Socialist Party (Northumbria)

Socialist Party
Chairman	Martin Aquinas
General Secretary	Harold Wanton
Founded	12/02/21
Preceded by	Republican Party
Headquarters	Bowburn
Newspaper	People's Pravda
Ideology	• Social democracy  • Democratic socialism Internal factions  • Social democracy  • Democratic socialism  • Republicanism
Political position	Left
International affiliation	Party of the International Left
Colours	Red
Seats in the Parliament	2 / 41
Seats in the Witan	4 / 25

The Socialist Party is a political party in the Kingdom of Northumbria, positioned on the centre-left to left of Northumbrian politics.

The party encompasses a rather large spectrum of left-wing opinion, with membership including social democrats, democratic socialists, libertarian socialists and communists; according to its constitution, the party is social democratic. The party is led by a Chairman, alongside two administrative committees called the Organisations Committee and the Executive Committee. Its highest decision-making body is the Party Conference, held among all members once a year.

The party was founded early in 2021 after Northumbria was democratised. Most of the core founding members were previously members of the Republican Party in the Kingdom of Sorrenia, but the party also included left-wing ex-members of the governing National Democratic Party and others.

The party's strongest areas of support are the cities of Sunderland and Middlesbrough, towns and villages along the Durham Coast, and parts of the city of Newcastle. The party also competes against the National Democratic Party in the various pit towns and villages found throughout Northumbria.

History

Predecessor parties

The Socialist Party stands in a long line of left and far-left political parties active in Northumbria's predecessor micronations, the Democratic People's Republic of Kozlova, the Sorrenian Federation, and the Kingdom of Sorrenia. The first of these was the People's Communist Democratic Party of Kozlova (PCDPK), which embraced a Marxist anti-Stalinist position. The Sorrenian Federation's politics were dominated throughout its entire existence by left-wing parties, the first of which was the Socialist Party of Sorrenia. The PCDPK and Socialist Party's ideologies were often inchoate, and reflected the particular ideological interests of the party leadership at various times more so than a unified and consistent set of beliefs.

The Socialist Party later merged into the Sorrenian Workers Party, which itself began as an offshoot of the SPS. The SWP dominated electoral politics throughout the later years of the Sorrenian Federation, and like its predecessor espoused a varied set of ideological commitments. It is particulary noteworthy for developing the Sorrenian Celticist movement, maintaining secularism laws in Sorrenia, and its tolerance of regional monarchies in parts of Sorrenia such as Amon Lasgalen and Doppeland. Throughout its entire existence, the Workers Party never lost an election, though often chose to enter into coalition with the centre-left NDLP and the far-left CPSF. Similarly, until the final choatic months of the Federation's existence, all but one of Sorrenia's presidents were members of either the Socialist Party or the SWP, the exception being Rozalia Janiszewska of the NDLP who was endorsed by the Workers Party.

The Republican Party was the most recent pre-Northumbrian iteration of the left. The party originated in the Sherburn Worker's Council which was part of the Socialist League who fought the War of the Sorrenian Succession. Harold Wanton led a section of the League to a peace treaty with the new Kingdom of Sorrenia, entering into parliamentary politics and rejecting the revolutionary aims of the Socialist League. The Republican Party was in opposition for most of their existence, but briefly entered into government after the November 2019 general election. Factionalism between the centre-left and the far-left of the party ultimately brought down the government, and was a key factor in the dissolution of the Kingdom of Sorrenia.

Formation and opposition (February 2021 - November 2021)

The Socialist Party was formed shortly after the National Democratic Party implemented a series of democratic reforms in January 2021. These reforms permitted other political parties to form, standardised the election process, and permitted free media and other associations. More left-wing members of the NDP joined with socialists from the Sorrenian Republican Party to create a new broad church left-wing party. Electing Martin Aquinas as its first chairman, the Socialist Party quickly emerged as the leading contender to the NDP. In the March 2021 general election (the first democratic election in Northumbria's history), the Socialists won eleven of the forty-one seats in Parliament, coming second behind the NDP. Unlike its predecessors, the Socialist Party avoided Marxist symbols and terms and is closer to contemporary social-democratic parties like the British Labour Party and the German SPD. Unlike every single one of its predecessor parties, the Socialist Party does not use the hammer and sickle, instead choosing as its logo the rose which is commonly associated with the social-democratic movement.

