New Politics Network

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The New Politics Network (NPN) was an independent political and campaigning think tank in the United Kingdom, concerned with democratic renewal and popular participation in politics. It was founded as the successor to Democratic Left in 1999, and merged with Charter 88 to form Unlock Democracy in 2007.

## Origin[edit]

The NPN was established in December 1999 following the winding up of Democratic Left, the legal successor organisation to the former Communist Party of Great Britain.[1] Its first director was Nina Temple. Democratic Left had briefly become the New Times Network, publishing a magazine, New Times, until the summer of 1999, before it became the NPN.[2]

## Activities[edit]

The NPN had around 200 to 250 members.[2] The NPN worked with a wide range of groups and individuals to provide a forum to look at emerging ideas in society. Its stated goal was to provide an independent and innovative debate on the future of politics. With the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust it funded the tactical voting website Tacticalvoter.net during the 2001 general election,[3] although it was not involved with the 2005 campaign of the same name.

While it was predicted by Nick Cohen in the New Statesman in 2000 that NPN would merge with Make Votes Count and Charter 88,[2] Nina Temple among others attempted to steer the organisation back towards its democratic socialist roots at the 2003 AGM. If this had been successful, the organisation may well have ended up as part of the Compass pressure group.[original research?]

The NPN owned an office block in Islington, north London, a property company called Rodell, and an office in the Midlands.[2]

## Merger[edit]

In November 2007 the NPN, by then directed by Peter Facey, merged with Charter 88 to form a new campaigning group, Unlock Democracy.[1] The contribution of NPN to this merger was substantially financial, due to the dire situation in which Charter 88 had found itself. The NPN strapline "connecting people and politics" was however, retained.

## See also[edit]

* List of UK think tanks
* Make Votes Matter

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b "A short history". Unlock Democracy. Retrieved 9 February 2010.
2. ^ a b c d Cohen, Nick (23 October 2000). "Up for grabs: £3.5m of Stalin's gold". New Statesman. Retrieved 9 February 2010.
3. ^ Carus, Felicity (31 May 2001). "Working the web: Voting alternatives". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 February 2010.

* Background Information on the Proposed Merger between Charter 88 and the New Politics Network (jointly printed pamphlet, 2007)

## External links[edit]

* Unlock Democracy
* New Politics Net on the Internet Archive
* Guardian profile

* v
* t
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Communist Party of Great Britain

Leadership|

| General Secretaries|

* Albert Inkpin (1920–1928)
* J. R. Campbell (1929)
* Harry Pollitt (1929–1939)
* Rajani Palme Dutt (1939–1941)
* Harry Pollitt (1941–1956)
* John Gollan (1956–1975)
* Gordon McLennan (1975–1989)
* Nina Temple (1989–1991)

|

Assistant General Secretaries|

* Fred Peet (1920–1922)
* John Gollan (1947–1949)
* George Matthews (1949–1956)
* Bill Wainwright (1956-59)
* Bill Alexander (1959–1967)
* Reuben Falber (1968–1979)

Chairs|

* Arthur MacManus (1920–1927)
* Willie Gallacher (1943–1956)
* Harry Pollitt (1956–1960)
* Frank Stanley (1964–1967)
* Tony Chater (1968–1969)
* John Tocher (1969–1971)
* Irene Swann (1972–1974)
* Mick McGahey (1974–1979)
* Ron Halverson (1980s)
* George Bolton (1980s–1990)

National Organisers|

* Tom Bell (1920–1921)
* Bob Stewart (1921–1923)
* Harry Pollitt (1923)
* Idris Cox (1930s)
* R. W. Robson (1930s)
* Dave Springhall (1940–1943)
* Peter Kerrigan (1943–1951)
* Mick Bennett (1951–1954)
* John Gollan (1954–1956)
* Bill Lauchlan (1956–1966)
* Gordon McLennan (1966–1975)
* Dave Cook (1975–1981)
* Ian McKay (1982–1991)

National Industrial Organisers|

* Ernie Woolley (1925–)
* Finlay Hart (1937–1939)
* Peter Kerrigan (1939–1942)
* George Allison (1942–1951)
* Peter Kerrigan (1951–1966)
* Bert Ramelson (1965–1978)
* Mick Costello (1979–1982)
* Pete Carter (1982–1991)

Publications|

* Marxism Today
* Morning Star
* Workers' Weekly

Associated groups|

* Communist Party Historians Group
* Jersey Communist Party
* Democratic Left
* National Minority Movement
* National Unemployed Workers' Movement
* New Politics Network
* New Times
* Straight Left
* Young Communist League
* Connolly Association

Predecessors|

* British Socialist Party
* Communist Labour Party
* Communist Party (British Section of the Third International)
* Communist Unity Group
* South Wales Socialist Society

Splits|

* Communist Party of Britain
* Appeal Group
* Committee to Defeat Revisionism, for Communist Unity
* Communist League
* Communist Party of Britain (Marxist–Leninist)
* Communist Party of Great Britain (PCC)
* Workers' Socialist Federation
* Fife Socialist League
* New Communist Party of Britain
* New Left
* Revolutionary Marxist–Leninist League

Other topics|

* Britain's Road to Socialism
* Campbell Case
* Election results
* Members of Parliament
* Percy Glading
* Zinoviev letter

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States

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