part of the current council administration with the Conservative Party.
Devizes Guardians	19 June 2002	Local party based in Devizes, Wiltshire, which has held three seats on the Wiltshire Council unitary authority since June 2009 and which previously held seats on the former Kennet District Council.
England First Party	2 September 2003	A far-right nationalist party. Also campaigning for self-government for England.
English Democrats Party	15 November 1999	A party campaigning for self-government for England.
English Progressive and Liberty Party	8 October 2002
Free England Party	2008	An English Independence and Eurosceptic party, devoted to the creation of a separate English parliament, with equal rights as those in Scotland and Wales, and the improvement of the country of England.
Idle Toad	30 January 2003	An "independents" party holding district and county council seats in Lancashire, England.
Mackerel Socialist Party	12 December 2012	Will only be a known party in the future.
Mebyon Kernow	25 February 1999	Long established Cornish nationalist party campaigning for Cornish self-government; has a number of local councillors in Cornwall.
Men's Representative Party		A party that campaigns for male rights.
Middlewich First	20 March 2003	A local party which holds 3 seats on East Cheshire Unitary Authority, 6 seats on Congleton Borough Council and seats on Middlewich Town Council.
Miss Great Britain Party	23 June 2008	A beauty pageant party
Money Reform Party	7 September 2005	A party opposed to private banks, arguing that money creation should be limited to a public agency.
Morecambe Bay Independents	24 March 1999	Local party active in the Morecambe and Heysham wards of City of Lancaster. Currently the second largest with 12 councillors, and in an all party coalition. Has been in power in the past as well.
Mum's Army	9 February 2006	A party primarily campaigning against yob behaviour, started in 2006 by Take A Break magazine. The party is also registered to stand in Scotland and Wales, but has not stood in these areas yet.
Residents Associations of Epsom and Ewell	13 December 2000	A local party who run the borough council in Epsom and Ewell.
National Liberal Party - The Third Way	25 March 1999
One London	17 November 2005	A London political party formerly with two seats on the London Assembly, a split from UK Independence Party.
People Against Bureaucracy Group	25 March 1999	A group of independents in Cheltenham, founded in 1976, who formed a borough council administration with the Conservative Party in 2006
Popular Alliance	8 March 2006	A party campaigning for National referendums on important issues, split from Veritas and United Kingdom Independence Party.
Roman Party Ave!	26 April 2006	Integrationist party based in Reading.
SOS! Voters Against Overdevelopment of Northampton	2 February 2005	The Save Our Soil party campaigns on planning issues in the Northampton area.
Social Democratic Party	24 July 2002	The remnants of the Social Democratic Party that did not dissolve in 1990. Has several councillors in East Riding of Yorkshire and Neath Port Talbot. Held Mayorship of Bridlington in 2007.
South Tyneside Progressives,	25 March 2002	A local party with a number of councillors on South Tyneside Borough Council.
Southampton First	19 March 2007	A local party active in Southampton.
United Kingdom First Party
Wessex Regionalist Party	25 June 1999	Seeking devolution for Wessex.

Minor Scottish political parties

Main article: Politics of Scotland

• Communist Party of Scotland Scotland's leading Communist party.
• East Dunbartonshire Independent Alliance Created from local Labour Party in-fighting.
• East Kilbride Alliance, a local party from the region.
• Free Scotland Party in favour of Scottish independence outside the European Union
• Independent Green Voice - Alistair McConnachie, ex-UKIP member with far-right connections party.
• Left Alliance, a party with council seats in Fife, Scotland
• Publican Party, campaigning to reintroduce smoking into Scottish pubs and bars.
• Scotland Against Crooked Lawyers, a party that looks to strictly regulate legal practitioners.
• Scottish Christian Party - the successor to Operation Christian Vote
• Scottish Enterprise Party, a centre-right party in favour of Scottish independence
• Scottish Independence Party, in favour of Scottish independence
• Scottish Jacobite Party, a semi-serious independence party.
• Scottish Pensioners Party, a party that focuses on aiding pensioners in Scotland.
• Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party, a party that focuses on ading pensioners in Scotland.
• Scottish Socialist Party, far left party, which campaigns for a Scottish socialist republic.
• Scottish Unionist Party, a party campaigning to prevent the dissolution of the United Kingdom. Has strong links with the Orange Order.
• Scottish Voice, a centre-right party formed from ex-Conservatives.
• Solidarity, a socialist party created by ex SSP leader Tommy Sheridan.

