Whitby hosts launch of new political party, Social Justice Party

The Social Justice Party held its inaugural conference at The Coliseum in Whitby on July 22, attended by members of the two founding branches of Scarborough and Whitby and Redcar and Cleveland, plus others from around the country by video link.

The newly-elected party chair, Simon Chester, said the primary aim of the conference was to endorse the party’s aims and objectives and ratify the constitution.

One measure of the fledgling party’s success is that in May this year, SJP member and Eastfield district councillor Tony Randerson was re-elected to North Yorkshire Council in a by-election following his principled resignation from the Labour Party.

Party secretary Asa Jones, who is a Whitby town councillor, said although most members are disaffected former members of the Labour Party, including several former office-holders, not all members have previously been directly involved in politics.

Mr Jones said: “We are a democratic organisation determined to be led from the membership up, not the other way around, and we are committed to the idea of running candidates wherever we can.

"Disillusion with politics leads to an erosion of democracy.

“We feel it is essential that people have genuine choices at the ballot box, which unfortunately is becoming less and less the case.”

Visit the party website at https://socialjusticeparty.uk/ for more information about the party’s aims and objectives, plus news stories and how to join.