New Democracy (Canada)

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New Democracy was a political party in Canada founded by William Duncan Herridge in 1939. Herridge, a former Conservative government minister, was the Canadian Ambassador to the United States from 1931-35 during the government of R. B. Bennett.

Herridge advocated monetary reform and government intervention in the economy as a means of fighting the Great Depression. His ideas were similar to those of the social credit movement, and in the 1940 election, the Social Credit Party of Canada joined with Herridge to run candidates jointly under the New Democracy umbrella.

The experiment was unsuccessful as Herridge failed to win a seat, and the seven New Democracy MPs elected were Social Crediters.

The party should not be confused with the subsequent New Democratic Party.

Election Party Leader # of candidates nominated # of seats won # of total votes % of popular vote
1940
W.D. Herridge
17
3
73,083
1.59%

See also: List of political parties in Canada