British Democratic Party (2013)

History

Andrew Brons resigned from the British National Party (BNP) in October 2012, after narrowly failing in his campaign to unseat Nick Griffin as leader of the party in the 2011 party leadership election.

Although the BDP was registered with the Electoral Commission by 2011, The New Statesman reported that security for the party launch was provided by the English Defence League (EDL).

In 2013, Nick Lowles, of Hope Not Hate, believed the party would be a serious threat to the BNP, commenting, “The BDP brings together all of the hardcore Holocaust deniers and racists that have walked away from the BNP over the last two to three years, plus those previously, who could not stomach the party's image changes... They and the BNP already have a mutual hatred of each other and neither party will stop until they've killed the other one off. The gloves will be off and it will be toxic.”

Ideology

The party is described as being on the far-right of the political spectrum, and having been reported as fascist. The party advocated traditional ideals held on the British right such as opposition to immigration, arguing that citizenship should be acquired via nationality that is inherited from ones descent and not from any legal mechanisms; and declared that the party is committed to ending all immigration to the United Kingdom, supporting a British withdrawal from the 1951 Refugee Convention, the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the Global Compact for Migration (GCM). The party also described itself as economically nationalist (including nationalisation of British railways), Eurosceptic, and stated that it supports the monarchy.

Electoral performance

In the 2015 United Kingdom general election, the party nominated one candidate, the BDP chairman, Jim Lewthwaite in Bradford East. He won 210 votes, 0.5% of the total cast.

The party gained a parish councillor in March 2022, when John Robinson, who was elected to Barnham and Eastergate Parish Council in West Sussex as an independent, joined the BDP. In July 2022, Julian Leppert, an elected councillor representing the For Britain Movement on Epping Forest District Council in Essex, joined the BDP. The party gained another parish councillor in August 2022, when Roger Robertson, an elected councillor in Hartley Wintney, Hampshire, joined the British Democrats. He like Leppert was also a former member of the For Britain Movement.

Later that month, BDP candidate Lawrence Rustem was elected unopposed to Detling Parish Council in Kent, in what was the party's first ever election victory. In October 2022, the BDP candidate, Christopher Bateman, was elected to Noak Bridge Parish Council in Basildon, Essex, with 74% of the vote against one other candidate who was an independent.

The British Democrats, whose campaign received support from the far-right hate group Patriotic Alternative, stood five candidates in the 2023 local elections. All candidates failed to win their contests, with Julian Leppert losing the party's only seat above parish council level.

In March 2024, British Democrat candidate Ken Perrin won a by-election to a seat on the Chatteris town council in Cambridgeshire with 47% of the vote. Perrin had previously worked as the North East Cambridgeshire organiser for the UK Independence Party.

The party stood four parliamentary candidates in the 2024 general election: Christopher Bateman in Basildon and Billericay, Gary Butler in Maidstone and Malling, Frank Calladine in Doncaster North, and Lawrence Rustem in Faversham and Mid Kent. They received 1,860 votes.

In 2025, British Democrat candidate Peter Lawrence was elected to the Mylor council in Cornwall. Meanwhile, former parliamentary candidate Frank Calladine was elected onto two separate parish council seats in Doncaster, representing the Sprotbrough and Cusworth council and the Brodsworth council. Calladine also stood as the British Democrats' candidate for the 2025 Doncaster mayoral election,{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdxnyqx1ev4o|title=The candidates vying to be Mayor of Doncaster

Notable members

A number of disillusioned British National Party members joined Andrew Brons in the BDP split with the BNP, including Kevin Scott, founder and director of Civil Liberty and former party organiser for the BNP in the North East. Other notable members of the party include:

• John Bean, (died 2021) the former editor of BNP magazine Identity
• Brian Parker, the last elected representative of the BNP
• Derek Beackon, a former National Front member and the first ever electoral success of the BNP

References

References

1. "British Democratic Party registration summary". The Electoral Commission.
2. (26 January 2022). "National Executive Council". British Democratic Party.
3. Collins, Matthew. (8 February 2013). "Neo-Nazi former BNP members launch new far-right party". [[New Statesman]].
4. (1 July 2004). "BNP councillor loses day job". The Guardian.
5. Ray Mount. (1 March 2013). "British Democratic Party launches and promises it will belong to its members". [[Searchlight (magazine).
6. (12 January 2016). "What killed the BNP?".
7. (21 May 2023). "UK government's anti-migrant rhetoric is 'feeding' the far right, claims campaign group". [[The Guardian]].
8. (2 August 2023). "Revealed: Tens of Thousands in Taxpayer Money Claimed by Far-Right BNP's Staff During Pandemic". [[Byline Times]].
9. (27 January 2022). "British Democrats – Policies – The Party of British Identity".
10. (11 September 2023). "The British Democrats will resist Islamisation".
11. "Bradford East". BBC News.
12. (14 March 2022). "Councillor John Robinson joins the British Democrats". British Democratic Party.
13. (16 July 2022). "Councillor Julian Leppert joins the British Democrats". British Democratic Party.
14. (2 August 2022). "Councillor Roger Robertson joins the British Democrats". British Democratic Party.
15. (19 August 2022). "Lawrence Rustem elected to Detling Parish Council". British Democratic Party.
16. (13 October 2022). "Election results for Noak Bridge". Basildon Council.
17. (28 April 2023). "Fascist and far right candidates in local elections". [[Searchlight (magazine).
18. (7 May 2023). "Election disaster may mean nazi groups unite".
19. (15 March 2024). "British Democrat councillor Ken Perrin wins by-election for Slade Lode South Ward of Chatteris".
20. (16 March 2024). "British Democrats win town council by election in Chatteris".
21. (12 June 2024). "2024 UK general election candidate summary". Democracy Club.
22. (25 May 2024). "British Democrats Prospective Parliamentary Candidates Chris Bateman and Lawrence Rustem".
23. "British Democrats to stand in Doncaster North parliamentary constituency".
24. (7 June 2024). "British Democrats to stand in Maidstone and Malling parliamentary constituency". [[British Democrats]].
25. (4 April 2025). "British Democrats gain a new Councillor in Cornwall". [[British Democrats]].
26. (6 April 2025). "Yorkshire fascist wins council seats – but without an election". [[Searchlight (magazine).
27. (5 April 2025). "British Democrats pick up two council seats in Yorkshire!". [[British Democrats]].
28. (4 April 2012). "Local election candidates announced".
29. (11 August 2022). "Derek Beackon Joins the British Democrats!". British Democratic Party.