The People's Movement was a political party

Political party

A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...

 in New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

. It was active in the late 1930s and early 1940s, and was individualist

Individualism

Individualism is the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology, or social outlook that stresses "the moral worth of the individual". Individualists promote the exercise of one's goals and desires and so value independence and self-reliance while opposing most external interference upon one's own...

 in outlook. It campaigned for a reduction in the size of government, a reform of the civil service

Civil service

The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....

, a limit on the powers of political parties, and an end to the governing Labour Party

New Zealand Labour Party

The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....

's "socialist" policies.

Although the Movement had a relatively high political profile, it did not achieve any notable successes. In April 1940, the Movement was joined by Albert Davy

Albert Davy

Albert Ernest Davy was a New Zealand political organiser and campaign manager; and at the height of his career, was regarded by some as the best in the country...

, a political organiser who had been credited with successful campaigns for the United Party

United Party (New Zealand)

The United Party of New Zealand, a party formed out of the remnants of the Liberal Party, formed a government between 1928 and 1935, and in 1936 merged with the Reform Party to establish the National Party...

 and the Reform Party

New Zealand Reform Party

The Reform Party, formally the New Zealand Political Reform League, was New Zealand's second major political party, having been founded as a conservative response to the original Liberal Party...

, but Davy failed to make much impact. In February 1941, a faction of the Movement merged into the National Party

New Zealand National Party

The New Zealand National Party is the largest party in the New Zealand House of Representatives and in November 2008 formed a minority government with support from three minor parties.-Policies:...

, and in 1942, Davy branched off to found the New Zealand Co-operative Party

New Zealand Co-operative Party

The New Zealand Co-operative Party was a short-lived political party in New Zealand. It was founded in 1942 by anti-socialist political organiser Albert Davy after he left the People's Movement. Davy had previously managed a number of successful political campaigns for other parties, but had...

. In the 1943 elections

New Zealand general election, 1943

The 1943 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 27th term. With the onset of World War II, elections were initially postponed, but it was eventually decided to hold a general election in September 1943, around two years after it...

, the remnants of the People's Movement sponsored a number of candidates under the name of the "Independent Group", but none were elected.