Volt UK

Last updated
Volt United Kingdom
AbbreviationVolt UK / Volt
Leader Leander Ots [1]
TreasurerLuís Perdigão [2]
Campaigns officerAlessandro Gallo [3]
Nominating officerPhillip Robinson [4]
Founded6 January 2020;5 years ago (2020-01-06) [5]
Headquarters London [5]
Ideology Social liberalism [6]
Progressivism [7]
Pro-Europeanism [8]
Political position Centre [9] to centre-left [10]
European affiliation Volt Europa
Colours  Purple
Website
voltuk.org
National sections of Volt Europa. The borders of the European Union are shown in red. Karte Volt Europa.svg
National sections of Volt Europa. The borders of the European Union are shown in red.

Volt United Kingdom, [5] commonly known as Volt UK, is a pro-European [11] political party in the United Kingdom. It is the British branch of Volt Europa, a political movement that operates on a European level.

Contents

History

Volt UK was founded in London on 6 January 2020, with Philipp Gnatzy as its first leader. [5]

2021

In the 2021 local elections, the party stood one candidate for election to a local authority, Luís Perdigão in Cubbington & Leek Wootton Ward in Warwickshire; he lost, with about 2% of the vote. [12] He campaigned in particular for improvements in the transport sector and public transport, in addition to avoiding damage from Brexit.

In London, Volt backed Richard Hewison, Rejoin EU's candidate in the London mayoral election, and the two parties stood a joint list for the London-wide assembly election. [13] Hewison received 1.1% of the mayoral vote, [14] while the two parties received 49,389 votes (1.91%) for the Assembly, not winning a seat. [15]

The party also stood, unsuccessfully, in the Scottish Parliament election on a joint list with Renew Scotland. [16]

2022

In May 2022, the party contested the Glasgow City Council election. [17] Volt received 4.1% of the first-preference vote in the Pollokshields ward, not winning a seat. [18]

2023

On 2 August Volt announced Ewan Hoyle as their candidate for the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election, [19] [20] the first party candidate in a national election. [21] He received 46 votes, 0.15% of those cast. [22]

2024

Three Volt UK candidates: Charlotte Blake, Alessandro Gallo, and Marianne Mandujano, were included on the Rejoin EU candidate list for the 2024 London Assembly election on 2 May 2024. [23] Rejoin EU received 2.52% of the vote (62,528 votes), finishing in sixth place and retaining their deposit. [24]

Volt UK stood two candidates, unsuccessfully, in the 2024 general election: Annaliese Cude in Newton Abbot, [25] and Jason Hughes in Stroud. [26]

Ideology and policies

The party states that it supports 5+1 fundamental challenges (1. Smart state, 2. Economic renaissance, 3. Social equality, 4. Global balance, 5. Citizen empowerment, +1 European reform) defined by Volt Europa. [27] In addition to the pan-European policies of Volt, the British branch has some additional policies including electoral reform, rejoining the EU, action to address climate change, and reform of political campaigns. [28]

Volt Scotland

Volt Scotland is the Scottish branch of Volt UK. It participated in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election with two candidates standing, unsuccessfully, on Renew Scotland's party list. [29] For the Scottish Parliament elections, Volt endorsed a multiple-choice referendum on the issue of Scottish independence like its Renew counterparts. [30] Renew Scotland contested five regions and no constituencies in the election, receiving 493 votes nationwide. [31] [32] [33] [34] [35] The party also stood one candidate at the 2022 Scottish local elections, [36] with their candidate garnering 4.06% of first preference votes in the four-member Pollokshields ward. [37]

Electoral performance

Scottish Parliament

ElectionPolitical partyConstituencyRegionalTotal seats+/–Government
Vote %SeatsVote %Seats
2021 Volt Scotland (as part of Renew Scotland) [29] N/A
0 / 73
493 (Renew Scotland) [31] [32] [33] [34] [35] 0.02% (Renew Scotland) [38]
0 / 56
0 / 129
New—

Renew Scotland contested in five regions and no constituencies in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.

