TheReclaim Party is aright-wing populist[2]political party in the United Kingdom. It was launched in 2020 by English political activist and actorLaurence Fox, with all of its funding from a single donor,Jeremy Hosking.[3][4] It does not solicit donations or charge membership fees.
The party was first registered on 13 March 2019 by Jeremy Hosking asBrexit Express.[5][6]
In September 2020, Fox attracted funding for a new political party, provisionally called Reclaim,[7][8] and dubbed "UKIP forculture".[9][7] In October 2020, the party changed its leader from Jeremy Hosking to Laurence Fox.[10] It emerged in the same month that the party name had yet to be successfully registered with theElectoral Commission as there was a naming conflict with the "Reclaim Project" of Manchester, an established charity giving opportunities to working-class children.[11] In February 2021, the party changed its registered name fromBrexit Express to the Reclaim Party.[12][13]
In December 2021, newspapers reported that Hosking would continue to fund the Reclaim Party.[14]
MPAndrew Bridgen was expelled from theConservative Party in January 2023 fortweeting "As one consultant cardiologist said to me, [the COVID-19 vaccines are] the biggest crime against humanity since the Holocaust",[15] repeatingCOVID conspiracy claims and for breaching lobbying rules.[16] In May 2023, he joined Reclaim, becoming the party's first MP.[17] He resigned from the party in December 2023.[18]
On 12 June 2023,Reform UK and the Reclaim Party announced a mutual co-operation agreement for the upcoming by-elections, whereby Reform UK would stand inMid Bedfordshire and Reclaim would stand inUxbridge and South Ruislip.[19] Both parties lost all by-elections and lost their deposits, with Dave Kent (Reform) getting the highest support at 3.7% inSelby and Ainsty.
In March 2021, Fox announced he would stand in theLondon mayoral elections, in order to "fight against extremepolitical correctness" and to "end theMet's obsession with diversity and inclusivity".[21][22] His candidacy was endorsed byReform UK, who stood aside for him in the election, and byNigel Farage.[23] The major source of Fox's campaign funds was Brexit backerJeremy Hosking,[24] who, in the first quarter of 2021, gave the Reclaim Party more than £1,000,000 in cash and services.[25]
In the mayoral election, Fox finished in sixth place with 47,634 votes (1.9 per cent), losing his £10,000election deposit.[26][27]
During the by-election campaign, aMarket Draytontown councillor defected to Reclaim, becoming the party's first representative in UK local government,[32][33][34] but resigned as a councillor less than a year later.[35]
In the2024 general election, Reclaim announced it would donate £5,000 to each candidate standing for re-election from other parties who agreed to a four-point culture-based pledge: leaving theEuropean Court of Human Rights, repealing theHuman Rights Act, banning all forms ofgender reassignment for children and reforming theEquality Act to eliminate prohibition of sex- and race-based discrimination. Despite Conservative Party advice not to accept the money, four of its MPs did.[38][39] Prior to the election, Reclaim had stated it would field its own candidates.[40]
A few days before the election, Reclaim endorsed Reform UK.[41]
^"Reclaim's Mission".reclaimparty.co.uk. Reclaim Political Party. Archived fromthe original on 26 June 2024. Retrieved27 June 2024.We will field candidates at the next General Election – both to directly take seats and to actively target and unseat MPs who've sold Britain down the river.
*Co-operative Party candidates stand jointly with the Labour Party.‡5 independent MPs work together in theIndependent Alliance, 3 of whom are also involved inYour Party.†Sinn Féin have elected members and offices at Westminster, but asabstentionists do not take their seats.
