List of political parties in New Ingerland
New Ingerland's national politics feature a pervasive party system. Many of the members of the Senate and House of Assembly belong to a political party, although independent politicians occur relatively often. While historically, New Ingerland has seen two primary parties, the country now more closely resembles a three-party state, where any of the major parties can reasonably expect to play a role in government.
Legal framework
Political parties in New Ingerland can be either registered with Elections New Ingerland or may choose to remain unregistered. Registered parties must have five-hundred full paying members, each eligible to vote in general elections. If a party registers, it may also submit a party list, enabling it to stand candidates for the Senate. Unregistered parties cannot submit lists, but may still nominate candidates for individual House of Assembly constituencies.
List of political parties
New Ingerland's politics is dominated by three major parties. The oldest, and most successful of these has been the National Party, which was established in 1935 through a merger of the Country and Conservative parties. The other major parties are the Democratic Party, which came in to existence in 1959, and the United Party, which was formed in 2018 through the merger of the Labour Workers, Progressive, and New Labour parties. At present, the major parties are identified by having seats in both houses of Parliament and/or a membership base in excess of 10,000.
Smaller political parties have always existed in New Ingerland, but seldom gain more than a few seats. These parties are registered with Elections New Ingerland and can use their party name on ballot papers and may also apply for campaign funding. A number of these parties have representation on one or more county or municipal councils.
Political parties currently represented in Parliament
| Party | Leader | Representatives | Members | Ideology | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | DEM | Matthew Jones (born 4 June 1961) |
68 MPs 26 Senators 62 Aldermen |
15,560 Full 3,390 Junior |
Liberal | |
| National Party | NAT | Kristine Dawkins (born 6 December 1961) |
51 MPs 16 Senators 93 Aldermen |
22,340 Full 6,430 Junior |
Conservative | |
| United Party | UL | Frances Clark (born 12 May 1963) |
4 MPs 1 Senator 29 Aldermen |
15,250 Full 6,600 Junior |
Social democratic | |
Other parties registered with Elections New Ingerland
- Christian Democratic Party (founded 1983) - Christian democracy
- Deverauxshire Party (founded 2004) - Local issues
- Ecology Party (founded 1991) - Environmentalist, radicalism
- New Ingerland First (founded 1999) - National conservatism
- Outdoor Alliance (founded 1992) - Libertarianism, singe issue
- Peoples Party (founded 2006) - Conservative
- Retiree and Superannuates Alliance (founded 1995) - Single issue
- Socialist Party (founded 1968) - Marxist–Leninist
Funding
Unlike a number of other countries, political parties receive no funding from the state. The compulsory £100 deposit required by Elections New Ingerland for each candidate is not refundable for any candidate, no matter the number of votes received. This ban also stretches to elected members of Parliament, who must use their own money to fund any political propaganda they wish to disseminate to voters. Television and radio broadcasts must also be paid for, and no party receives free air time in which to campaign.
There is also a cap on the maximum amount an individual or business can contribute to a political party. For businesses, the maximum allowable donation is £500, whilst for individuals the maximum allowable donation stands at £300. Contributions to political parties of over 5/- are tax deductible.