New Democracy (Canada)
Encyclopedia
New Democracy was a political party
in Canada
founded by William Duncan Herridge
in 1939. Herridge, a former Conservative
party adviser who was Canada's Envoy
to the United States
from 1931-35 during the government of R. B. Bennett
.
Herridge advocated monetary reform
and government intervention in the economy as a means of fighting the Great Depression
. His ideas were similar to those of the social credit movement
, and in the 1940 election
, the Social Credit Party of Canada
joined with Herridge to run candidates jointly under the New Democracy umbrella.
The experiment was unsuccessful as Herridge failed to win a seat, and the three New Democracy MP
s elected were Social Creditors. The name remained associated with the national Social Credit movement until 1944 when the name Social Credit was readopted at a national convention held in Toronto.
The party should not be confused with the subsequent New Democratic Party
.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
founded by William Duncan Herridge
William Duncan Herridge
William Duncan Herridge, PC, KC, MC, DSO was a Canadian politician and diplomat.He was the son of Reverend William T...
in 1939. Herridge, a former Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
party adviser who was Canada's Envoy
Envoy (title)
In diplomacy, an Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary is, under the terms of the Congress of Vienna of 1815, a diplomat of the second class, ranking between an Ambassador and a Minister Resident....
to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from 1931-35 during the government of R. B. Bennett
R. B. Bennett
Richard Bedford Bennett, 1st Viscount Bennett, PC, KC was a Canadian lawyer, businessman, politician, and philanthropist. He served as the 11th Prime Minister of Canada from August 7, 1930, to October 23, 1935, during the worst of the Great Depression years...
.
Herridge advocated monetary reform
Monetary reform
Monetary reform describes any movement or theory that proposes a different system of supplying money and financing the economy from the current system.Monetary reformers may advocate any of the following, among other proposals:...
and government intervention in the economy as a means of fighting the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. His ideas were similar to those of the social credit movement
Canadian social credit movement
The Canadian social credit movement was a Canadian political movement originally based on the Social Credit theory of Major C. H. Douglas. Its supporters were colloquially known as Socreds...
, and in the 1940 election
Canadian federal election, 1940
The Canadian federal election of 1940 was the 19th general election in Canadian history. It was held March 26, 1940 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 19th Parliament of Canada...
, the Social Credit Party of Canada
Social Credit Party of Canada
The Social Credit Party of Canada was a conservative-populist political party in Canada that promoted social credit theories of monetary reform...
joined with Herridge to run candidates jointly under the New Democracy umbrella.
The experiment was unsuccessful as Herridge failed to win a seat, and the three New Democracy MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
s elected were Social Creditors. The name remained associated with the national Social Credit movement until 1944 when the name Social Credit was readopted at a national convention held in Toronto.
The party should not be confused with the subsequent New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
.
| Election | Party Leader | # of candidates nominated | # of seats won | # of total votes | % of popular vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 Canadian federal election, 1940 The Canadian federal election of 1940 was the 19th general election in Canadian history. It was held March 26, 1940 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 19th Parliament of Canada... |
W.D. Herridge William Duncan Herridge William Duncan Herridge, PC, KC, MC, DSO was a Canadian politician and diplomat.He was the son of Reverend William T... |
17 | 3 | 73,083 | 1.59% |