New Britain Party

New Britain was a minor British right wing political party founded by Dennis Delderfield in 1976.[1] The party was de-registered in November 2008.[2]

New Britain
PresidentGeorge Brooker
ChairmanDennis Delderfield
Vice-presidentJohn Haynes
Founded1976 (1976)
Dissolved2008 (2008)
Headquarters10 College East, Gunthorpe Street, London E1 7RL
IdeologyBritish nationalism
National conservatism
Website
www.newbritain.org.uk

Founding

It was led from its creation by Dennis Delderfield, a former Common Councilman of the City of London[1] and editor of the City of London & Dockland Times.[3] In 1980, the party absorbed the anti-immigration United Country Party,[1] which had been chaired by TV astronomer Patrick Moore.[4] Around this time it also absorbed a small anti-devolution group called the Keep Britain United Party.[1] This party had contested a single seat (Carmarthen) in the 1979 general election.[5][6]

Positions

New Britain was described as an "avowedly racist party" by The Observer.[7] It campaigned for the return of capital punishment, and was supported by the Christian Affirmation Campaign, a right-wing traditionalist movement[8] opposed to what it saw as the World Council of Churches' support for Communist regimes in Africa.[1] As a white nationalist party, it supported Apartheid and Rhodesia, and Delderfield signed a letter in 2000 that argued that "suburb after suburb and town after town across the land have been taken over by Asians, Africans and Afro-Caribbeans.... In the not too distant future they will have direct control in many areas."[7][9] A 1977 election leaflet stated that "coloured immigration to this country must stop completely and immediately."[10]

Electoral history

The party became active participants in by-elections, contesting those held in City of London and Westminster, Beaconsfield, Penrith and the Border and Bermondsey,[11] as well as putting up two candidates in the general elections of 1979 and 1983. Its best performance was at the Bournemouth East by-election of November 1977, but the party's candidate in the Ilford North by-election of March 1978 was revealed to be a convicted child abuser after nominations had closed, and his endorsement was withdrawn.[1]

In the 1994 European Parliament election, the last to be held under first past the post, it achieved moderate success, saving its deposit in one seat and nearly doing so in another.[1]

In the 2010 general election, standing as an independent candidate in the Cities of London and Westminster Parliamentary constituency, from the contact address listed on the New Britain website,[12] Dennis Delderfield finished third from bottom, ahead of the candidate "Mad Cap'n Tom".

Membership

Some former members later joined the United Kingdom Independence Party, including Mike Nattrass, later a Member of the European Parliament for UKIP, who stood as New Britain candidate in the Dudley West by-election of 1994, gaining 146 votes. His fellow UKIP MEP Jeffrey Titford was also a briefly a member after the Referendum Party folded.[13][14] Another UKIP candidate, Brian Smalley, joined in 1994 and was a member of the national committee.[10] All three deny that the party was racist and all three are no-longer connected to UKIP.[10]

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References
  1. Boothroyd, David, Politicos Guide to the History of British Political Parties (2001), p. 207.
  2. List of renamed or deregistered parties since 2002. Electoral Commission
  3. "City of London & Dockland Times". Media UK. Retrieved 13 February 2010.
  4. Verkaik, Robert (8 May 2007). "Moore joins ranks of grumpy old men with claim that BBC 'is run by women'". The Independent. Retrieved 12 February 2010.
  5. UK General Election, May 1979: Party Vote and Lost deposits
  6. "UK General Election results May 1979". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2010.
  7. Rayner, Jay (21 May 2000). "Far Right invades anti-Europe party". The Observer. Retrieved 12 February 2010.
  8. http://archive.catholicherald.co.uk/article/29th-november-1974/8/righties-unite
  9. Sullivan, Martin (2004). "Brownshirts in Blazers? The Rise of UKIP". What Next. Retrieved 12 February 2010.
  10. Craven, Nick (9 June 2004). "UKIP's UGLY SECRET; Cheer-led by celebrities, supported by countless decent – if frustrated that Britons, few realise UKIP has worrying racist links and a sleazy Mr Bean look-alike MEP". Daily Mail. Retrieved 13 February 2010.
  11. Tatchell, Peter (1983). The battle for Bermondsey. Heretic Books. ISBN 0-946097-11-9.
  12. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 December 2010. Retrieved 9 May 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  13. "The true face of a party which wants us out of Europe (Or 10 things the UKIP don't want you to know about them)". The Independent. 3 August 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
  14. Daniel, Mark (2005). Cranks and gadflies: the story of UKIP. Timewell Press. ISBN 1-85725-209-8.
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