David Kurten facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Kurten
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Kurten in 2016
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| Leader of the Heritage Party | |
| Assumed office September 2020 |
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| Member of the London Assembly for Londonwide |
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| In office 6 May 2016 – 6 May 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Stephen Knight |
| Succeeded by | Emma Best |
| Deputy leader of the Brexit Alliance | |
| UKIP portfolios | |
| In office 2018 – 6 May 2021 |
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| 2016–2018 | Education |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 22 March 1971 Littlehampton, Sussex, England |
| Political party | Heritage Party (since September 2020) |
| Other political affiliations |
Brexit Alliance (2018–2021) UK Independence Party (2012–2020) |
| Alma mater | University of St Andrews (BSc) University of Bath (PGCE) University of Southampton (MRes) |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Website | https://www.davidkurten.net/ |
David Michael Kurten (born 22 March 1971) is a British politician. He has been the leader of the Heritage Party since September 2020. Before that, he was a member of the London Assembly from 2016 to 2021. He was first elected as a candidate for the UK Independence Party (UKIP). He later left UKIP in January 2020. He describes himself as a social conservative, which means he believes in traditional values in society.
Early Life and Education
David Michael Kurten was born in Littlehampton, Sussex, England, on 22 March 1971. His parents were Reginald and Patricia Kurten. He was raised by his single mother and his grandparents in Sussex. His mother was British, and his father was Jamaican.
He went to the University of St Andrews and studied chemistry, earning a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in 1993. After that, he completed a teaching qualification (Postgraduate Certificate in Education or PGCE) at the University of Bath in 1995. He then earned a Master of Research (MRes) degree in chemistry from the University of Southampton in 1998.
Before becoming a politician, David Kurten taught chemistry. He taught in schools in the UK and in other countries like Botswana, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bermuda, and the United States. He taught from 1995 until 2016.
Political Journey
Starting with UKIP
David Kurten began his political career with the UK Independence Party (UKIP). In the 2015 general election, he ran for election in the area of Camberwell and Peckham. He came in fifth place.
In the 2016 London Assembly election, he was second on UKIP's list for London. He was elected to the London Assembly along with another politician, Peter Whittle. UKIP received 171,069 votes in that election.
In October 2016, Kurten thought about running to be the leader of UKIP. However, he later decided not to and supported Paul Nuttall instead. After Nuttall became leader, he made Kurten the party's spokesperson for education on 30 November 2016.
In the 2017 general election, Kurten ran in the Essex area of Castle Point. He received 5.3% of the votes. He also ran in the 2017 UK Independence Party leadership election and came third.
Kurten left his role in UKIP's leadership team on 22 January 2018. This was because he disagreed with the then-leader, Henry Bolton. He returned to his role when Gerard Batten became leader in April.
In May 2018, Kurten ran in local elections in Sidcup but was not successful. He then ran in a special election (by-election) in Lewisham East in June 2018. During this election, a meeting was stopped by police because of disruptions from some activists. In December 2018, Kurten again stepped down from his UKIP role. This time, it was due to concerns about the party's direction under Gerard Batten, especially after Batten appointed a controversial advisor.
On 12 December 2018, after Peter Whittle also left UKIP, Kurten and Whittle formed a new group in the London Assembly called the Brexit Alliance. Kurten remained a member of UKIP at that time. In the 2019 general election, Kurten ran as the UKIP candidate in Bognor Regis and Littlehampton. He received 1.7% of the votes.
Leading the Heritage Party
While in the London Assembly, David Kurten often spoke about "gender ideology" and supported "traditional family values." As a supporter of Brexit, he disagreed with London Mayor Sadiq Khan's support for the EU.
In January 2020, Kurten announced he would run as an independent candidate for the London mayoral and London Assembly elections. These elections were originally planned for May 2020 but were moved to 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, Kurten started a new political party called the Heritage Party. It was officially registered in October of that year. In the mayoral election, Kurten finished 15th. His party also finished 13th on the London-wide list for the Assembly.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kurten expressed different views on the disease. He also opposed lockdowns put in place to control the pandemic. He attended protests against the UK government's policies.
In the 2021 Hartlepool by-election, the Heritage Party received 1.6% of the votes. In the 2021 London elections, Kurten received 0.4% of the votes in the mayoral election. The Heritage Party list received 0.5% in the Assembly vote. Because of these results, he was not re-elected to the London Assembly.
Kurten also ran in the 2021 Old Bexley and Sidcup by-election in December 2021, finishing ninth. In the 2023 Arun District Council election, he came last in his local ward. Most recently, in the 2024 general election, Kurten ran again in Bognor Regis and Littlehampton, finishing last with 1.5% of the votes.
