Anthony Bennett (Veritas politician) facts for kids

Anthony John Stuart Bennett was born on September 7, 1947. He is a British person who used to be a solicitor (a type of lawyer) and also ran for public office. He was part of a political party called Veritas. For a short time, he was listed as the official leader of the party before the real leader, Robert Kilroy-Silk, was announced.

About Anthony Bennett

Early Life and Education

Anthony Bennett went to Bournemouth School when he was younger. After that, he studied at several universities. He earned a degree in geography from Sheffield University and a diploma from the London School of Economics. He also studied at the University of Nottingham and Hertfordshire University.

Family Life and Early Career

Anthony Bennett is married and has two children. He worked as a welfare rights adviser for Harlow Council from 1978 to 1987. This means he helped people understand their rights and get the support they needed. Later, he led the Money Advice Unit for Hertfordshire County Council until 1992. In 1995, he became a solicitor, which is a lawyer who advises clients and prepares legal documents.

Involvement in Politics

Starting in Local Politics

Anthony Bennett became interested in politics when he lived in Derbyshire from 1972 to 1978. In May 1976, he was elected to the North East Derbyshire District Council. He served as an Independent Labour candidate until 1978. After moving to Harlow in 1978, he joined the local Labour Party in 1985.

Founding Credit Unions

In the 1980s, Bennett helped start two credit unions. A credit union is like a bank, but it's owned by its members, and it helps people save money and get loans. He founded the Harlow Community Credit Union in 1980 and the Harlow Council Employees Credit Union in 1988. These two later joined together to become HarlowSave Credit Union.

Joining UKIP and European Politics

In November 1997, Bennett left the Labour party and joined the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP). He became involved in their campaigns and worked for Jeffrey Titford, who was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP).

The Metric Martyrs Campaign

In 2000, he helped start the UKIP's Metric Martyrs Fund. This campaign supported traders who wanted to keep using pounds and ounces for weighing goods, even though new laws encouraged using metric measurements like kilograms. He ran for UKIP in the 2001 General Election in Harlow.

Campaigning for National Flags

Bennett was also part of The Drive the Flag campaign. This group wanted to allow national flags, like the Union flag, on vehicle number plates. At the time, there was a proposal to only allow the European Union (EU) symbol. The government later agreed to allow national flags on number plates.

Involvement with Veritas Party

In 2005, Bennett became a founder member of the Veritas Party. He worked as a researcher for Robert Kilroy-Silk, who was a well-known figure in the party. Bennett ran for the Veritas party in the 2005 general election in Harlow.

Campaign for a Referendum

He also helped create the Campaign for a Referendum on the European Constitution (CREC). This group wanted the British people to vote on whether to accept the European Union's constitution. They believed the constitution was part of an effort to create a European superstate.

Road Sign Campaigns

Active Resistance to Metrication

In 2001, Bennett co-founded "Active Resistance to Metrication" (A.R.M.), a group that was against using metric measurements. As part of their campaign, Bennett removed some road and footpath signs that were in metres. The group believed these signs were not legally placed. He faced legal action for removing signs in Kent.

CountyWatch Group

Bennett has also been involved with a group called CountyWatch. This group moves road signs that mark modern county borders to show the historic county borders instead. They believe they are allowed to do this under a law called the Highways Act 1980.

Involvement in Public Cases

The Madeleine Foundation

In 2007, after the disappearance of Madeleine McCann in Portugal, Anthony Bennett set up a group called The Madeleine Foundation. This foundation aimed to raise awareness and support for the case.