Skip to main content
Independents and candidates from small parties are the hope of real change in the election
Breaking the duopoly of British politics is not easy, but it is essential as working people are crying out for change, argues CLAUDIA WEBBE

IT IS A cliche, or perhaps a truism, of British parliamentary politics that in the “first-past-the-post” parliamentary electoral system, the odds are stacked against independent candidates and even against the smaller political parties.

The Greens, despite having a solid voter base and receiving more than a million votes in 2015, have only had Caroline Lucas in the House of Commons.

That view was borne out for decades. From the abolition of university constituencies in 1950 to the end of the 20th century, the only MP elected as an independent was former war correspondent Martin Bell, who became MP for Tatton after declaring his candidacy only 24 days before the 1997 general election.

Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
More from this author
Children sit and play on the remains of a tank, at the river
Features / 21 April 2025
21 April 2025

Keir Starmer’s £120 million to Sudan cannot cover the government’s complicity in the RSF genocide or atone for the long shadow of British colonialism and imperialism, writes CLAUDIA WEBBE

NO SAFE ZONES: Children walk by the destroyed house of journ
Features / 8 April 2025
8 April 2025
As Israel’s crimes escalate, Keir Starmer’s government must not subvert, block or ignore the investigation and prosecution of British citizens involved in acts of genocide, writes CLAUDIA WEBBE
DEFIANT: Mexican
President Claudia
Sheinbaum
Features / 10 March 2025
10 March 2025
With trade wars backfiring, allies resisting military demands, and approval ratings plummeting, Trump’s dangerous pursuit of colonial ambitions threatens to end the ‘American century’ with catastrophic conflict, warns CLAUDIA WEBBE
DAMAGING AGENDA:
Work and Pensions
Secretary Liz Kendall
Features / 24 February 2025
24 February 2025
Labour is deliberately continuing Tory policies that cost us £38 billion more than they save while driving illness rates higher — despite the evidence that previous sanctions doubled suicide attempts, writes CLAUDIA WEBBE
Similar stories
BLAIR’S WARS: A British soldier trains his rifle on a crow
Opinion / 14 November 2024
14 November 2024
Genocide, racism and imperialism are in the Labour Party’s DNA, argues TOM SYKES
Colombian President Gustavo Petro
Features / 6 November 2024
6 November 2024
Progressive Latin American governments face heightened pressure and threats after taking strong stances on Gaza, writes JOHN PERRY, the latest wave of nefarious Israeli interference in the continent
MISERY: A woman sits on the curb next to her belongings outs
Features / 27 August 2024
27 August 2024
The so-called peace deal trumpeted by Blinken is so weighted towards Israel’s political goals as to be a total non-starter, while at the same time the US continues to reject any meaningful arms embargo, writes CLAUDIA WEBBE
Features / 4 July 2024
4 July 2024
Labour’s refusal to restore council funding is a betrayal of the vulnerable, and particularly of Send children and young people, says independent candidate CLAUDIA WEBBE