Political party affiliation in the United Kingdom facts for kids
Membership and supporter status within political parties in the United Kingdom typically contain restrictions including:
- Age restrictions
- Citizenship restrictions
- A commitment to the party's principles
- Limiting holding membership of other political parties
- Limiting standing against officially endorsed candidates
- Membership of specifically prohibited political parties
- Personal conduct expectations and party rule compliance
Practically, involvement in a political party without membership may limit an individual's involvement. Parties that offer a lower level of affiliation, such as supporter status tend to have looser constraints.
History
Membership of political parties has been in decline in the UK since the 1950s, falling by over 65% from 1983 (4 per cent of the electorate) to 2005 (1.3 per cent). Typically party affiliation allows an individual to support only a single party. However a notable exception to this is the Co-operative Party who supports only Labour and the SDLP and since 2016, More United which supports liberal and progressive candidates.
Current membership
Some political parties in the UK disclose their membership, some do not, there is no legal or electoral obligation to give figures let alone accurate figures.
| Party | Total current Membership | Full members (if applicable) | Registered supporters (if applicable) | Date | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservatives | 149,800 | N/A | N/A | 2013 |
"Historically the Conservative Party has not produced systematic membership estimates, though in recent years Conservative Home has quoted estimates from CCHQ. This reluctance to publish estimates is due to the structure of the party and the process via which individuals become full members." |
| Labour | 640,000 | 515,000 (July 2016) | 183,541 (July 2016) | 2016 | |
| SNP | 120,203 | 116,000 | N/A | 2016 | There was a huge surge in membership after the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum, prior to which the SNP had just over 25,000 members. |
| Liberal Democrats | 85,002 | 85,002 | N/A | 2016 | |
| Green Party of England and Wales | 53,000 | 60,000 | N/A | 2016 | |
| UKIP | 39,000 | 41,943 (January 2015) | N/A | 2016 | |
| Scottish Green Party | 9,000+ | 9,000 + | N/A | 2015 |
Criteria for membership
| Party | Membership Restrictions |
|---|---|
| Conservatives | "open to all who share its objects and values and who undertake to be bound by this Constitution" "Membership of the Conservative Party is not compatible with Membership of or association with any other registered political party" |
| Labour Party | "are not members of political parties or organisations ... declared ... ineligible for affiliation to the party." "[Must not stand in] opposition to a Labour candidate" |
| Liberal Democrats | "Open to all persons who agree with its fundamental values and objectives without discrimination as to age, ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender or sexual orientation." "Membership may be revoked [due to] standing against the candidate of the Party" |
| Democratic Unionist Party | |
| Scottish National Party | "I endorse the aims of the Party" "A member may not contest or be a member of any organisation [deemed to be a Political Party] contesting elections in opposition to the Party" |
| Sinn Féin | "only residents of Ireland are eligible for membership" |
| Plaid Cymru - Party of Wales | "I endorse the aims of the Party and agree to abide by its constitution. I am not a member of any other political party active in Wales" |
| Social Democratic and Labour Party | |
| Alliance Party of Northern Ireland | |
| Green Party of England and Wales |
"I/we accept the party’s aims and do not belong to any other political party." |
| Scottish Green Party | "I accept and will further the aims of the Scottish Green Party, and am not a member of any other political party except a sister Green party" |
| Green Party in Northern Ireland | "not a member of any other political party." |
| Respect Party | Respect allows its members to hold membership of other political organisations |
| Ulster Unionist Party | |
| NI21 | |
| Traditional Unionist Voice | Support for the principles of Unionism, Independence from the Republic of Ireland and Family values |
| UK Independence Party | "open to any natural person who shares the objectives and core beliefs of the Party" "[Membership shall be revoked if a member] joins another political party ... or any organisation membership of which the NEC has declared to be incompatible" |
| Pirate Party UK | "Membership is open to citizens of the United Kingdom, resident foreign nationals ... who share the Party's Aims. |
| The Socialist Party of Great Britain | "Anyone who agrees with the object and principles of the Socialist Party of Great Britain can apply for membership. The reason we ask new applicants to complete a questionnaire is in order to satisfy themselves and the Socialist Party that they are in agreement with our ideas. Only in this way does membership serve a useful purpose both for applicants and for the Party." |
