The New Politics Network (NPN) was a British think tank and campaign group that operated from 1999 to 2007. Founded as the successor to Democratic Left, which was itself the legal successor to the Communist Party of Great Britain, the NPN focused on democratic renewal, constitutional reform, and cross-party political participation.
The organisation had approximately 200-250 members and was governed by an elected Council. Its campaigns included advocacy for proportional representation, House of Lords reform, and lowering the voting age to 16. The NPN also conducted research on electoral practices and political participation, including what it described as the largest UK-wide study of election literature during the 2005 United Kingdom general election. Major collaborative efforts included the "Elect the Lords" campaign with Charter 88 and the European Citizenship Project.
A 2000 New Statesman report indicated the NPN owned assets worth £3.5 million, derived from former Soviet subsidies to the Communist Party. In 2007, the organisation merged with Charter 88 to form Unlock Democracy, with the NPN contributing substantial financial resources to the merger.
Origin
The NPN was established in December 1999 following the dissolution of Democratic Left, the legal successor organisation to the Communist Party of Great Britain. Nina Temple served as its first director. Prior to becoming the NPN, Democratic Left had briefly operated as the New Times Network, publishing a magazine titled New Times until summer 1999. According to its constitution, membership was open to people from "any part of the world and many political traditions," including socialism, liberalism, anti-oppression movements and environmentalism. Membership fees were set at £6 minimum or £25 recommended. though it was not involved in the similarly named 2005 campaign.
Campaigns and initiatives
The NPN coordinated several campaigns and initiatives during its existence. The "Elect the Lords" campaign, conducted jointly with Charter 88, advocated for replacing the House of Lords with a predominantly elected second chamber. This campaign received support from organisations including the Electoral Reform Society, Progress and Conservatives for Change.
According to the research, analysed by Dr Justin Fisher of Brunel University, doorstep and telephone contact was low (2 in 5 respondents were contacted), negative campaigning was more common in marginal seats, and Conservative Party focus on immigration and asylum issues was less prominent than commonly asserted.
In the open letter, Director Peter Facey contended that restricting voting to the Parliamentary Party would result in leadership selection by a group he characterised as "overwhelmingly white, male and from the South of England", and proposed "primary-style" elections involving Conservative-supporting members of the public. At the 2003 AGM, Nina Temple and others attempted to steer the organisation toward its democratic socialist origins. Had this succeeded, the organisation might have joined the Compass pressure group.
The NPN was based at 6 Cynthia Street, Islington, London. According to a 2000 report by Nick Cohen in the New Statesman, the organisation owned assets worth £3.5 million, including a four-storey office building in Islington, a property company called Rodell, and a former party office in the Midlands.