It's Official! We Are Somerset's Own Political Party

 

One of our Official emblems

 

We've done it! It's official!

Somerset Independents has been authorised by the official Regulator of political parties, the Electoral Commission.

Now officially the Leader of Somerset Independents, Andrew Pope says:

"We would have preferred to stay as a pressure group, but the abject failure of Liberal Democrat, Labour, Green and Conservative councillors to represent Somerset residents meant that we need to do this for the good of Somerset.

The Westminster parties inability to listen to Somerset residents has been particularly disappointing during the Covid-19 crisis. Instead of focussing on what matters during an emergency, they are pursuing unnecessary changes to our councils.

They ignore the hundreds of thousands of residents who voted in 2007 to not have a unitary authority replace our councils. By 82%, they voted then to say NO.

Instead, councillors of these Westminster parties carried on with imposing these changes and did not act on our repeated requests for a Referendum of Somerset residents via a public poll. 

Councils did a poll in 2007, so they could do it by post or online now. We have even done almost all of the work for the councils including getting a quote for the poll from Civica, who did the poll in 2007, when they were Electoral Reform Services.

All we got from councillors of the Westminster parties were excuses, denials and dithering. They don't want to listen to residents!

Because those councillors did not act, and because of their failures to listen to Somerset residents, we felt that we had no option but to register Somerset Independents as a political party and to challenge them at the elections.

Now Somerset has its own political party."

Denise Wyatt, now the official Nominations Officer for Somerset Independents, who will approve the Party's candidates, said:

"Being an official party means that we will be able to stand Somerset Independents candidates at district and county elections.

We formed Somerset Independents because Somerset has been let down by the Westminster parties, especially the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives, for too long.

Residents are still not being listened to. Their concerns are not being acted on.

Somerset Independents listens to residents and stands up for them and with them.

We are providing a local democratic alternative to the Westminster parties who do the dirty work for their masters in London, instead of serving Somerset residents.

We will be announcing council election candidates in the near future."

Somerset Independents' Constitution has also been authorised by the Electoral Commission. It states the aims of the Party as:

"The protection of Somerset’s residents.
The protection and promotion of democracy in all its forms.
The conservation of the environment and wildlife.
The promotion of the County of Somerset and protection of its interests and history."

The Commission has also approved the Party's emblems and our financial arrangements. Andrew Pope says:

"We are Somerset residents who are volunteering our time and our own money to listen to and work with other residents.

We do not have the millions that the Westminster parties have, so we are very grateful to our supporters.

We as residents are donating our own money and time to protect Somerset from the failing Westminster party councillors and MPs. They put themselves and their parties first and Somerset residents last.

Somerset Independents puts residents first.

Join Somerset's own political party to celebrate Somerset's past, protect Somerset's present and prepare Somerset for the future."

The Somerset Independents Party can be contacted via Twitter @SomerInds, via Facebook at the Somerset Independents page and via email at somerinds [at] gmail.com.