Minor Welsh political parties

Main article: Politics of Wales

• People's Voice - party set-up in Blaenau Gwent
• Cymru Annibynnol, in favour of Welsh independence
• Cymru Rydd - Welsh republican party
• Llais Gwynedd - Gwynedd Regionalist party
• Forward Wales
• Welsh Christian Party - again the successor to Operation Christian Vote
• Socialist Party Wales
• Wales Green Party
• Communist Party of Wales - also known as the Welsh Communist Party

Minor Northern Ireland political parties

Main article: Demography and politics of Northern Ireland

• Fianna Fáil (registered in NI since 7 December 2007)
• Labour Party of Northern Ireland
• Republican Sinn Féin
• Socialist Environmental Alliance, a far left party in Northern Ireland
• Socialist Party (Ireland)
• Traditional Unionist Voice
• Workers Party (Ireland), evolved from Official Sinn Féin

Minor far left political parties in the United Kingdom

Main article: British left

• Alliance for Green Socialism
• Alliance for Workers Liberty stand as Socialist Unity in elections
• Communist Party of Britain
• Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist)
• Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist)
• Communist Party of Great Britain (Provisional Central Committee)
• Democratic Labour Party, party based in Walsall, split off from local Labour Party in 1996
• Democratic Socialist Alliance
• Independent Working Class Association, has councillors on Oxford City Council
• International Socialist Group
• Left List - split from Respect - Unity Coalition
• New Communist Party of Britain
• Peace and Progress Party
• Permanent Revolution
• People's Party, was the People's Labour Party that split off from the local Labour Party in the Furness region.
• Red Party
• Revolutionary Communist Group
• Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist)
• Socialist Appeal
• Socialist Equality Party
• Socialist Labour Party
• Socialist Party (England and Wales) stands as Socialist Alternative in elections
• Socialist Party of Great Britain
• Socialist Workers Party the party currently forms part of Left Alternative.
• Spartacist League of Britain
• Workers Power
• Workers' Revolutionary Party
• Libertarian Socialist Alliance

Minor far right political parties in the United Kingdom

• British National Socialist Movement
• British Peoples Party
• British First Party
• England First Party
• English Independence Party
• Imperial Party
• National Democrats
• National Front
• Nationalist Alliance
• New Nationalist Party
• Populist Party
• Nadem

Joke political parties in the United Kingdom

• Fancy Dress Party
• Official Monster Raving Loony Party, the most well-known joke party, who have run Ashburton town council (in Devon) in the past
• Rock 'n' Roll Loony Party

Minor religion-based political parties in the United Kingdom

• Christian Peoples Alliance
• The Common Good
• Islamic Party of Britain
• Operation Christian Vote - The Reverend George Hargreaves and David Braid. Now the Christian Party (aka Scottish Christian Party and Welsh Christian Party)
• Vivamus-Let Us Live

Other minor political parties in the United Kingdom

• "Alternative Party". Archived from the original on 29 January 2006.
• Animals Count
• Better Boston Group
• British Public Party
• British Right Alliance
• The Consensus
• Countryside Party
• Democratic Party
• Equal Parenting Alliance
• Firefighters Against Cuts
• Humanist Party
• Jury Team (a "non-party party": an umbrella organisation for Independent candidates)
• Liberal Party, Former members of the historic Liberal Party who refounded themselves as the Liberals when they felt that the old party had been lost in the merger with the Social Democratic Party. Has around 30 district, borough, city and county councillors.
• United Kingdom Libertarian Party
• The New Party (UK) - previously stood under the name of the Peoples Alliance.
• No Candidate Deserves My Vote Party
• Pirate Party of the United Kingdom
• Prolife Alliance
• Senior Citizens Party
• Social Liberalist Party, classical liberal party that claims more members than the continuing Liberal Party
• Spectre
• United Kingdom Popular Democrats
• Veritas Party
• Your Party

Defunct and historic parties in the United Kingdom

English political parties

• Vectis National Party (1970s) - Isle of Wight regionalist party.
• Build Duddon and Morecambe Bridges - voluntarily de-registered on 2 September 2005.

