1.2.3 – Emerging and minor UK political parties
Scandals involving candidates from the Green Party and Reform UK were reported last week ahead of local elections across England in May, serving as a useful reminder of one of the challenges facing minor and emerging parties.
A Green candidate in the London Borough of Camden is under investigation for posting anti-Semitic messages online, whilst the Reform candidate in the London Borough of Hillingdon is also said to have posted Islamophobic messages.
Given the deadline for nominations has closed, even if the parties withdraw support for the candidates, they will still appear on the ballot paper next to their party’s name.
Whilst scandals such as this can happen to established parties as well, it is a particular problem for minor or emerging parties as they often lack the resources – both human and financial – to vet candidates before they are put forward for election.
There are over 5,000 seats being contested across England in local elections next month. The established parties will often have deep roots in local areas, and have candidates in mind and processes by which potential candidates are scrutinised before being endorsed by the party.
However, minor parties are not always in a position to do this – either because they don’t have as many willing candidates, or because they don’t have a local organisation who can carry out ‘due diligence’ on those who are.
Sometimes problems occur when parties do not believe they have a realistic chance of winning and so put up a ‘paper candidate’ (who receives no real support from the party), only to see the polls swing in their direction. In such circumstances, candidates may not have been given as much consideration as they might have been in a target seat.
For Westminster elections, the established parties usually have far more candidates than they do available seats. In these circumstances, the parties are able to hold several rounds of interviews before candidates are finally chosen, as well as more scrutiny of their background and social media activity. Minor parties – even those enjoying a wave of popularity – often do not have the volume of candidates to be so selective, or the means by which to conduct background checks.
With Reform and the Greens both doing well in the polls, their newly elected councillors are likely to come under considerable scrutiny over their suitability.