Taking the Initiative Party | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Nicola Zingwari |
| Founders | Charles Gordon[1][2] |
| Founded | 2016 |
| Registered | 2 October 2017; 6 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/ | |
|
| |
The Taking the Initiative Party (TTIP) is a British political party emerging from the Black Lives Matter movement.[4] It was formed in 2016 by Charles Gordon,[5] and was registered with the Electoral Commission in October 2017.[6][7][8][9]
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 the Croydon London Borough Council's 2022 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.[5] 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."[9]
Sasha Johnson, a leading member of the party,[10] said that it would be "the first black-led political party in the UK".[11] It was set up with the intention of focusing on education, housing, knife crime, discrimination, taxation and the benefits system.[12] 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."[13]
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 or homophobic 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 the 2021 United Kingdom local elections, standing a small number of candidates in Enfield and Croydon, without success.[14][15]
In February 2021 Trevor Phillips, former chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, called the party a "bunch of idiots" and criticised the group's leader, Charles Gordon, for his anti-vaccination comments.[16]
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 her attempted murder.[17][18]
In the 2022 United Kingdom local elections, Taking the Initiative Party put forward 20 candidates for the 28 wards in Croydon.[19] 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 the 2021 London mayoral election, was their Croydon mayoral candidate for the election on 5 May 2022.[20] She came sixth,[21] with 6 per cent of the vote.[22]
| 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.
