UK Report

This report on the United Kingdom is political in nature and is by no means comprehensive. It serves only to educate about political views and categorize the ideology of various policy-actors.

This section explains major and some minor political parties in terms of the Nolan Chart. To learn more about the Nolan Chart please see the issue article here.

The UK political culture is based in large degree on tradition, having no written constitution or separation of executive-legislative powers to limit Parliament. Labor and the Conservatives are the larger parties, with the Liberal Democrats attempting to become the main opposition. Many small parties exist, the successful ones oriented on a local or regional level. Some parties are only successful in local or EU elections (the UK is an EU member). Elections are first past the post in single member districts. The last national election was held in May.

Parliament 646 Members
356 Labor	6 Scottish National
197 Conservative	3 Party of Wales
62 Liberal Democrat	1 RESPECT
18 [DUP/SF/SDLP/UUP]	3 Other/Vacant

EU Election 2004
27 Conservative	2 Scottish National
19 Labor	1 Democratic Unionist
12 UK Independence	1 Party of Wales
12 Liberal Democrat	1 Sinn Fein
2 Green	1 Ulster Unionist

The Labor Party is a socialist party that has modified itself to be more of a Third Way social democratic organization. It has been the dominant force of the last decade or so in British politics since the 1997 election catapulted them into power. It has a strong undercurrent of socialist opinion on a range of issues, but includes elements of a more market-reformist bent. As found in the platform, it is pro-welfare state, pro-choice, pro-gun control, with a few liberalist and many socialist foreign policy advocates. It is affiliated with the Socialist International and its EU-parliament group is the Party of European Socialists.

The Conservative Party was in a dominant position during Margaret Thatcher's tenure as leader and Prime Minister through the 1980s, but has had difficulty rebounding in the last several elections. It is a Burkean party, largely dedicated to slowing the rate of change in society, but it is not without its classical liberal elements. It has become more like the US Republican Party with the influence of Thatcher (and Reagan) but is still more prone to holding the line of tradition than pushing the line for freedom or reform. The party urges fairly free markets, is mixed on abortion and on gun laws with mercantilist, liberalist and many realist foreign policy advocates. It is affiliated with the International Democrat Union and its EU-parliament group is the European People's Party and European Democrats.

The Liberal Democrats are a very under-defined party that is essentially a mix of leftists and liberals of varying stripes. The specificities of electoral politics make the party run a progressive-left campaign in some districts and a classical liberal-right campaign in others. Overall the party tends to advocate very socially liberal policies but very mixed economic policies. It is affiliated with Liberal International and its EU-parliament group is the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.

The Democratic Unionist Party is a stridently pro-union party in Northern Ireland. It is not affiliated with an international partisan organization and in the EU parliament is non-attached.

The Scottish National Party is a Scottish autonomist party. It is not affiliated with an international partisan organization and its EU-parliament group is the European Greens - European Free Alliance.

Sinn Fein is a terror-linked republican party in Northern Ireland that abstains from sitting in Parliament for seats it wins. It is not affiliated with an international partisan organization and its EU-parliament group is the European United Left - Nordic Green Left.

Party of Wales (almost always styled as Plaid Cymru from the Welsh name) is a Welsh autonomist party. It is not affiliated with an international partisan organization and its EU-parliament group is the European Greens - European Free Alliance.

The Social Democratic and Labor Party is a republican party in Northern Ireland. It is affiliated with the Socialist International and its EU-parliament group is the Party of European Socialists.

The Ulster Unionist Party is a pro-union party in Northern Ireland. It is not affiliated with an international partisan organization and its EU-parliament group is the European People's Party - European Democrats.

RESPECT is an anti-war, Muslim-focused socialist party. It is not affiliated with an international partisan organization.

The Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern is a party local to one constituency whose signature issue is restoring full service at a local hospital. It is not affiliated with an international partisan organization.

The United Kingdom Independence Party is a Euro-skeptic party. It is not affiliated with an international partisan organization and its EU-parliament group is Independence and Democracy.

The British National Party is a far-right fringe party, a stridently anti-immigrant platform and potential connections to neo-Nazis. It has worked with other anti-immigrant parties like the French National Front. It is not affiliated with an international partisan organization.

The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland is a non-sectarian, classically liberal party that opposes sectarian and ethnic divisions in Northern Ireland. It is associated with the UK Liberal Democrats. It is affiliated with Liberal International and the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party, which is connected to the EU-parliament group Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.