Senior Citizens Party Explained

Senior Citizens Party
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Leader:Grahame Leon-Smith
Dissolution:2014
Ideology:Senior citizen rights
Website:Archived website
Country:the United Kingdom

The Senior Citizens Party was a political party in the United Kingdom from 2004–2014, which focused on the rights of people over the age of 50, senior citizens.[1] They claimed a membership of several thousand.

The party was founded in January 2004[2] by Grahame Leon-Smith, formerly the party leader, and Terry Pattinson.[3] They claim that they had previously been lifelong Conservative and Labour Party voters respectively, Leon-Smith serving as a councillor for 6 years,[4] but had become disillusioned by the breaking of the link between pensions and average earnings by the Conservatives and Labour's failure to restore it. They also campaigned against council tax, proposing a local income tax,[2] and campaign for free personal care for the elderly, free off-peak travel, and free television licences.[5]

The party won 42,861 votes in the South East in the European Parliament election, 2004[6] and stood candidates against Tony Blair and Michael Howard in the 2005 UK general election. Leon-Smith received 151 votes (0.3%) in Folkestone and Hythe,[7] and Pattinson received 97 votes (0.2%) in Sedgefield.[8] In the run up to the 2005 General Election the Senior Citizens Party had meetings discussing an electoral alliance with the English Democrats.[9] In May 2006, Leon-Smith and Pattinson stood for the party in the Runnymede Borough Council election, receiving 261 votes between them.[4] [10]

According to their Electoral Commission registration, the leader, nominating officer and treasurer was Leon-Smith, whilst Pattinston is Campaigns Officer. Their accounts filed for the years 2004 and 2007 indicate that they had "approximately 4,000 members and associate members". The annual membership fee was £12, but associate members do not pay anything. The ratio of full to associate members was not specified.[11] [12] The Senior Citizens Party merged with UKIP in March 2014, as announced by Leon-Smith at the UKIP conference.[13]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Drive to recruit for new senior citizens' party. Nifield. Phillip. 5 December 2005. South Wales Echo. 16 February 2010.
  2. News: Now is your time to stand together. 24 January 2004. Western Daily Press. 16 February 2010.
  3. News: Old folk's party switches sides. 26 October 2004. The Journal. 16 February 2010. Newcastle.
  4. News: It's my party .... Boggan. Steve. 2 May 2006. The Guardian. 16 February 2010.
  5. News: European elections: The manifestos. 1 June 2004. BBC News. 16 February 2010.
  6. News: European Election: United Kingdom Result. 14 June 2004. BBC News. 16 February 2010.
  7. Web site: Grahame Leon-Smith: Electoral history and profile. The Guardian. 16 February 2010.
  8. Web site: Terry Pattinson: Electoral history and profile. The Guardian. 16 February 2010.
  9. Web site: Alliance for Democracy – 2005 . 2010 . Alliance for Democracy . 16 February 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100304083114/http://www.alliancefordemocracy.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=56&Itemid=60 . 4 March 2010 .
  10. Web site: Elections 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20060601165059/http://ww2.runnymede.gov.uk/council/services/election/2006/pages/elect.asp. dead. 1 June 2006. Runnymede Borough Council. 16 February 2010.
  11. Web site: Senior Citizens Party Statement of Accounts 2007. Electoral Commission. 16 February 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20090301233615/http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/49054/Senior-Citizens-Party-Statement-of-Accounts-2007_29315-21788__E__N__S__W__.pdf. 1 March 2009. dead.
  12. Web site: The Electoral Commission . Senior Citizens Party, The Statement of Accounts for 2004 . 3 December 2006 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060928032426/http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/templates/search/document.cfm/11953 . 28 September 2006 . dead . dmy.
  13. Web site: Conference welcomes Grahame Leon-Smith, chairman, Senior Citizens Party . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/0Vt_cglf6UY . 2021-12-21 . live. 5 March 2014. Official UKIP channel. YouTube. 14 April 2017.

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