Democratic Party (UK)
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The Democratic Party is a minor political party operating in the United Kingdom. They were formed in 1998 by various people who felt there was scope for a party that placed democracy as its paramount political value. It asserts that its members come from across the political spectrum.
The Earl of Burford stood for them in their first parliamentary contest, in the November 1999 Kensington and Chelsea by-election (won by Michael Portillo).
They have previously supported the UK Independence Party at elections they were not contesting themselves, but have been critical of them for moving to the right.
There have been two other Democratic Parties in operation in the UK.
One was formed in 1942, during the Second World War in support of free enterprise, although supportive of limiting excessive individual incomes.
They managed to recruit various converts from the Conservatives and stood in the 1945 general election but without any success. Shortly after they renamed themselves the Independent Democratic Party and were active through to the early 1960s.
The other was formed in the late 1960s by Desmond Donnelly, who had been a Labour MP, but had resigned the whip in January 1968 and been expelled by the party two months later. His Constituency Labour Party supported him, and they were disaffiliated from the party along with Donnelly's expulsion.
In May 1969 Donnelly announced the formation of the Democratic Party, which had an anti-socialist agenda and supported UK intervention in the Vietnam War. They fought two by-elections and five seats in the 1970 general election, although only Donnelly polled a significant amount of votes.
The party wound up when in April 1971 Donnelly joined the Conservative Party.