Early on, the Socialist Party was dominated by a moderate centre-left faction led by Martin Aquinas and Harold Wanton. The party's constitution abandoned any commitment to republicanism, and accepted the existence of the Witan, the upper chamber of Northumbria's legislature. Under their leadership, the party also worked to establish channels with the centre-left Liberal-Green Alliance and the centre-right Christian Democrats. They did however permit more left-wing politicians to join, including Adam Scargill, founder of the Socialist League of Sorrenia who created the People's Republic of Horden, a small micronation which battled against the Sorrenian authorities. Scargill founded the October Group which included a number of other far-left ex-members of the Sorrenian Republican Party.

The party leadership's commitment to moderation and cross-party consensus-building paid off in the November 2021 general election. After increasing their seat share from eleven seats in March to twelve in July, the party managed to win fifteen seats in November. Though short of a majority by 6, Martin Aquinas and Harold Wanton were able to strike a deal with the Liberal-Green Alliance and the Christian Democrats to form a government with a majority of two.

Socialist Party in government (November 2021 - February 2024)

Internal tensions and the February 2024 election (December 2023 - February 2024)

Together, the Socialist Party's centre-left faction led by Martin Aquinas and Harold Wanton managed to maintain a commanding majority within the party's Organisations and Executive committees, enabled by the party's ability to increase its seat share in every single election to date. This changed however in December 2023 when the Socialist Party lost seven seats. They remained the largest party with twenty-one seats (enough for a majority in Parliament) and its third-best result since its creation out of a total of seven elections, however the losses still spurred a series of critiques of the party and its direction.

Adam Scargill, leader of the party's far-left October Group argued that the government had squandered its large majority achieved after the May 2023 general election, and no longer had a core message or identity, which left the party vulnerable to a resurgent NDP or Liberal-Green Alliance. The October Group were able to win a majority on the Organisations Committee during the party's annual conference, which would allow for a spate of far-left motions, votes and nominations at the next year's conference. In addition, Scargill, who served as a Member of Parliament, was able to hold up government legislation and demanded positions for other left-wing MPs in the government's cabinet. This caused Prime Minister Wanton to increasingly rely on votes from the Christian Democrats, further alienating the left-wing of the party.

Tensions reached a new high in early February, when Scargill encouraged the Organisations Committee to launch a vote of no confidence in Wanton's leadership. For several days the Socialist Party was plunged into chaos, as it was unclear whether the Organisations Committee had this power. Though the Executive Committee ruled it did not, it nevertheless permitted a vote of no confidence to ratify Wanton's leadership, which he won comfortably with 80% of the vote. Nevertheless, this put the Socialist Party's internal disputes into the national limelight. Rilgar Ompastre, Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of the NDP, launched his own vote of no confidence via Parliament. After Scargill threatened to abstain in the vote which risked a dead heat result and a constitutional crisis, Wanton voluntarily suspended Parliament leading to the February 2024 general election.

By this point, the party's leadership was divided. Though Together attempted to enforce party unity in campaigning via the Executive Committee, the Organisations Committee created its own campaign material for left-wing candidates sympathetic to the October Group. The National Democratic Party had successfully rehabilitated its own image, and the Liberal-Green Alliance, which had only recently returned to Parliament in December of 2023, were able to galvanise strong levels of support in Newcastle. As a result, the Socialist Party suffered its worst ever defeat, losing eleven seats and leaving it back in opposition.

Return to opposition (February 2024 -)

The party's crushing electoral defeat only further inflamed tensions between Together and the October Group. Wanton was reportedly incensed at Scargill's behaviour, which he felt resembled a series of events which had led to the downfall of the Sorrenian Republican Party, its government and the Kingdom of Sorrenia itself. Scargill meanwhile argued that the party leadership was out of touch, and unreceptive to the ideas of the left. For several months, Wanton and other members of the party's leadership refused to engage, believing that a period of quiet would allow the party to rehabilitate its image and make gains in the future. By July however, the Executive Committee suspended Scargill's membership in the Socialist Party, concluding that he was "in open and regular defiance of the party whip, and acting in an entryist manner in internal party affairs". Wanton held off approving the suspension, fearing that a large number of left-wing party members could defect. This proved to be partially true. Scargill said his suspension was an outrage, and formally cancelled his membership, founding the Workers Party. Though many grassroots members left with him, most core October Group members such as Michelle Livenson refused to join him, and remained members of the Socialist Party.

