The Electoral Commission's Register of Political Parties[1] lists the details of political parties registered to contest elections in the United Kingdom, including their registered name. Under current electoral law, including the Registration of Political Parties Act 1998, 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 25 May 2024[update], the Electoral Commission showed the number of registered political parties in Great Britain and Northern Ireland as 393.[2]
Before the middle of the 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 included many of the leading aristocratic dynasties committed to the Protestant succession, and later drew support from elements of the emerging industrial interests and wealthy merchants, while 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. The concept of right and left came originally from France, where the supporters of a monarchy (constitutional or absolute) sat on the right wing of the National Assembly, and republicans on the left. In the late 19th century, the Liberal Party began to lean towards the left. Liberal Unionists split off from the Liberals over Irish Home Rule and moved closer to the Conservatives over time.
The Liberals and Conservatives 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 anti-Tory opposition party by the newly emerging Labour Party, which represented an alliance between the labour movement, organised 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 as other parties have significant support. The Liberal Democrats were the third largest party until the 2015 general election when they were overtaken by the Scottish National Party in terms of seats and UK political party membership, and by the UK Independence Party (UKIP) in terms of votes. The Liberal Democrats regained the status of the third largest political party in the UK by seats with the outcome of the 2024 United Kingdom general election.
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. In the 2015 election, there was widespread controversy[3][4][5] when the UK Independence Party (UKIP) and the Green Party of England and Wales received 4.9 million votes[6] (12.6% of the total vote for UKIP and 3.8% for the Greens) yet only gained one seat each in the House of Commons. After that election, UKIP, the Liberal Democrats, the Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymru, and the Green Party of England and Wales, together with its Scottish and Northern Ireland affiliated parties, delivered a petition signed by 477,000[7] people to Downing Street demanding electoral reform.
Since 1997, proportional representation-based voting systems have been adopted for elections to the Scottish Parliament, the Senedd (Welsh Parliament), the Northern Ireland Assembly, the London Assembly and (until Brexit in 2020) 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.
Membership of political parties has been in decline in the UK since the 1950s, falling by over 65% from 1983 (4% of the electorate) to 2005 (1.3%).[8]
Parties with representation in the House of Commons
Parties without representation in the House of Commons, but with representation in other UK legislatures
There are a political parties in the United Kingdom that do not have representation in the House of Commons, but have elected representatives in the Northern Ireland Assembly and Scottish Parliament. These are:
| Party | Date founded | Political position | Ideology | Current leader | House of Lords |
Scottish Parliament | Northern Ireland Assembly | Local government[12] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottish Greens | 1990 | Centre-left to left-wing |
Green politics Scottish independence Scottish republicanism |
Patrick Harvie, Lorna Slater (job share) |
0 / 824 |
7 / 129 |
0 / 90 |
36 / 19,103 [13] | |
| Alba Party | 2021 | Centre-left to centre-right | Scottish nationalism Scottish independence Social conservatism |
Kenny MacAskill (acting) |
0 / 824 |
1 / 129 |
0 / 90 |
2 / 19,103 | |
| People Before Profit (PBP) | 2005 | Left-wing to far-left | Socialism Trotskyism Anti-capitalism Irish reunification |
Richard Boyd Barrett | 0 / 824 |
0 / 129 |
1 / 90 |
2 / 19,103 | |
Party descriptions
| Party | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Party | A social democratic party that has its roots in the trade union movement. The party has several internal factions, which include: Progressive Britain, which promotes a continuation of New Labour policies and is considered to be on the right of the party; the soft-left Open Labour; Momentum, which represents the party's left-wing, democratic socialist grouping; and Blue Labour, which promotes socially and culturally conservative values while remaining committed to labour rights and left-wing economics. Labour also has candidates who stand on a split-ticket with the Co-operative Party. | |
| Co-operative Party | A party that promotes cooperative principles and values, providing political representation for the British co-operative movement. Since 1927, the party has been in an electoral alliance with the Labour Party, standing joint candidates under the Labour and Co-operative label. | |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | A politically conservative party loosely divided into three categories: the One Nation Conservatives, the Thatcherites, who strongly support a free market with restrained government spending and tend to be Eurosceptic; and the Cornerstone Group. | |
| Liberal Democrats | A liberal party; its main branches are social liberals based around the Social Liberal Forum, and the more centrist Liberal Reform grouping, which places more of an emphasis on economic liberalism. There is also a social democratic faction and influence within the party. | |
| Scottish National Party (SNP) | Scottish nationalist and social democratic party which supports Scottish independence and membership of the European Union or further devolution for Scotland. | |
| Sinn Féin | Irish republican party dedicated to the reunification of Ireland and the creation of a new republic based on democratic socialist values. It holds a policy of abstentionism for the House of Commons, with its MPs not taking their seats in this legislature. | |
| Reform UK | Right-wing populist and Eurosceptic party, led by former UK Independence Party (UKIP) leader MEP and current MP for Clacton, Nigel Farage. | |
| Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) | Strongly British unionist party in Northern Ireland which promotes social and national conservatism. | |
| Green Party of England and Wales | Green party that combines environmentalism and sustainability with left-leaning economic policies, while taking a progressive approach socially. The party also has eco-socialist and anti-capitalist factions, such as the Green Left grouping. | |
| Plaid Cymru | Democratic socialist, social democratic, and Welsh nationalist party in favour of Welsh independence or further devolution for Wales. | |
| Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) | Irish nationalist and social-democratic party supporting a united Ireland. | |
| Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI) | Liberal, nonsectarian and pro-European political party in Northern Ireland. | |
| Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) | Conservative and Unionist party in Northern Ireland, taking a somewhat "softer" stance on social issues than the DUP. The party was formerly tied to the Conservative Party in Great Britain. | |
| Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) | Strongly social and national conservative unionist party in Northern Ireland. It has formed an alliance with Reform UK. | |
| Scottish Greens | Green party in favour of Scottish independence and Scottish republicanism. | |
| Alba Party | Formed as a breakaway party from the SNP, the party promotes Scottish independence, Scottish nationalism and Scottish republicanism, while taking a more socially conservative stance than the SNP. | |
| People Before Profit (PBP) | Socialist and Trotskyist party that is active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. | |
Elected representatives at principal level of local government in the United Kingdom
Great Britain-wide or UK-wide parties
Parties that only stand in a nation of the UK (i.e. England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, or Wales) or a region
Local parties
No elected representation at principal level
This is a table of notable minor parties. Many parties are registered with the Electoral Commission but do not qualify for this list as they have not received significant independent coverage. Parties active across Ireland may have representation in the Republic of Ireland but not Northern Ireland.
