Independent Union (political party) explained

Independent Union
Colours: Navy
Leader:Shane Moore
Founders:John Tennant
Shane Moore
Tim Fleming
James Brewer
Bob Buchan
Thomas Cassidy
Headquarters:2 Tristam Avenue
Hartlepool
County Durham
TS25 5PE
Ideology:Euroscepticism[1]
Seats1 Title:Hartlepool Borough Council
Seats1:[2]
Website:independentunion.co.uk
Country:the United Kingdom

Independent Union is a minor political party in the United Kingdom. It was founded in February 2019 by six independent councillors on Hartlepool Borough Council to contest in the 2019 United Kingdom local elections,[3] the party gaining a councillor and retaining another[4] out of a total of five fielded candidates.[5]

Hartlepool Borough Council

In May 2019, following multiple defections from Labour to Socialist Labour at Hartlepool Borough Council, Independent Union forged a coalition with the Conservatives and the Veterans and People's Party, forming the largest grouping with 11 councillors, 6 shy of control.[6] [7] At the Annual General Meeting of the council, leader of the coalition, Cllr Shane Moore, was elected the Leader of the Council, with his Deputy, Cllr Mike Young being voted deputy leader.[8]

In September 2019, all IU councillors, as well as the one Veterans and People's Party councillor, who made up the coalition at Hartlepool Borough Council defected to the Brexit Party, renaming their already existing coalition with the three Conservative councillors to the "Brexit and Conservative Coalition".[9] [10] Despite this, the IU was still registered with the Electoral Commission with Shane Moore listed as its current leader.[11] The party leader has been Shane Moore since 2019.[12]

In early 2020, several of the councillors concerned returned to their parties, including the Independent Union and Veterans and People's Party.[13]