This proved to be a disastrous series of events for the Socialist Party, whose national image was further tarnished. In the August 2024 general election, the party lost all but two of its seats. Notably, Adam Scargill won a seat in Easington & Peterlee, due to an overwhelming turnout in the towns of Horden and Easington. The Workers Party also narrowly won Byker, previously one of the Socialist Party's safest seats. The Liberal-Green Alliance also made gains, most notably winning the Durham Central constituency which includes the town of Bowburn where the Socialist Party's headquarters is located. A large number of other seats were also lost, due to a split in the left-wing vote between the Socialist Party, the Liberal-Green Alliance and the Workers Party, allowing the National Democratic Party to win often by very large margins. This created a very unrepresentative result overall, with the Socialist Party coming second in the national vote despite losing all but two of the forty-one seats in Parliament. Harold Wanton announced his resignation on the night of the election, arguing that new leadership was needed to advance the party.

Ideology

The Socialist Party is influenced by a large number of left-wing traditions and ideologies. Moderate centre-left influences include Keynesian and neo-Keynesian economics, Bernsteinian social democracy and liberal socialism. Members most influenced by these traditions generally endorse the post-war economic consensus and seek to reconcile and ameliorate the social ills of capitalism rather than abolish the economic order altogether. They may argue that there is not a necessary contradiction between liberalism and socialism.

More explicitly democratic socialist ideological currents include cooperative politics, guild socialism, the gradualism of the early Fabian Society, and the ethical socialism of Labour Party politicians and theorists like Keir Hardie and R.H. Tawney. Many members drawing upon these traditions belonged to the 'Corbynist' wing of the British Labour Party, and are influenced by the anti-austerity movement.

More explicitly far-left ideologies can be found in the republican wing of the party, embodied by the October Group.

Constitution and structure

An organisational chart of the Socialist Party

The Socialist Party consists of individual members organised into constituency parties, affiliated trade unions, sub-parties, the People's Pravda and a parliamentary caucus which is made up of all members of Parliament who are members of the Socialist Party.

The party's highest decision-making body is officially the Party Conference, which meets once a year to elect party officials, debate and vote on motions and ratify decisions. The Conference consists of delegates from each constituency party, representatives of internal factions and affiliate entities and all members of the Socialist Parliamentary Caucus. Recognised sub-parties who are afforded a set number of delegates include Together, the Cooperative Party, the Blue Socialist Movement and the October Group. The Conference's most important decision is that of choosing members of the Executive Committee and the Organisations Committee who are elected yearly. Any alteration of the party's constitution must also be ratified by the Conference.

The Organisations Committee is primarily concerned with matters of procedure. Most importantly, it is responsible for organising and managing the Conference, and can decide what motions are to be debated during a session. Any party delegate can stand for the Organisations Committee so long as they are nominated by at least 5% of the Conference's total delegates.

The Executive Committee is responsible for management of the Socialist Party at the national level, and decides the contents of election manifestos, voting behaviour in Parliament and the Witan and the general strategic direction of the party. Unlike elections for the Organisations Committee, prospective candidates are nominated by members of the Parliamentary Caucus and are in turn ratified by the Conference. The Leader of the Socialist Party - the Party Chairman - is chosen through a one member, one vote special election and their leadership is ratified yearly by the Conference. The Chairman is granted an automatic seat on the Executive Committee and must be a member of Parliament so long as the Socialist Party has at least three MPs; the Chairman is also the Socialist Party's nominee for the position of Prime Minister.

Electoral performance

The Socialist Party's 'red wall' mostly consists of working-class urban and post-industrial parts of Northumbria. The three strongest areas of support are East Newcastle and Gateshead, Sunderland and Easington, and Teesside. The party's main competitors in these areas are the NDP and the Tees Party (in Teesside only). The remainder of the party's support is mostly diffused throughout Durham and the south-east of Northumberland.

