Philip Proudfoot Explained

Philip Proudfoot
Office:Leader of the Northern Independence Party
Term Start:21 October 2020
Term End:22 July 2022
Birth Date:28 November 1987[1]
Birth Place:County Durham, England
Party:Green Party
Otherparty:Labour Party (until 2020)
Northern Independence Party (until 2023)
Residence:Brighton, East Sussex, England
Alma Mater:London School of Economics (PhD)[2]
Occupation:University lecturer
Profession:Academic

Philip Proudfoot (born 28 November 1987) is an English anthropologist. Born and raised in County Durham, he is the founder and, until 2022, was the leader of the Northern Independence Party (NIP), which campaigns against what it sees as political and economic centralisation in the UK. It advocates that Northern England becomes an independent country under its historic name, "Northumbria".[3] He also lectures at the University of Sussex.[4]

A former member of the Labour Party, Proudfoot formed the NIP in response to Keir Starmer's leadership and what he sees as the treatment of the North during the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] He told Big Issue North that the centralisation of power in London had played a part as well, highlighting the North–South divide in healthcare, transport, education, and general standard of living as motivating factors.[6] He has said that, at the 2024 general election, he hopes to stand for the NIP in Sedgefield, the former constituency of Tony Blair, should party members select him.[7]

Proudfoot lives in Brighton and Hove, having moved there due to a lack of job opportunities in his field in County Durham.[8] In response to critics wondering why someone living in the South of England would support Northern independence, he said that this is an issue which epitomises the North–South divide: younger people from the North of England having to leave their hometowns to find work in cities, predominantly in the South.[4]

On 25 April 2022, the actress Tracy-Ann Oberman announced that she had agreed to pay Proudfoot substantial damages after falsely accusing him of antisemitism.[9]

On 22 July 2022, Proudfoot announced his resignation as leader of the NIP "due to professional commitments".[10] On 19 November 2023, he announced that he had joined the Green Party, citing its support for a ceasefire in Gaza, among other policies.[11]

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Notes and References

  1. Proudfoot. Philip. PhilipProudfoot. 1464979297907707907. Why am I spending my birthday trying to get my legally registered political party @FreeNorthNow unlocked by Twitter … #FreeTheNorth. 14 January 2022.
  2. Web site: The living dead: revolutionary subjectivity and Syrian rebel-workers in Beirut. Proudfoot, Philip. 2016. LSE Theses Online. London School of Economics and Political Science.
  3. News: Lockwood. Tasmin. 16 November 2020. County Durham man leads new party making the case for Northern Independence. The Northern Echo. 14 January 2022.
    Web site: Park. Victoria. 2 April 2021. Seven thoughts about the Northern Independence Party. 16 January 2022. New Statesman.
  4. News: Northern Independence Party: what is NIP, who is Philip Proudfoot - and will it run in Hartlepool by-election?. Shone. Ethan. 12 April 2021. National World. 14 January 2022.
  5. News: Yes Northumbria? The independence bug is catching on - in England's north. 28 March 2021. Sweet. Michael. 14 January 2022. The National.
  6. Web site: Moss. Chris. 23 November 2021. Devolution's sunny uplands. 17 January 2022. Big Issue North.
  7. Proudfoot. Philip. PhilipProudfoot. 1375496145330405379. Just it's out there. In 2023/4 I hope members of NIP select me to stand in Sedgefield.
    For family, strategic, and, of course, symbolic reasons.. 17 April 2022.
  8. News: The Party Chasing Labour in the North of England. Bright. Sam. 5 May 2021. Byline Times. 22 March 2022.
  9. News: EastEnders star Tracy-Ann Oberman pays damages after falsely accusing academic of antisemitism . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220526/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/tracy-ann-oberman-antisemitism-b2065583.html . 26 May 2022 . subscription . live . Chilton . Louis . 25 April 2022 . The Independent . 26 April 2022.
  10. Web site: A short statement from..... . Philip Proudfoot . 22 July 2022 . Twitter.
  11. Web site: I've Done It, I've joined the Green Party . Philip Proudfoot . 19 November 2023 . Twitter.