Party of Women

Last updated
Not to be confused with Women's Party (UK) or Women's Equality Party.For other uses, see Women's Party.

Party of Women
AbbreviationPOW
Leader Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull
Nominating officer Paul Duddridge
TreasurerKellie-Jay Keen
Founded2023;2 years ago (2023)
Registered8 February 2024;22 months ago (2024-02-08) [1]
Headquarters Bath, Somerset, South West England [1]
Ideology Gender critical ideology
Anti-transgender
Colours  Black,   white,   magenta and   turquoise
House of Commons
0 / 650
Councillors [2]
1 / 18,766
Election symbol
Registered emblem of Party of Women (UK).png
Website
www.partyofwomen.org

The Party of Women (POW) is a gender-critical [3] [4] and anti-transgender [5] single-issue political party in the United Kingdom, which opposes what it refers to as "trans ideology". [6] [7] [8] It was founded in 2023 by Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull (also known as Posie Parker) and registered in February 2024. [9]

Contents

History

The first application to register the party with the Electoral Commission was rejected in September 2023, due to issues with the proposed constitution and financial schemes. [10] Following an additional failed application in November, the party was formally registered in February 2024. [11] [12] The party has aligned itself with Keen-Minshull's views. [9]

On 1 March, the party issued an announcement, committing it to revoke the Gender Recognition Act 2004, and stating that it would reinforce the rights of cisgender women and girls. [13]

Mandy Clare, a councillor sitting on Cheshire West and Chester council, defected to the party on 8 March 2024, having previously served in office for the Labour and Socialist Labour parties. [9] Clare left the party just over a year later in March 2025, joining Reform UK. [14]

The Party of Women stood five candidates in the 2024 local elections, receiving a total of 509 votes with no candidates being elected. [12]

A total of 16 candidates stood for the party at the 2024 United Kingdom general election, [15] receiving a total of 5,077 votes. [16] Keen stood in the new Bristol Central constituency [17] but lost her deposit after gaining only 0.5% of the vote. [18]

Election results

House of Commons of the United Kingdom
Election yearTotal
candidates		Total votes%Seats wonRank
2024 165,0770.020 Steady2.svg34

Local Government

The party has never won an election to a local council before and has only ever obtained councillors through defection.

Cllr Mandy Clare of Cheshire West and Chester Council defected to the party in March 2024, [19] having left Labour, giving the party their first representative in local government. Clare left the party a few months later in July 2024 [20] to sit as an Independent, before joining Reform UK, then subsequently being arrested for assault. [21] The charges were later dropped due to insufficient evicence. [22]

Cllr Vanessa Bell of Maldon District Council in Essex defected to the party, currently serving as their only elected representative. Bell represents the ward of Burnham-on-Crouch South. [23]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Registration summary – Party Of Women". electoralcommission.org.uk. 8 February 2024.
  2. ↑ "Open Council Data UK". opencouncildata.co.uk.
  3. ↑ Attenborough, Frederick (19 February 2024). "Local Labour Party branch pressures pub into cancelling Conservative-run debate with gender-critical activist". The Free Speech Union . Archived from the original on 10 June 2024. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  4. ↑ "It's our party and we'll cry if we want to | Jean Hatchet". The Critic Magazine. 10 June 2024.
  5. ↑ "Election candidates set out their stalls in Sidmouth hustings". Sidmouth Herald. 20 June 2024.
  6. ↑ Storey, Eleanor (10 June 2024). "Linda Law launches election campaign for Party of Women". Eastern Daily Press . Archived from the original on 10 June 2024.
  7. ↑ Storey, Eleanor (6 June 2024). "Norfolk Police to attend Let Women Speak event in Norwich". Eastern Daily Press . Archived from the original on 6 June 2024. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  8. ↑ "Linda Law challenges Clive Lewis on his 'views on women'". Eastern Daily Press. 28 June 2024.
  9. 1 2 3 Smith, Mark (8 March 2024). "Cheshire West councillor quits group to join new party". Northwich Guardian . Archived from the original on 9 March 2024.
  10. ↑ Perry, Sophie (29 September 2023). "Posie Parker's political party rejected by electoral commission". PinkNews . Archived from the original on 29 September 2023. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  11. ↑ Perry, Sophie (14 November 2023). "Posie Parker's political party rejected by Electoral Commission for the second time". PinkNews . Archived from the original on 15 November 2023. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  12. 1 2 Perry, Sophie (3 May 2024). "Posie Parker's Party of Women fails to gain any seats in local elections". PinkNews . Archived from the original on 4 May 2024. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  13. ↑ "Party of Women Newsletter 1 March 2024". Party of Women. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  14. ↑ "REFORM UK WELCOMES CHESHIRE WEST & CHESTER COUNCILLOR MANDY CLARE". Facebook. Cllr Mandy Clare - Winsford Dene. 18 March 2025. Archived from [facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1085517916927877&id=100064090357803&set=a.311006947712315 the original] on 2 November 2025. Retrieved 2 November 2025.{{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  15. ↑ Keeling, Peter (9 June 2024). "2024 UK general election candidate summary". Democracy Club. Archived from the original on 8 June 2024. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  16. ↑ "UK election results 2024 | Constituency map". BBC News. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  17. ↑ Hobbs, Phoebe (8 June 2024). "Activist Kellie-Jay Keen announces campaign for Bristol Central". Bristol Live . Archived from the original on 10 June 2024.
  18. ↑ Perry, Sophie (5 July 2024). "Anti-trans activist Posie Parker loses deposit after dismal election performance". PinkNews. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  19. ↑ https://x.com/mandyclareterf/status/1772301620384047316?s=46
  20. ↑ https://www.northwichguardian.co.uk/news/25014666.cheshire-west-councillor-mandy-clare-joins-reform-uk-party/
  21. ↑ https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyjqylv8plo
  22. ↑ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn0k9qqer7eo
  23. ↑ https://opencouncildata.co.uk/councillors.php?p=504&y=0
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