Political parties of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales

Northern Ireland

Alliance Party of Northern Ireland. Formed in 1970 as a reaction to divisions between the Catholics and Protestants in Ulster the party aims to break these divisions and unite both communities by working for moderate policies.

Sinn Fein. Formed before the First World War Sinn Fein campaigned for the economic and political separation of Ireland from Great Britain. Currently, as the political wing of the Provisional IRA, Sinn Fein wants Northern Ireland to become part of the Republic of Ireland. Leader: Gerry Adams.

[Irish for "we ourselves"].

Social Democratic and Labour Party. Formed in 1970. Similarly to Sinn Fein the party aims to reunite Ireland as one country. Its supporters are mainly Catholics but its policies are more

moderate than Sinn Fein's. Leader: John Hume.

Ulster Unionist Party. Supported by Protestants who favor links between Ulster and the UK. From 1920 to 1972 UUP was the ruling party in the separate Northern Ireland Parliament, however the introduction of direct rule to Northern Ireland changed the situation. The party nowadays is well represented among the Northern Ireland's MPs in the House of Commons. Leader: David Trimble.

Ulster Democratic Unionist Party. Formed in 1971 as the radical breakaway from UUP. The party is strongly Protestant, disagrees with official policies of UUP and opposes any attempts to unite Ulster and the Republic of Ireland. Leader: Rev. Ian Paisley.

Scotland

Scottish National Party. Formed in 1935, is the main Scotland's nationalist party campaigning for the separation of Scotland from the UK to safeguard the country's cultural and economic life.

Cornwall

Mebyon Kernow. Campaigning for the use of the Cornish language. [Cornish for "Sons of Cornwall"].

Wales

Plaid Cymru. Formed in 1925 the party campaigns for the separation of Wales from the UK. Mostly a rural party. [Welsh for "party of Wales"].

Other British parties:

the Green Party. Formed in 1973 (until 1985 the Ecology Party), concerned with environmental problems.

British fringe parties - about 70 small political parties with extreme or eccentric policies and without representation in the House of Commons. Sometimes they enter candidates for general or by- elections.

Extremists:

the National Front. Formed in 1966 an extreme right-wing party campaigning mainly for the expulsion of colored immigrants - "the repatriation of coloured immigrants and their descendants and dependants", and introduction of corporal and capital punishment for certain criminal offences.

the British National Party. Formed in 1980 as the radical breakaway from the NF. It expresses racist and neo-Nazi views.

Eccentrics:

Common Sense Party, Fancy Dress Party, Forward to Mars Party, Gremloids,

Monster Raving Loony Party - founded by a former rock'n'roll singer David 'Screamin' Lord' Sutch,

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