Reality Party
The Reality Party is a political party in the United Kingdom that was founded in 2014, by Mark "Bez" Berry. The party was briefly deregistered by the Electoral Commission, for breaching rules regarding party names,[1] but re-registered in February 2015 under the name We Are The Reality Party. They are also permitted to use the description "The Reality Party It's Your Reality" on ballot papers.[2]
The party manifesto is a centre-left anti-austerity programme[3] which includes policies against privatisation, tuition fees and tax avoidance and in favour of renationalisation, progressive taxation, rent controls, socially-managed housing and participatory democracy.[4]
Election campaign
In 2014 Channel 4 produced a documentary series following Berry's political campaign.[5] The Reality party toured South Thanet in a green vintage bus in December 2014.[6]
In January 2015, the Reality Party was deregistered by the Electoral Commission for having a name that was too similar to that of the Realists' Party. Its founder had been given several written warnings that a name change was required, and was removed from the register in January when it had failed to comply.[1] On 12 February 2015 the party re-registered as "We Are The Reality Party".[2]
Parliamentary candidates
The party stood three candidates in the 2015 general election, after some ambiguity over which seats they intended to contest.[1]
- Mark "Bez" Berry stood for Salford and Eccles and gained 703 votes, higher than fellow anti-austerity party TUSC.
- Nigel Askew stood for South Thanet[7] where Nigel Farage (leader of UKIP) was also standing, and gained 126 votes. He referred to his campaign as "The Battle of the Nigels" and also referred to himself as "the real pub landlord" highlighting another adversary, Al Murray. Both Farage and Murray beat him in the election,[8] but finished behind Conservative candidate Craig Mackinlay.
- Mags McNally was the candidate for Worsley and Eccles South, gaining 200 votes.
- Jackie Anderson was the declared candidate for "Salford West and Eccles"; however, this constituency does not exist. Anderson left the party and stood as an independent in the 2015 local council elections.[1]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 Gallagher, Paul (13 January 2015). "Happy Mondays' Bez forgets to register his 'Reality Party' with the Electoral Commission". The Independent. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
- 1 2 https://pefonline.electoralcommission.org.uk/Search/ViewRegistrations/Profile.aspx
- ↑ http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2015/03/happy-mondays-star-bez-revolution-standing-salford-and-why-he-didnt-join-greens
- ↑ http://www.realitypartysalford.co.uk/
- ↑ "24 Hour Party Politics - My Friends Are Squashed". Channel 4. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
- ↑ Jamie Weir (7 November 2014). "New political party set for Ramsgate launch this weekend". Kent News. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
- ↑ Nigel Askew. "East Kent Reality Party | It's Real – It's Your Reality". East Kent Reality Party. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
- ↑ Tom Barnes (26 September 2014). "Reality Party candidate promises South Thanet 'battle of the Nigels'". Thanet Gazette. Retrieved 9 December 2014.