Common Sense Party (UK)

The Common Sense Party is a minor political party in the United Kingdom.[1] The party was formed in 2003 "with the idea of using public opinion to formulate the polices, therefore truly representing the people of the UK."[2] [3]

Elections

Party founder Howard Thomas, a metalworker, was a candidate in the United Kingdom general election, 2010 in Reading West,[4] and gained 852 votes, beating the Green Party. A second candidate, David James, contested Wirral West for the Common Sense Party after his original choice, the Jury Team, decided it would not enter candidates. James came last with 321 votes.[5]

Thomas campaigns in a car and boat dressed up to look like a yellow submarine.[6]

Thomas contested the borough council election in Kentwood ward in Reading for the first time in 2008, campaigning on traffic problems.[7]

Policies

The party argues that immigration should be balanced to match emigration, that council tax should be replaced with income tax, and campaigns for proportional representation,[2][6] more council housing, and the legalisation of euthanasia.[4]

Possible demise

In a letter to the Reading Chronicle newspaper, published on 27 February 2014, Howard Thomas announced that he was leaving the Common Sense Party to join the UK Independence Party. It is unclear whether the Common Sense Party will continue without him.[8]

References

  1. ↑ http://registers.electoralcommission.org.uk/regulatory-issues/regpoliticalparties.cfm?frmGB=1&frmPartyID=450&frmType=partydetail
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.commonsenseparty.org.uk/
  3. ↑ Fort, Linda (25 March 2010). "Introducing 'Common Sense' into politics". Get Reading. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Hewitt, Adam (17 March 2010). "The yellow peril of politics". Reading Chronicle. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  5. ↑ Jury Team (14 April 2010). "Jury Team & GE 2010". Facebook. Retrieved 21 May 2010.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Fort, Linda (27 April 2010). "Common Sense Party "more wonderful than weird"". Get Reading. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  7. ↑ Gray, Fiona (3 April 2008). "‘We are growing and could do it’". Get Reading. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  8. ↑ Reading Chronicle, 27 February 2014, pp 14-15