Scottish political parties

• Fife Socialist League (1950s–1960s)
• Fishing Party (Scotland) (? - 2003)
• Highland Land League (1909–1920s)
• Highlands and Islands Alliance
• Labour Party of Scotland
• National Party of Scotland (1928–1934)
• Orkney and Shetland Movement
• Scottish Labour Party (1888-1893)
• Scottish Labour Party (1976-1981)
• Scottish Militant Labour
• Scottish Party (1932–1934)
• Scottish Prohibition Party
• Scottish Republican Socialist Party (1982–1998)
• Scottish Socialist Alliance
• Scottish Socialist Federation
• Scottish Socialist Party (1987-1990) (1987–1990)
• Scottish Workers' Representation Committee
• Scottish Workers Republican Party
• Scottish Unionist Party (1912–1965)
• Workers Party of Scotland

Welsh political parties

• Balchder Cymru
• Cymru Goch
• Welsh Republican Movement
• John Marek Independent Party - (2003), evolved into Forward Wales
• South Wales Socialist Society
• Communist Party of South Wales and the West of England
• Alexander Williams Party

Northern Irish political parties

• All-for-Ireland Party (1910–1918)
• British Ulster Dominion Party
• Irish Independence Party
• Irish Parliamentary Party
• Nationalist Party
• Northern Ireland Labour Party
• Northern Ireland Women's Coalition
• People's Democracy
• Protestant Unionist Party
• Republican Labour Party
• Ulster Democratic Party
• Ulster Independence Movement
• Ulster Popular Unionist Party (1980–95)
• United Kingdom Unionist Party (1995–2008)
• United Ulster Unionist Party (1977–84)
• Unionist Party of Northern Ireland
• Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party (1973–78)

Defunct far left and communist political parties in the United Kingdom

• British Socialist Party (1911–20)
• Common Wealth Party (1942–45)
• Communist Party of Great Britain (1920–91)
• Independent Labour Party (1893–1975)
• International Marxist Group (1968–81)
• Labour Party of Scotland (1973)
• Revolutionary Communist League of Britain (1968–1998)
• Revolutionary Communist Party (1944–50)
• Revolutionary Socialist League (1938–44)
• Socialist Alliance (1994–2005)
• Social Democratic Federation (1884–1911)
• Socialist Labour Party (1903–80)
• Socialist League (1886–1903)
• Workers International League (1937–44)
• Workers Socialist Federation (1914–21)

Defunct British far right and fascist political parties

• British Democratic Party (1979–82)
• British Fascisti (1920s–30s)
• British Movement (1968–83)
• British National Party (1960–67)
• British People's Party (1940s)
• British Union of Fascists (1930s)
• Constitutional Movement (1979–84)
• Flag Group (1980s)
• Freedom Party (2000–06)
• Greater Britain Movement (1964–67)
• National Democratic Party (1960s–70s)
• Imperial Fascist League (1929–39)
• National Fascisti (1920s)
• National Independence Party (1970s)
• National Labour Party (1957–60)
• National Party (1975–77)
• National Socialist League (1937–39)
• National Socialist Movement (1962–67)
• New Britain Party (1976–08)
• Official National Front (1980s)
• Union Movement (1948–73)
• United Country Party (1970s)
• White Defence League (1958–60)
• White Nationalist Party (2002 to 2005)

Miscellaneous British political parties

• Campaign for Social Democracy (1973–1974)
• Democratic Labour (1972–1979)
• Green Party (UK)
• Legalise Cannabis Alliance
• Liberal Party (1839–1988)
• Liberal Unionist Party (1886–1912)
• Liverpool Protestant Party
• National Liberal Party
• National Socialist Party (1916–1919)
• Natural Law Party (1992–2004)
• New Party (1931–1932)
• Referendum Party (1997 election)
• Social Credit Party of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (1931–1951, 1965–1978)
• Social Democratic Party (1981–1990)
• National Democratic and Labour Party
• Women's Party (1917–1919)

See also

• Timeline of political parties in the United Kingdom
• List of political parties in the United Kingdom by representation
• List of political parties to browse parties by country
• List of political parties by ideology to browse parties by name
• Membership of internationals to browse parties by membership of internationals
• Politics of the United Kingdom
• List of political parties in Northern Ireland
• List of political parties in Scotland
• List of political parties in Wales
• List of political parties in the Isle of Man (a British Crown dependency)
• List of political parties in Gibraltar (a British overseas territory)
• United Kingdom Election Results

External links

• "List of all parties standing at the 2005 election". Archived from the original on 9 March 2006.
• "List of parties that stood candidates in the 2001 general elections". Archived from the original on 25 September 2006.
• Electoral Commission: Database of Registers, includes Register of Political Parties
• Links to UK political websites from the BBC