Progressive Constitutionalist Party (Malta)

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Progressive Constitutional Party
Maltese: Partit Progressiv Kostituzzjonali (Maltese name never used)
Leader Mabel Strickland
Founded1953
Dissolved1971
Split from Constitutional Party
Newspaper Times of Malta (de facto)
Ideology British Monarchism
Pro-Dominion status
Anti-Communism
Religion Roman Catholicism

The Progressive Constitutionalist Party (PCP) was a political party in Malta between 1953 and 1971.

Contents

History

The PCP was established in 1953 by Mabel Strickland, owner of the Times of Malta and daughter of Gerald Strickland, the founder of the Constitutional Party. [1] It was a split from the Constitutional Party, which Strickland had left in protest against its support for the Labour Party's policy of integration with the United Kingdom. [1]

The party failed to win a seat in elections in 1953 and 1955, but won a single seat in the 1962 elections. However, it lost its seat in the post-independence 1966 elections. After failing to win a seat in the 1971 elections it subsequently disappeared. [2]

Ideology

The party promoted loyalty to the Catholic church and the British Crown, but advocated dominion status for Malta to avoid any cultural assimilation or secularisation that integration with the United Kingdom would bring. [2] It also held a strict anti-communist line. [1]

Electoral history

ElectionLeaderVotes %Seats+/–RankStatus
1953 Mabel Strickland 5,128
4.33%
0 / 40
New4thExtra-Parliamentary
1955 3,649
3.02%
0 / 40
Steady2.svg 0Increase2.svg 3rd
1962 7,290
4.84%
1 / 40
Increase2.svg 1Decrease2.svg 5th"Umbrella" Coalition
PN-PDN-PĦN-PCP
1966 2,009
1.4%
0 / 40
Decrease2.svg 1Increase2.svg 4thExtra-Parliamentary
1971 1,756
1.04%
0 / 40
Steady2.svg 0Increase2.svg 3rd
Party dissolved

References

  1. 1 2 3 Vincent E McHale (1983) Political parties of Europe, Greenwood Press, p635 ISBN   0-313-23804-9
  2. 1 2 McHale, p636