Election year	Leader	%	+/-	seats won	+/-	Government
March 2021	Martin Aquinas	28	N/A	11 / 41	N/A	in opposition
July 2021	Martin Aquinas			12 / 41	▲ 1	in opposition
November 2021	Martin Aquinas			15 / 41	▲ 3	in coalition government
April 2022	Martin Aquinas			19 / 41	▲ 4	in coalition government
November 2022	Martin Aquinas			22 / 41	▲ 3	in government
May 2023	Harold Wanton			28 / 41	▲ 6	in government
December 2023	Harold Wanton			21 / 41	▼ 7	in government
February 2024	Harold Wanton			10 / 41	▼ 11	in opposition
August 2024	Harold Wanton			2 / 41	▼ 8	in opposition

Timeline of Party Leaders

Picture	Name	Term start	Term end
	Martin Aquinas	January 2021	March 2023
	Harold Wanton	March 2023

Factions

The Socialist Party, as a broad church, consists of members who endorse views across the left of the political spectrum, ranging from Third Way liberalism to Marxism-Leninism. Officially the party is social-democratic and calls for the gradual creation of a socialist economy through parliamentary and democratic means, making it a democratic socialist party also. Difference is seen in belief between the party membership - who are often more left-wing - and the parliamentary caucus, which is generally more moderate.

Members are permitted to form 'factions' or 'sub-parties' which organise on the basis of shared political tendencies. Once formally recognised, sub-parties receive a set number of delegates who attend Conference and vote on a number of issues.

Together

Together is the largest faction and represents the establishment wing of the party. Members are often referred to as 'red socialists' and constitute the plurality of the Socialist Party's membership. Together dominates the Parliamentary Caucus and the Executive Committee allowing them to exert significant control over the ideological direction and strategy of the party. Due to its size, Together is in fact rather ideologically heterogenous, and consists of centre-left liberals, democratic socialists and libertarian socialists. These individuals are united in the belief that the Socialist Party should be a big tent, should not adopt republicanism into its manifesto and should seek to marginalise Marxist elements of the party.

Members include:
 • Martin Aquinas
 • Harold Wanton
 • Alastair Song

Blue Socialist Movement

The Blue Socialist Movement is a sub-party for ex-members of the National Democratic Party. Members are often referred to as 'blue socialists' and are so-named due to the NDP's traditional colour of blue. This term however is sometimes used as an insult, suggesting either that members are inauthentically socialist (as blue is traditionally associated with conservatism) or that they maintain links with the NDP. The membership of ex-NDP members in the Socialist Party was, and remains, controversial, especially after the Half moon conspiracy which showed that the NDP's leadership sought to infiltrate the Socialist Party and the LGA. The BSM works to ensure ex-members of the NDP can remain members of the Socialist Party.

Members of the Blue Socialist Movement tend to be more socially conservative; in particular, they defend the rights of the Northumbrian aristocracy and clergy, support the retention of the monarchy and the Witan and support greater restrictions on the power of the Party Conference; there is more variation in economic beliefs within the BSM.

Cooperative Party

The Cooperative Party seeks to represent cooperatives - autonomous associations of workers, tenants, consumers and others who unite voluntarily to meet common economic and social needs. Members of the Co-op Party are often referred to as 'purple socialists' as purple is traditionally associated with the cooperative movement. The Cooperative Party has been very effective at tabling motions to push for a greater role of cooperatism in the Socialist Party during Conference, and also has several MPs. They caucus closely with Together and are seen as a moderate faction within the Socialist Party.

October Group

The October Group is a far-left Marxist sub-party chaired by Adam Scargill. Created as a coalition of far-left republican dissidents within the Socialist Party, the October Group has a reputation for radical politics. In particular, it embraces Pitmatic thought which advocates for revolutionary struggle in Northumbria led by the 'old proletariat'. The October Group is mostly made up of syndicalists though closely interweaves this tendency with Marxist doctrine; it also includes a sizeable Marxist-Leninist minority. The name is a reference to the October Revolution.

Though the October Group has only one Socialist MP and no members on the Executive Committee, they represent a large section of the party membership and regularly win a controlling share of the Organisations Committee.

Members include:
 • Adam Scargill (left to form the Workers Party)
 • Michelle Livennson