New Politics Network
Encyclopedia
The New Politics Network was an independent political and campaigning think tank
in the United Kingdom
, concerned with democratic renewal and popular participation in politics. It was founded as the successor to Democratic Left in 1999, and merged with Charter 88 to form Unlock Democracy
in 2007.
, the legal successor organisation to the former Communist Party of Great Britain
. Its first director was Nina Temple
. Democratic Left had briefly become the New Times Network, publishing a magazine, New Times, until the summer of 1999, before it became the NPN.
website Tacticalvoter.net during the 2001 general election
, although it was not involved with the 2005 campaign of the same name.
While it was predicted by Nick Cohen
in the New Statesman
in 2000 that NPN would merge with Make Votes Count and Charter 88, Nina Temple
among others attempted to steer the organisation back towards its democratic socialist roots at the 2003 AGM. If this had been successful, the organisation may well have ended up as part of the Compass
pressure group.
The NPN owned an office block in Islington
, north London, a property company called Rodell, and an office in the Midlands.
. The contribution of NPN to this merger was substantially financial, due to the dire situation in which Charter 88 had found itself. The NPN strapline "connecting people and politics" was however, retained.
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, concerned with democratic renewal and popular participation in politics. It was founded as the successor to Democratic Left in 1999, and merged with Charter 88 to form Unlock Democracy
Unlock Democracy
Unlock Democracy is a UK pressure group, based in Islington, in London. The organisation campaigns for a more participatory democracy in the UK, founded upon a written constitution. Unlock Democracy works to promote democratic reform across the political spectrum and is not aligned with any...
in 2007.
Origin
The NPN was established in December 1999 following the winding up of Democratic LeftDemocratic Left (United Kingdom)
Democratic Left was a post-communist political organisation in the United Kingdom during the 1990s, growing out of the Eurocommunist strand within the Communist Party of Great Britain and its magazine Marxism Today...
, the legal successor organisation to the former Communist Party of Great Britain
Communist Party of Great Britain
The Communist Party of Great Britain was the largest communist party in Great Britain, although it never became a mass party like those in France and Italy. It existed from 1920 to 1991.-Formation:...
. Its first director was Nina Temple
Nina Temple
Nina Claire Temple was the last Secretary of the Communist Party of Great Britain, and was formerly a think-tank director in the United Kingdom.-Early life:...
. Democratic Left had briefly become the New Times Network, publishing a magazine, New Times, until the summer of 1999, before it became the NPN.
Activities
The NPN had around 200-250 members. The NPN worked with a wide range of groups and individuals to provide a forum to look at emerging ideas in society. Its stated goal was to provide an independent and innovative debate on the future of politics. With the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust it funded the tactical votingTactical voting
In voting systems, tactical voting occurs, in elections with more than two viable candidates, when a voter supports a candidate other than his or her sincere preference in order to prevent an undesirable outcome.It has been shown by the Gibbard-Satterthwaite theorem that any voting method which is...
website Tacticalvoter.net during the 2001 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
, although it was not involved with the 2005 campaign of the same name.
While it was predicted by Nick Cohen
Nick Cohen
Nick Cohen is a British journalist, author and political commentator. He is currently a columnist for The Observer, a blogger for The Spectator and TV critic for Standpoint magazine. He formerly wrote for the London Evening Standard and the New Statesman...
in the New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
in 2000 that NPN would merge with Make Votes Count and Charter 88, Nina Temple
Nina Temple
Nina Claire Temple was the last Secretary of the Communist Party of Great Britain, and was formerly a think-tank director in the United Kingdom.-Early life:...
among others attempted to steer the organisation back towards its democratic socialist roots at the 2003 AGM. If this had been successful, the organisation may well have ended up as part of the Compass
Compass (think tank)
Compass is a left wing pressure group, aligned with the UK Labour Party describing itself as 'An umbrella grouping of the progressive left whose sum is greater than its parts'...
pressure group.
The NPN owned an office block in Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
, north London, a property company called Rodell, and an office in the Midlands.
Merger
In November 2007 the NPN, by then directed by Peter Facey, merged with Charter 88 to form a new campaigning group, Unlock DemocracyUnlock Democracy
Unlock Democracy is a UK pressure group, based in Islington, in London. The organisation campaigns for a more participatory democracy in the UK, founded upon a written constitution. Unlock Democracy works to promote democratic reform across the political spectrum and is not aligned with any...
. The contribution of NPN to this merger was substantially financial, due to the dire situation in which Charter 88 had found itself. The NPN strapline "connecting people and politics" was however, retained.
External links
- Unlock Democracy
- New Politics Net on the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
- Guardian profile