Third Way (UK)
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The Third Way is a British political party which was formed on March 17 1990. It contains several former members of the right-wing National Front (NF). Around fifty members of the party's Political Soldier wing joined Third Way at its foundation alongside others.
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Scale of support and finances
According to accounts filed with the Electoral Commission, in 2004 Third Way had 20 members and cashflow of approximately £1,400.[1]
The Party Constitution distinguishes between 'Members', 'Registered Supporters' and 'Supporting Subscribers' (Third Way Constitution 2000). Third Way only gives figures for 'Members'.
Third Way also operates through a number of associated Limited Companies and Associations, most obviously Third Way Publications Ltd, whose turnover in their most recently filed company accounts (for year ending March 2004) was £687, and the dormant Third Way Movement Ltd.
Electoral Support
In 2002 in local elections in Havering Third Way stood single candidates in three member constituencies. They won 1309 votes in Elm Park Ward (32% of voters gave Third Way one of their votes (they could vote for up to three candidates), including 500 who only voted for Third Way), 289 (6.5%) votes were won in Hacton Ward & 205 (4.2%) in St. Andrews Ward. Third Way's prominence in Havering has also resulted in a relatively small BNP presence in the borough when compared to neighboring areas such as Epping Forest, Thurrock and Barking and Dagenham
In 2004 in the single vote only London Assembly elections Third Way received 2,031 votes (1.49%) in Havering and Redbridge [2] . In July 2004 they received 3.6% of the vote in a by-election for a local council vacancy in Rainham.
In the 2005 General Election they fielded 2 candidates, Graham Williamson in Hornchurch and David Durant in Upminster, who received 304 votes (0.8%) and 74 votes (0.2%) respectively. [3] [4] Image:Durrantmodifiedwiki.jpg
14 Third Way candidates are contesting 6 wards in Havering in the UK local elections, 2006. [5], as part of the Peoples Alliance coalition, which also includes independents and residents group candidates. The Alliance is standing 45 candidates in total, including one sitting councillor, and is campaigning on a platform of no above inflation Council Tax rises, for the council to promote all the borough's shopping areas and opposition to housing overdevelopment.
Leading members
All four leading members of the Third Way were previously in the National Front and voted to disband it in 1989:
- David Kerr, Leader[6] of the party and editor of its Ulster Nation magazine. Kerr has stood for election as an Ulster Third Way candidate in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where the group advocates the independence of Ulster from both Britain and the Republic of Ireland and the creation of a non-sectarian state.
- Graham Williamson, Treasurer. Stood for Third Way in Hornchurch in the 2005 General Election, wining 0.8% of the vote. Claims particularly strong support in the Elm Park part of Hornchurch.
- Patrick Harrington, Nominating Officer a president of Solidarity – The Union for British Workers, a trade union whose formation was supported by Third Way and the British National Party.
- Brent Cheetham. Role in party unknown. Parish Councillor in Northaw, Herts and editor of the Cuffley Courier newsletter.
Also cited on the biographies section of the Third Way website are Roy Kerridge and Rabbi Mayer Schiller. Their roles in the party are unclear.
Ideology and policies
Third Way describes itself as a Patriotic Centre party rooted in the culture and traditions of the British islands. It advocates Direct Democracy along Swiss lines using referenda and citizens' initiatives. It supports small business and co-operative ownership. Third Way opposes over-centralised government and promotes decision making at the lowest practical level. Third Way argues that its policies would benefit and empower all citizens and asks for support on that basis from all sections of the national community. "Third Way is for everyone" is their claim. The group has condemned neo-Nazi ideology and its supporters claim it actively recruits from all ethnic and religious communities.
Policies include de-criminalization of prostitution and cannabis, and reform of Britain's role in the European Union (the party began life by calling for complete withdrawal and supported Sir James Goldsmith's Referendum Party in the 1997 General Election). They have also run "support small trader" campaigns and claim to be the heirs to the Poujadist tradition. The group also advocates a form of social credit based on a universal citizens' income and advocates co-operative ownership and some nationalisation. It often describes its political views as distributist. The party is opposed to UK military involvement in Iraq.
Some critics, however, claim Third Way (UK) is a neofascist political movement, and continue to regard the group with suspicion due to the past ties of some of its leadership with the National Front, their populist cultural ethnocentrism, and their producerist rhetoric. It has also been accused of holding ecofascist views.
Third Way (UK) should not be confused with the Third Way ideology promoted by Tony Blair, Bill Clinton and Gerhard Schröder. In fact it vociferously condemns this as merely a revised form of social democracy.
Manifestos
- Patrick Harrington (editor), 'Third Way General Election Manifesto [2005] (Third Way, 2005) (ISBN 0954478843)
- Patrick Harrington and Cliff Morrison, 'Third Way Manifesto 2001 (Third Way, 2001) (ISBN 0953507793)
- Patrick Harrington and Dr Aidan Rankin) The Third Way Manifesto 1997
- Patrick Harrington, The Third Way - An Answer to Blair (Third Way, 1999) (ISBN 095350770X)
Associated groups and publications
The Third Way have operated, or are closely associated with, various publications and websites, not all of which are still updated. They include:
- Ulster Nation magazine and website
- Counter-Culture magazine and website
- Mother Earth magazine and website
- Liverpool Newsletter, a distributist publication formerly edited by Anthony Cooney and now published by Third Way [7]