European Election 2019

In May 2019, it was announced that IU leader, Cllr John Tennant, was standing as a Brexit Party candidate in the 2019 European Parliament election for North East England.[14] Upon the announcement, Tennant was criticised for comments he made on social media, praising the UKIP MEP Godfrey Bloom on the day he was ejected from the European parliament for addressing German colleague, Martin Schulz, the then leader of the German Social Democratic Party,[15] with a Nazi slogan in 2010, and then another involving a joke he made regarding sex acts with a young woman in 2011.[16] Tennant, the former UKIP group leader for the council,[17] [18] is said to have had a close relationship with Nigel Farage whilst he was a UKIP councillor, organising his public events in the North East, according to a former UKIP advisor.[19] According to Hartleborough Borough Council's Register of Members' Disclosable Pecuniary Interests, in May 2018 Tennant declared his profession as "office manager" to UKIP MEP Jonathan Arnott.[20]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Russell . Rachel . 'Democracy comes first!' – The north-eastern battle to get Brexit delivered REVEALED . . . 21 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190520142550/https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1128641/brexit-news-nigel-farage-party-european-elections-labour-conservative . 20 May 2019 . . en . 19 May 2019.
  2. Web site: Councillors by Party: Hartlepool Independent Union . live . https://archive.today/20210524000953/https://www.hartlepool.gov.uk/councillors/specificParty/13/hartlepool_independent_union . 24 May 2021 . 2021-05-24 . . en .
  3. Web site: Payne . Mark . Hartlepool independent councillors launch new 'union' to stand out in elections . . Northeast Press . 22 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190302152554/https://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/politics/hartlepool-independent-councillors-launch-new-union-to-stand-out-in-elections-1-9624331 . 2 March 2019 . . en . 2 March 2019.
  4. Web site: Marko . Nic . For Britain win first seat as Labour lose Hartlepool council majority . . 22 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190503083923/https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/17616125.for-britain-win-first-seat-as-labour-lose-hartlepool-council-majority/ . 3 May 2019 . . en . 3 May 2019 . The Independent Union held its seat in the Hart ward with Cllr James Brewer, while they made a gain with Barbara Ward in Headland and Harbour..
  5. Web site: Turner . Ed . Results of the Hartlepool Local Government Elections . . 10 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190510064145/https://www.hartlepool.gov.uk/news/article/1576/results_of_the_hartlepool_local_government_elections . 10 May 2019 . . en . 3 May 2019.
  6. Web site: Marko . Nic . New leaders of Hartlepool council set to be decided at AGM next week . . Northeast Press . 22 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190516113732/https://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/politics/new-leaders-of-hartlepool-council-set-to-be-decided-at-agm-next-week-1-9771638 . 16 May 2019 . . en . 16 May 2019.
  7. Web site: Minting . Stuart . Metcalfe . Alex . Allegiances turned on their head at Ben Houchen's top table . . Gazette Media Company Ltd . 22 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190512004902/https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/allegiances-turned-head-ben-houchens-16256905 . 12 May 2019 . . en . 10 May 2019.
  8. Web site: Marko . Nic . New leader of Hartlepool Borough Council says he's 'tried to ensure everyone willing is sat around the top table for the better of the town' . . Northeast Press . 21 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190521231657/https://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/politics/new-leader-of-hartlepool-borough-council-says-he-s-tried-to-ensure-everyone-willing-is-sat-around-the-top-table-for-the-better-of-the-town-1-9781661 . 21 May 2019 . . en . 21 May 2019.
  9. Web site: Brexit Party forms pact for Hartlepool control . . 22 September 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190917180051/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tees-49686398 . 17 September 2019 . . en . 13 September 2019.
  10. Web site: Bartlett . Nicola . Nigel Farage's Brexit Party have just signed their first pact with the Tories . . . 22 September 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190913230019/https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/nigel-farages-brexit-party-just-20054356 . 13 September 2019 . . en . 13 September 2019.
  11. Web site: Independent Union - View registration . . 22 September 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190922032328/http://search.electoralcommission.org.uk/api/pdf/Registrations/PP7984 . 22 September 2019 . . 1 . en . PDF . 22 September 2019.
  12. Web site: View registration - The Electoral Commission. search.electoralcommission.org.uk. 2020-05-13.
  13. News: 2020-02-06 . Hartlepool Council no longer under Brexit Party control . en-GB . . live . 2021-05-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210508064838/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tees-51400045 . 2021-05-08.
  14. Web site: Russell . Rachel . How Brexit will help rebuild this DEPRIVED coastal town – '200 miles of sea would be OURS' . . . 22 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190520161632/https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1128714/brexit-news-european-elections-brexit-party-nigel-farage-hartlepool-conservatives-labour . 20 May 2019 . . en . 18 May 2019.
  15. Web site: Stevens . Robert . George Galloway tried to become Brexit Party candidate—and failed . . . 22 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190522015332/https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/05/17/gall-m17.html . 22 May 2019 . . en . 17 May 2018.
  16. Web site: Kirchgaessner . Stephanie . Halliday . Josh . Brexit party MEP candidate praised use of Nazi slogan . . 22 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190519031311/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/may/06/brexit-party-mep-candidate-praised-use-of-nazi-slogan . 19 May 2019 . . en . 6 May 2019.
  17. Web site: Halliday . Josh . Walker . Peter . Ukip 2.0: young, angry, digital and extreme . . 22 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190506215501/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/03/new-ukip-gerard-batten-corbyn-hard-right-momentum . 6 May 2019 . . en . 4 March 2019.
  18. Web site: Payne . Mark . Hartlepool UKIP chief hits out at MPs' Brexit vote . . Northeast Press . 22 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171222143750/https://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/hartlepool-ukip-chief-hits-out-at-mps-brexit-vote-1-8915896 . 22 December 2017 . . en . 19 December 2017.
  19. Web site: Un hombre de confianza de Farage elogió el eslogan nazi de un colega . . 22 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190522025536/https://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/internacional/2019/05/07/hombre-farage-elogio-eslogan-nazi-colega/0003_201905G7P20993.htm . 22 May 2019 . . es . 7 May 2019.
  20. Web site: Hartlepool Borough Council . Hartlepool Borough Council . Register of Members' Disclosable Pecuniary Interests - John David Edward Tennant . . 22 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190522022306/https://www.hartlepool.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/4091/cllr_john_tennant.pdf . dead . 22 May 2019 . . 1 . en . 8 May 2018.

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