For Darwen Party
For Darwen Party | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Stephen Potter |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Headquarters | Duckworth Street, Darwen |
| Ideology | Far Right Localism |
| Political position | n/a |
| European affiliation | n/a |
| International affiliation | n/a |
| European Parliament group | n/a |
| Colours | Cyan |
| Website | |
| fordarwen.org.uk | |
The For Darwen Party is a small political party originally with three seats on Blackburn with Darwen Council in England. The party fielded candidates in wards in the town of Darwen, which lies to the south of Blackburn, with a platform that the views of Darweners are not properly represented in the town hall.
Foundation
The party was co founded in 2007 by Tony Melia.,[1] Tony Melia, who had previously stood as a Liberal Democrat candidate against Jack Straw in the 2005 general election in Blackburn. He said he quit the Liberal Democrats to form For Darwen as he was tired of what the Labour-controlled council was doing, particularly with the Darwen Academy, leisure centre, and regeneration.[2] Michael Johnson had originally been elected as a Councillor for the far-right, England First Party.
2008 Local Elections
Councillor Johnson was sacked from For Darwen in March 2008 over "policy differences with party members",he stayed a member of the coalition, this reduced the number of seats the For Darwen Party held in the coalition.[3]
Despite this setback in the run-up to the elections, For Darwen gained a further three seats in the May 2008 Local Elections,[4] two of them coming in the same wards (Earcroft, Sunnyhurst) as the 2007 elections. The third was in Marsh House ward.
2010 Local Elections
For Darwen stood six candidates in the local election in this year but failed to get any elected. Party Leader Tony Melia was defeated by returning veteran Labour Councillor Dave Smith in the Sunnyhurst Ward.
2010 General Election
Cllr Tony Melia stood in the Rossendale and Darwen constituency on behalf of the Impact party (anti-immigration issues), gaining 243 votes (0.5% of votes cast). He remained leader of the For Darwen party throughout.
2011 Local Elections
The party split up the Liberal Democrat/Conservative ruling coalition when two of their councillors moved over to different political parties . Trevor Maxfield moved over to the Labour Party and is standing in Earcroft as a prospective Labour candidate. Tony Melia relinquished the Leadership of the Party and stood down as a Town Councillor in March 2012 and was replaced by Darwen Councillor Stephen Potter. Stephen Potter subsequently lost his seat on Darwen Council representing the Earcroft Ward in May 2012 to Labour Councillor Stephanie Brookfield.
Councillors
BLACKBURN WITH DARWEN COUNCIL. Earcroft, Anthony Meleady, stood down 2012. Marsh House, Phil Jones, stood down 2012. Sunnyhurst, Andrew Graham, stood down 2012.
DARWEN TOWN COUNCIL.
For Darwen also had five (5) of the thirteen (13) councillors on the town Council. All For Darwen Councillors either stood down in 2012 and after significant gains by the Labour Party no longer not hold any seats.
References
- ↑ New party pledges to put Darwen first, David Bartlett, Lancashire Telegraph, 3 March 2007
- ↑ Party's first public meeting, Lancashire Telegraph, 13 March 2007
- ↑ Councillor quits For Darwen party, By Tom Moseley, Lancashire Telegraph, 12 March 2008
- ↑ May 2008 official results