English National Party

The English National Party (ENP) was founded as the John Hampden New Freedom Party in the 1960s by Frank Hansford-Miller. In 1974, it renamed itself the "English Nationalist Party". It achieved its greatest notability in April 1976 when it was joined by the Member of Parliament John Stonehouse, who had formerly represented the Labour Party and at the time was on remand for fraud. However, Stonehouse was convicted and left Parliament in August of that year, and the party did not stand a candidate in the subsequent by-election. The party was active until at least 1979, when it stood a candidate in the 1979 general election, but was defunct by 1981, when Hansford-Miller stood for the "Abolition of Rates Coalition". Hansford-Miller later settled in Australia.

The party's best known policy was advocating an English Parliament. Other policies included calling for the abolition of income tax.

Other parties by the name

There have since been several parties which have adopted the "English National Party" name, some of which have also claimed its heritage. These include a far right organisation formed by Raymond Edwin Shenton in 1984, which contested the Enfield Southgate by-election, 1984; a party founded in 1991 by Christopher Nickerson which has contested a couple of parliamentary elections, and one founded by Robin Tilbrook in 1997, now known as the English Democrats.

In April 1999, a group calling itself the "English National Party" was one of four different organizations which claimed responsibility for a nail-bomb attack in Brixton. [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_/ai_n14220093 Police chiefs reject Combat 18 threat unlikely] . April 29 1999. "The Independent" (UK).]

Another party is currently registered under the name "English National Party", with leader Robert Williams and other officer Michael Blundell. (Currently the South West Area Chairman of the English Democrats) [http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/regulatory-issues/regpoliticalparties.cfm?frmGB=1&frmPartyID=336&frmType=partydetail] It is based in Bristol and notes it has a membership of "under 100" [http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/files/dms/EnglishNationalParty_17192-12630__E__N__S__W__.PDF] and has annual income of less than £100 [http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/files/dms/EnglishNationalParty_20647-15170__E__N__S__W__.PDF]

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