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The Third Way is a think tank and former political party in the United Kingdom, founded on the 17 March 1990. Third Way has supported a system of federalism for the UK[3] with the possibility of a future break-up,[4] an isolationist foreign policy,[5] environmentalism,[6] the wide use of Swiss-style citizens' initiatives[7] and distributism.[8]
Third Way | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Patrick Harrington |
| Founder | Patrick Harrington |
| Founded | 17 March 1990 |
| Dissolved | 2006 (as political party) |
| Ideology | Anti-capitalism[1] Anti-communism[1] Euroscepticism[2] |
| Regional affiliation | Ulster Third Way (formerly) |
| Colours | Green |
| Website | |
| thirdway | |
It should not be confused with the Third Way ideology promoted by Tony Blair, Bill Clinton and Gerhard Schröder, which it condemns as a revised form of social democracy.[9] It is not related to the Christian Third Way magazine.
Third Way describes itself as:
a think-tank dedicated to creating a society based on Justice, Community and Individual freedom against one that is based on Greed, Globalisation and Tyranny.
Third Way stands against all forms of social injustice, racism and religious bigotry. Third Way is for everyone. We promote positive ideas and apart from this website also publish printed material. We advocate Direct Democracy along Swiss lines using referenda and citizens’ initiatives.
We support small business and co-operative ownership.[10]
The former Northern Ireland wing of the party, Ulster Third Way (U3W) advocated for Northern Irish independence from both the UK and Republic of Ireland before its dissolution in 2005. U3W also supported the re-establishment of the Confederate States of America and neo-confederatism, although it is not clear if this opinion was shared with the rest of the Third Way.[11]
- Patrick Harrington, founder
- David Kerr (until 2006), has stood for election as an Ulster Third Way candidate in Belfast. He is now a part of the offshoot National Liberal Party
Third Way supported the English Lobby, a pressure group and electoral coalition founded in 2004 that campaigns for the recognition of St George's Day and the creation of an English parliament.
Third Way supporters assisted in the foundation of the trade union Solidarity – The Union for British Workers.
The Third Way has operated, or is closely associated with, various publications and websites, including:
- Ulster Nation magazine and website
- Counter-Culture magazine and website
- Liverpool Newsletter, a distributist publication formerly edited by Anthony Cooney and now published by Third Way.
In 1999, new electoral organisation the National Liberal Party was formed by Patrick Harrington and Graham Williamson and registered as National Liberal Party – The Third Way with the Electoral Commission. It fought parliamentary elections in Hornchurch (in 2001 and 2005), Belfast West (2001, as Ulster Third Way), Upminster (2005) and Eastleigh (2010) but obtained below 1% of the vote in each case.
In the 2014 European elections, the National Liberal Party stood with 8 candidates in the London constituency,[12] gaining 6,736 votes.[13]
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