United Democratic Party (UK)
Encyclopedia
The United Democratic Party was a minor political party
in the United Kingdom
. It was formed in 1974 by a group of Independent Conservative
s disaffected with Edward Heath
's leadership of the Conservative Party
During the February 1974 general election
a number of unofficial and independent Tories had stood against the official party candidates. A number of these joined together after the election when it became clear that a second vote would be needed, forming the UDP as a right-wing alternative. The new party did not have an overall policy although it was generally to right of the Conservative Party and for some candidates, although not invariably, stressed opposition to the European Economic Community
.
Boosted by some new members joining from the fading Independent Democratic Alliance the UDP contested 13 seats in the October general election
. Led by James Tippett, the party's candidates were all based in the south of England and all failed to gain election. The party's best result was in Cambridge
where they won 885 votes (1.7% share), a result influenced the candidate C.J. Curry being a well-known local business figure.
The party disbanded soon after the general election with a single member continuing as aregular by-election candidate, albeit under the Independent
banner. A "United Democratic Party" candidate in the Bermondsey by-election, 1983
had no connection to the earlier group.
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 the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It was formed in 1974 by a group of Independent Conservative
Independent Conservative
Independent Conservative is a description allowed in British politics to denote party affiliation. It is used to designate a politician is conservative, yet independent of any political party, particularly of the Conservative Party....
s disaffected with Edward Heath
Edward Heath
Sir Edward Richard George "Ted" Heath, KG, MBE, PC was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and as Leader of the Conservative Party ....
's leadership of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
During the February 1974 general election
United Kingdom general election, February 1974
The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,...
a number of unofficial and independent Tories had stood against the official party candidates. A number of these joined together after the election when it became clear that a second vote would be needed, forming the UDP as a right-wing alternative. The new party did not have an overall policy although it was generally to right of the Conservative Party and for some candidates, although not invariably, stressed opposition to the European Economic Community
European Economic Community
The European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...
.
Boosted by some new members joining from the fading Independent Democratic Alliance the UDP contested 13 seats in the October general election
United Kingdom general election, October 1974
The United Kingdom general election of October 1974 took place on 10 October 1974 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. It was the second general election of that year and resulted in the Labour Party led by Harold Wilson, winning by a tiny majority of 3 seats.The election of...
. Led by James Tippett, the party's candidates were all based in the south of England and all failed to gain election. The party's best result was in Cambridge
Cambridge (UK Parliament constituency)
Cambridge is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post voting system....
where they won 885 votes (1.7% share), a result influenced the candidate C.J. Curry being a well-known local business figure.
The party disbanded soon after the general election with a single member continuing as aregular by-election candidate, albeit under the Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
banner. A "United Democratic Party" candidate in the Bermondsey by-election, 1983
Bermondsey by-election, 1983
A by-election was held in the Bermondsey constituency in South London, on 24 February 1983, following the resignation of Labour MP Robert Mellish, who had represented the constituency and its predecessors in the House of Commons since 1946...
had no connection to the earlier group.