The General Election was undeniably disappointing for many independent candidates. An overall net loss of independent seats saw incumbent Dr Richard Taylor in the Wyre forest constituency and Dai Davies in Blaenau Gwent become casualties of the process and despite best efforts, only Lady Sylvia Hermon in North Down was elected as an independent Member of Parliament. It would be easy to become disheartened by such a result. 

However, the reality is that the most number of votes ever for independent candidates were cast. This is an extremely encouraging outcome and a ringing assertion that now is the time for independent candidates to come forward and provide a credible alternative. Candidates endorsed by the Independent Network received 51,674 votes out of the 279,874 votes cast for all independents. With 404 independent candidates nationwide and only 46 endorsed by the IN, this is a great result in terms of the potential of the Network. Several candidates won back their deposits with John Stevens, Andre Camilleri, and Marianne Overton achieving particularly positive results.

Double the number of independents in the last election stood this time round. This means that the number of proactive figures coming forward to offer a credible alternative to the disillusioned electorate has rocketed. The IN saw a hugely diverse group of people, from fitness coaches to newspaper columnists, come together to fight for a more representative government.

Although a very positive example of the increasing prominence of independent politics, the huge increase in candidates has meant that the number of independents standing in any one constituency has shot up. In Luton South this year there were twelve candidates standing in the constituency, five of whom were independents. With that many independent candidates fighting to be heard, the chances of one getting elected are considerably slashed. Experiences like this must now be evaluated and used to improve the strategies of independent candidates everywhere.  Candidate feedback about election experiences is very welcomed and it will really help in the research that is currently being undertaken by the IN. To provide any opinions on how the campaign went, please send us an email.

Problems for Independent Candidates

It shouldn’t be forgotten that this election was a notably difficult one to run in. Television debates opened the door to ‘style over substance’ politics where a well-timed smile, or a badly timed one for that matter, could cause massive leaps in the polls. The debates raised safe, uninspiring issues and with no massive slip-ups from any party, they turned out to be an exercise in getting faces onto screens. This was undoubtedly detrimental to independent candidates.

This was by no means the only disadvantage that independents had to overcome. The severe lack of media coverage left some candidates greatly underexposed with numerous people shockingly being ignored even by their local newspaper’s candidate lists! Peter Thompson-Bates (Harwich and North Essex constituency), said, “My greatest concern during the campaign has been the attitude of the media towards independent candidates. We are virtually invisible.”

Lack of funds for many added to the problem of underexposure. If nobody knows who an independent candidate is, or what they stand for, it is much harder to bring messages across to the electorate. Underexposure led to much of the electorate being completely misinformed as to what the strengths of an independent are. Some candidates were confused with being affiliated with UKIP on several occasions. Alice Sakura Dartnell (Gravesham constituency), said, ‘I had a lot of people asking me what party I was, then asking what ‘the independent party’ believe in!’

This vicious circle of underfunding, underexposure and inadequate information being sent to the electorate is something that the IN is urgently addressing.

The Role of the Independent Network

A lesson to be learnt from the television debates, as well as the underexposure of candidates has been that a cohesive voice delivering inspiring messages, such as the IN, is crucial in generating interest and enhancing credibility. The IN is not a political party, so it is vital that the cohesive voice makes full use of core values, such as the Bell Principles, but not of individual policies.   

The success of the IN April press conference clearly shows how a unified voice and brand image can result in increased credibility and strong media coverage. The launch was featured in most national newspapers with the majority positively portraying the disenchantment with party politics that underlines the IN’s aim to provide an alternative. Political websites like politics.co.uk and Epolitix positively covered the event, suggesting an increasing interest in independent politics.

The outcome of the 2010 election only encourages the IN to continue with its pursuit of an alternative. The nation has issued a clear statement that no main party is worth its majority vote. According to the ICM survey commissioned by the IN, 51% of people believe that political parties are corrupt. It is absolutely clear that now is the time for independent candidates to offer a reliable and substantial alternative to the disillusioned electorate.

Learning from this result and moving forward will be crucial in securing the success of future independent candidates. Standing firm in the aim to provide a significant and credible alternative for those disillusioned with the status quo is where the focus must now lie for the future. The IN will continue in its promotion of independent candidates and will maintain its unwavering opinion that as support grows and lessons are learned, independent politics and its aim to fully represent the British electorate can only become more prominent.

The IN is currently planning activities for the next few years and any suggestions on additions to the IN strategy would be well received. Please email any propositions to secretariat@independentnetwork.org.uk