Defunct parties
Historical parties
- All-for-Ireland Party (1910–1918)
- Anti Common Market and Free Trade Party (1967–1988)
- British Democratic Party (1979–1982)
- British Fascists (1920s–1930s)
- British Movement (1968–1983)
- British National Party (1960–1967)
- British People's Party (1940s)
- British Socialist Party (1911–1920)
- British Ulster Dominion Party
- British Union of Fascists (1930s)
- Campaign for Social Democracy (1973–1974)
- Committee to Defeat Revisionism, for Communist Unity (1963–c. 1972)
- Common Wealth Party (1942–1945)
- Communist Party of Great Britain (1920–1991)
- Communist Party of South Wales and the West of England
- Constitutional Movement (1979–1984)
- Crofters Party
- Fife Socialist League (1950s–1960s)
- Flag Group (1980s)
- Highland Land League (1909–1920s)
- Independent Labour Party (1893–1975)
- International Marxist Group (1968–1982)
[Organised the electoral coalition Socialist Unity] - Irish Independence Party
- Irish Parliamentary Party
- Irish Unionist Alliance
- Labour Party of Northern Ireland
- Labour Party of Scotland (1973)
- Liberal Unionist Party (1886–1912)
- National Democratic and Labour Party (1918–1923)
- National Democratic Party (1960s–1970s)
- National Independence Party (1970s)
- National Labour Party (1957–1960)
- National Liberal Party (1922–1923)
- National Liberal Party (1931–1968)
- National Party (1975–1977)
- National Party of Scotland (1928–1934)
- National Socialist Party (1916–1919)
- Nationalist Party (1918–1977) [Northern Irish party]
- New Party (1931–1932)
- Official National Front (1986–1989)
- Orkney and Shetland Movement
- Progressive Party (1920s–1970s) [Scottish party]
- Revolutionary Communist Party (1944–1950)
- Revolutionary Socialist Party (1912–1941)
- Revolutionary Workers' Party (1962–1990s)
- Scottish Labour Party (1888–1893)
- Scottish Labour Party (1976–1981)
- Scottish Militant Labour (1990s)
- Scottish Party (1932–1934)
- Scottish Prohibition Party (1901–1935)
- Scottish Socialist Alliance
- Scottish Socialist Federation
- Scottish Voice
- Scottish Workers' Representation Committee (1899–1909)
- Scottish Workers Republican Party
- Social Credit Party of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (1931–1951, 1965–1978)
- Social Democratic Federation (1884–1911)
- Socialist Labour Party (1903–1980)
- Ulster Liberal Party (1928, 1956–1987)
- Ulster Labour Unionists
- Union Movement (1948–1973)
- Unionist Party (1912–1965)
- United Country Party (1970s)
- United Socialist Movement (1934–1965)
- Vectis National Party (1970s) [Isle of Wight regionalist party]
- Women's Equality Party (2015–2024)
- Women's Party (1917–1919)
- Workers Party of Scotland
- Working People's Party of England (1968–1986)
See also
- Timeline of political parties in the United Kingdom
- List of political parties in the United Kingdom by representation
- List of political parties in the United Kingdom opposed to austerity
- List of British fascist parties
- Political make-up of local councils in the United Kingdom
- List of political parties by country
- Politics of the United Kingdom
- Political party affiliation in the United Kingdom
- Elections in 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)
- Index of UK party meta attributes
Notes
- The Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, is not included in this tally as the speaker stands in the election as "Speaker seeking re-election" and no longer has ties with their original party.
- Including absent, suspended and temporarily disqualified members.
- Sinn Féin's president is Mary Lou McDonald, who is a TD for Dublin Central in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas (legislature of the Republic of Ireland). O'Neill is the party's vice president and leads the party in Northern Ireland.[10]
- Sinn Fein operate a policy of abstentionism and do not take their Commons seats
- Including absent, suspended and temporarily disqualified members.
- The SDP-Liberal Alliance at dissolution was jointly led by Steel as the leader of the Liberal Party and Robert Maclennan as the leader of the SDP.
- The SDP-Liberal Alliance at dissolution was jointly led by David Steel as the leader of the Liberal Party and Maclennan as the leader of the SDP.
References
Sources
External links
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