Taking the Initiative Party | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Nicola Zingwari |
| Founders | Charles Gordon[1][2] |
| Founded | 2016 |
| Registered | 2 October 2017; 8 years ago (2017-10-02) |
| Headquarters | Unit 128, 291 Kirkdale,Sydenham, SE26 4QD |
| Colours | Purple |
| Local government (principal authorities) | 0 / 19,481 [3] |
| Website | |
| https://www.theinitiativeparty.org.uk/ | |
TheTaking the Initiative Party (TTIP) is a British political party. It was formed in 2016 by Charles Gordon,[4] and was registered with theElectoral Commission in October 2017.[5][6][7][8]
TTIP had been formed in 2016, although it registered with the Electoral Commission one year later, with an objective of nominating thirty two candidates for theCroydon London Borough Council's2022 election. The training courses and meetups organized by the party for people with nonpolitical backgrounds has led to the TTIP being perceived as an "inclusive" and antielitist party by some.[4] Charles Gordon, a founding member of the party, said "Our overall objective is to create a parliament that reflects the multicultural society we’ve become over the years."[8]
Sasha Johnson, a leading member of the party,[9] said that it would be "the first black-led political party in the UK".[10] It was set up with the intention of focusing on education, housing, knife crime, discrimination, taxation and the benefits system.[11] The party's mission statement says, "We want to be a new voice on the political stage to channel local knowledge and expertise, to come up with creative solutions and to make sure that resources go where they are needed most."[12]
In 2021, TTIP introduced a petition calling the government to launch a database in which the identity details of persons with a history of racial orhomophobic offences would be stored. The intention was to allow companies, and organisations to use such a database as part of the background check when recruiting new employees. The petition, which received 10,979 signatures, was rejected by the government on 26 January 2021.[1]
The Taking the Initiative Party made their electoral debut in the2021 United Kingdom local elections, standing a small number of candidates inEnfield andCroydon, without success.[13][14]
In February 2021Trevor Phillips, former chair of theEquality and Human Rights Commission, called the party a "bunch of idiots" and criticised the group's leader, Charles Gordon, for hisanti-vaccination comments.[15]
In May 2021, Sasha Johnson was shot in the head and was taken to the hospital in critical condition. Five males were arrested on suspicion of herattempted murder.[16][17]
In the2022 United Kingdom local elections, Taking the Initiative Party put forward 20 candidates for the 28 wards inCroydon.[18] They won no seats.
| Election | Votes | Seats | Position | Role in Council | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | |||
| 2022 | 4,121 | 1.8 | 0 / 70 |  5th | No seats |
Farah London, who was an independent candidate in the2021 London mayoral election, was their Croydon mayoral candidate for the election on 5 May 2022.[19] She came sixth,[20] with 6 per cent of the vote.[21]
| Year | Candidate | Popular vote | % of vote | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Farah London | 5,768 | 6.0% | 6th |
Charles Gordon, a founding member of TTIP, said: 'We are very disappointed with the recent response from the government in relation to the register'.
The TTIP, formed in 2016 to set the agenda in government, wants to field at least 32 candidates for Croydon in the 2022 local council elections, with at least 15 candidates in other wards, such as Lewisham.
The party was registered with the electoral commission almost four years ago, but saw its national presence rise against the backdrop of the Black Lives Matter protests last summer.
