Skelmersdale Independent Party
Skelmersdale Independent Party | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Aaron Body |
| Founded | 4th February 2019 |
| Headquarters | Skelmersdale, West Lancashire |
| Ideology | Localism |
| Political position | Big tent |
| Colours | Beige |
| Slogan | Working together for a safe, healthy and prosperous Skelmersdale |
| West Lancashire Borough Council | 0 / 54 |
| Website | |
| skemtc | |
Skelmersdale Independent Party is a localist political party in Skelmersdale, United Kingdom. As of September 2020, it holds no seats on West Lancashire Borough Council, although has contested elections there in the past.[1] It is one of two localist political groups in West Lancashire, alongside Our West Lancashire.
History[edit]
Skelmersdale Independent Party was registered on the 4th February 2019[2], and its first and current leader is Aaron Body, who often goes by Aaron Goldson-Body. Body stood in the October 2018 Tanhouse ward by-election as an independent candidate, coming second with 129 votes.[3]. Despite standing as an independent, he campaigned for many of the same issues that the Party campaigns for currently. The group contested the 2019 United Kingdom local elections and the November 2019 Birch Green by-election unsuccessfully[3].
Policies[edit]
Skelmersdale Independent Party was established to promote and further the movement for a town council in Skelmersdale.[4] The group claims to field independent candidates[5], however its candidates in various elections since the party's establishment have stood under its name[3]. The group pledges to abide by the "Seven Principles of Public Life", as set out by the Committee on Standards in Public Life in 1995.[6]
The group has also pledged to reduce the total number of councillors on West Lancashire Borough Council from its present 54, reducing the amount of councillor's allowances from £4,842 to below £4,000 and opposing a merger between Sefton Council and West Lancashire Borough Council.[5]
Electoral performance[edit]
The party contested five of the seven wards in Skelmersdale in the 2019 local elections on West Lancashire Borough Council, not contesting the Skelmersdale South ward or Moorside ward. It came second to the Labour Party on each ward.[3] The group achieved 7% of the total vote.[7] The group's weakest performance was in Ashurst where it attracted only 26% of the total votes cast, whereas it's strongest performance was in Digmoor where it attracted 45% of the vote, and came within 100 votes of winning the ward.[3].
The party contested the November 2019 Birch Green by-election, which was triggered by Councillor Claire Cooper's resignation from the Council. The results were as follows:
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Sue Gregson | 390 | 61% | ||
| Skelmersdale Independent Party | Andrew Taylor | 191 | 30% | ||
| Conservative | George Rear | 60 | 9% | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Candidates in the May 2019 local elections[edit]
| Name | Ward | Number of votes | Incumbent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rebekha Wymer | Ashurst | 350 (26%) | Cllr Jan Monaghan (LAB) |
| Andrew Taylor | Birch Green | 277 (35%) | Cllr Barry Coughlan (LAB) |
| Brian Hughes | Digmoor | 385 (45%) | Cllr Julian Finch (LAB) |
| Maria Dumbell | Skelmersdale North | 320 (37%) | Cllr Jennifer Forshaw (LAB) |
| Aaron Body | Tanhouse | 277 (33%) | Cllr Maureen Nixon (LAB) |
References[edit]
- ↑ {{cite web|url=https://www.westlancs.gov.uk/about-the-council/elections-and-voting/election-results.aspx%7Ctitle=Election Rssults|publisher=[[West Lancashire|West Lancashire Borough Council|access-date=25 September 2020}}
- ↑ "Registrations". The Electoral Commission. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 "Election results". West Lancashire Borough Council. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
- ↑ "Welcome to our page". Skelmersdale Independent Party]]. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Manifesto". Skelmersdale Independent Party. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
- ↑ Committee on Standards in Public Life: Annual Report 2017-18", p. 2
- ↑ "Council results by party". West Lancashire Borough Council. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
This article "Skelmersdale Independent Party" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Skelmersdale Independent Party. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
