Third Way (UK)
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- For other uses, see Third way.
The Third Way is a British political party which was formed on 17 March 1990. It contains several former members of the right-wing National Front (NF). Around fifty members of the party's Political Soldier wing joined Third Way at its foundation alongside others L. Cheles, R. Ferguson & M. Vaughan (eds.), The Far Right in Western & Eastern Europe, Harlow: Longman, 1995. ISBN 0582238811. Critics consider it a complicated form of neofascism.
Ideology and policies
Third Way describes itself as a Patriotic Centre party rooted in the culture and traditions of the British islands. It advocates Direct Democracy along Swiss lines using referenda and citizens' initiatives. It supports small business and co-operative ownership. Third Way opposes over-centralised government and promotes decision making at the lowest practical level. Third Way argues that its policies would benefit and empower all citizens and asks for support on that basis from all sections of the national community. It claims that "Third Way is for everyone." The group has condemned neo-Nazi ideology and its supporters claim it actively recruits from all ethnic and religious communities. It stood its first Asian candidate in local elections in 2006.
Policies include de-criminalization of prostitution and cannabis, and reform of Britain's role in the European Union (the party began life by calling for complete withdrawal and supported Sir James Goldsmith's Referendum Party in the 1997 General Election). They have also run "support small trader" campaigns and claim to be the heirs to the Poujadist tradition. The group also advocates a form of social credit based on a universal citizens' income and advocates co-operative ownership and renationalisation of the railways. It often describes its political views as distributist. The party is opposed to UK military involvement in Iraq.
Some critics, however, claim Third Way (UK) is a Far right political movement, and continue to regard the group with suspicion due to the past ties of some of its leadership with the National Front, their populist cultural ethnocentrism, and their producerist rhetoric. It has also been accused of holding ecofascist views.
Third Way (UK) should not be confused with the Third Way ideology promoted by Tony Blair, Bill Clinton and Gerhard Schröder. In fact it vociferously condemns this as merely a revised form of social democracy.
Finances
According to accounts filed with the Electoral Commission, in 2004 Third Way had 20 members and cashflow of approximately £1,400.[link] (The party's constitution distinguishes between 'Members', 'Registered Supporters' and 'Supporting Subscribers' (Third Way Constitution 2000). Third Way only gives figures for 'Members'.)
Third Way also operates through a number of associated limited companies and associations, most obviously Third Way Publications Ltd, whose turnover in their most recently filed company accounts (for year ending March 2004) was £687, and the dormant Third Way Movement Ltd.
Electoral performance
Local elections
In the May 2000 local council elections, a Third Way candidate polled 298 votes (21.9%) in the Northaw ward of Welwyn Hatfield in Hertfordshire.In the 2002 local elections in the London Borough of Havering, Third Way stood single candidates in three member constituencies. They won 1309 votes in the Elm Park ward (32% of voters gave Third Way one of their three votes, including 500 who only voted for Third Way), 289 (6.5%) votes were won in Hacton ward and 205 (4.2%) in the St. Andrews ward. Third Way's activity in Havering is claimed to have resulted in a relatively small BNP presence in the borough when compared to neighboring areas such as the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, Epping Forest and Thurrock.
In local elections held in 2004, a Third Way candidate for the Canvey Island East ward of Castle Point Borough Council in Essex polled 47 votes (2.5%). In July 2004 they received 93 votes (3.6%) in a Havering London Borough Council by-election for a vacancy in Rainham.
Fourteen Third Way candidates contested six wards in the London Borough of Havering in the UK local elections, 2006. They polled an average of 9.1% of the vote in each ward with the best result obtained in Elm Park where they polled 27% [link] This election also saw the first Asian Third Way candidate (Nakkeeran Arasaratnam in Hacton Ward).
London Assembly
In 2004 in the single vote London Assembly elections Third Way received 2,031 votes (1.49%) in Havering and Redbridge. [link]. The Third Way candidate was the late Dave Stephens, a local butcher and metric martyr.[link]
UK Parliament
In the 2001 General Election, Third Way fielded two candidates, David Durant in Hornchurch who received 190 votes (0.5%) and David Kerr in West Belfast, 113 votes (0.3%)
In the 2005 General Election Third Way fielded two candidates, Graham Williamson in Hornchurch and David Durant in Upminster, who received 304 votes (0.8%) and 74 votes (0.2%) respectively. [link] [link] David Kerr also contested East Antrim as a candidate for the Vote For Yourself Party, gaining 147 votes (0.5%) on a platform of direct democracy.
Leading members
All four leading members of the Third Way were previously in the National Front and voted to disband it in 1989:
- David Kerr, Leader[link] of the party and editor of its Ulster Nation magazine. Kerr has stood for election as an Ulster Third Way candidate in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where the group advocates the independence of Ulster from both Britain and the Republic of Ireland and the creation of a non-sectarian state.
- Graham Williamson, Treasurer. Stood for Third Way in Hornchurch in the 2005 General Election, wining 0.8% of the vote. [Claims] particularly strong support in the Elm Park part of Hornchurch.
- Patrick Harrington, Nominating Officer a president of Solidarity – The Union for British Workers, a trade union whose formation was supported by Third Way and the British National Party.
- Brent Cheetham. Parish Councillor in Northaw, Hertfordshire and editor of the Cuffley Courier newsletter.
Allied Groups
Third Way is a part of the English Lobby, a pressure group and electoral coalition founded in 2004 which campaigns for the recognition of St George's Day and the creation of an English Parliament. The English Democrats are also supporters of the group. The Freedom Party were involved in setting up the Lobby but have since withdrawn.
Third Way candidates contested the 2006 local council elections in Havering as part of the Peoples Alliance coalition, which also included independents and residents group candidates. The Alliance stood 45 candidates in 17 out of the 18 wards in the Borough, campaigning on a platform of no above inflation Council Tax rises, for the council to promote local community shoping centres and opposition to housing overdevelopment. The Alliance polled an average of 10.6% of the vote in the wards contested. Three of its candidates were elected as Rainham Residents Association councillors in Rainham & Wennington ward.
Manifestos
- Patrick Harrington (editor), 'Third Way General Election Manifesto [2005] (Third Way, 2005) (ISBN 0954478843)
- Patrick Harrington and Cliff Morrison, 'Third Way Manifesto 2001 (Third Way, 2001) (ISBN 0953507793)
- Patrick Harrington and Dr Aidan Rankin The Third Way Manifesto 1997
- Patrick Harrington, The Third Way - An Answer to Blair (Third Way, 1999) (ISBN 095350770X)
Associated publications
The Third Way have operated, or are closely associated with, various publications and websites, not all of which are still updated. They include:
- Ulster Nation magazine and [website]
- Counter-Culture magazine and [website]
- Mother Earth magazine and [website]
- Liverpool Newsletter, a distributist publication formerly edited by Anthony Cooney and now published by Third Way [link]
References
External links
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