2024 general election

The party fielded 2 candidates at the 2024 United Kingdom general election on 4 July 2024, one in Newton Abbot and one in Stroud. [39] The candidates accumulated a total of 267 votes and came last in both constitencies, meaning neither were elected. [40]

Election yearConstituency# of total votes % of overall vote# of seats wonOutcome
2024 Newton Abbott104 Increase2.svg0.2% Increase2.svg
0 / 650
Steady2.svg
No seats
2024 Stroud163 Increase2.svg0.3% Increase2.svg
0 / 650
Steady2.svg
No seats

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References

  1. ↑ "View registration - The Electoral Commission". search.electoralcommission.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-04-09.
  2. ↑ "View registration - The Electoral Commission". search.electoralcommission.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-04-09.
  3. ↑ "View registration - The Electoral Commission". search.electoralcommission.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-04-09.
  4. ↑ "View registration - The Electoral Commission". search.electoralcommission.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-04-09.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "View registration - The Electoral Commission". search.electoralcommission.org.uk.
  6. ↑ Nordsieck, Wolfram (2019). "European Union". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  7. ↑ Essler, Brett (7 November 2019). "Just Do It: How two SIPA alumni founded a new European political party—and won". School of International and Public Affairs. Columbia University. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  8. ↑ Teffer, Peter (27 May 2019). "'Pan-European' Volt and DieM25 manage one MEP each". EU Observer. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  9. ↑ Boucart, Théo (31 May 2019). "Germany: Faithful Reflection Of European Electoral Tendencies?". The New Federalist. Young European Federalists . Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  10. ↑ Forthomme, Claude (28 February 2019). "Volt Europa: An Electric Jolt to Wake Up Europe". Impakter. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  11. ↑ "Rejoin the EU". Volt United Kingdom. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  12. ↑ "Election Results". apps.warwickshire.gov.uk. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  13. ↑ Carey, Declan. "Pro-EU party to stand in Scottish elections offering voters an SNP alternative". Redaction Politics.
  14. ↑ "Results 2021 | London Elects". www.londonelects.org.uk. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  15. ↑ "London Assembly (London-wide) results | London Elects". www.londonelects.org.uk. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  16. ↑ "Scottish Parliament". Volt UK. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  17. ↑ Sandelands, Drew (2022-04-28). "Pollokshields recovery to be one consideration for Glasgow election voters". GlasgowLive. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
  18. ↑ "Local Election 2022 Full Results". www.glasgow.gov.uk. 2022-05-06. Retrieved 2022-05-10.
  19. ↑ "Vote for Ewan Hoyle and Volt UK in Rutherglen and Hamilton West". Instagram. 2023-08-02. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
  20. ↑ "Scottish Tories accused of 'gutter politics' in Labour trans row". The Herald . 5 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  21. ↑ "Ewan Hoyle, Author at Bylines Scotland". Bylines Scotland. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
  22. ↑ "Labour defeats SNP to win Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election". BBC News. 5 October 2023. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  23. ↑ "London Mayoral and Assembly elections 2024". The Rejoin EU Party. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
  24. ↑ "Results 2024". London Elects. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
  25. ↑ "Statement of Persons Nominated, Notice of Poll and Situation of Polling Stations". Teignbridge District Council. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  26. ↑ "Statement of Persons Nominated" (PDF). Stroud District Council. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  27. ↑ "European Policies – Volt Europa".
  28. ↑ "Volt UK – Policies".
  29. 1 2 "Twitter Renew Scotland".
  30. ↑ "Renew Scotland, Our Proposal for Scotland's Future". Renew Scotland. Retrieved 2021-04-05.
  31. 1 2 Glasgow [region], BBC News; retrieved 8 May 2021
  32. 1 2 Lothian [region], BBC News; retrieved 8 May 2021
  33. 1 2 Mid Scotland and Fife [region], BBC News; retrieved 8 May 2021
  34. 1 2 North East Scotland [region], BBC News; retrieved 8 May 2021
  35. 1 2 West of Scotland [region] [sic], BBC News; retrieved 8 May 2021
  36. ↑ "Pollokshields council elections 2022".
  37. ↑ "Declaration of Results (Ward 6, Pollokshields)".
  38. ↑ "Scottish Parliament election 2021". BBC News.
  39. ↑ "Meet Volt UK's candidates standing in the 2024 General Election". Volt. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  40. ↑ "UK election results 2024: Parliament results". BBC News. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
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