Founded 2012 Membership (2012) N/A European affiliation None | Dissolved 2014 Ideology Euroscepticism International affiliation None | |
We Demand a Referendum Now (WDARN) was a British political party launched by independent Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Nikki Sinclaire in June 2012 following her departure from the UK Independence Party (UKIP). It was a single-issue party that sought to force a referendum on British membership of the European Union (EU).
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History
We Demand a Referendum Now was registered with the Electoral Commission in June 2012 by Nikki Sinclaire. The party held its inaugural conference on 5 October 2012.
According to an article in The Sun, a YouGov poll found roughly a third of British adults said they would vote for this party, although the party has not featured in regular polling. It has garnered supporters such as former UKIP leader Roger Knapman and reality television contestant and columnist Katie Hopkins.
The party had a full slate of candidates, headed by Sinclaire, in her West Midlands European Parliament constituency for the 2014 European Parliament elections, the party's only electoral test. This was less than their announced plans to stand candidates in every British region. The party failed to retain or to win any seats.
The organisation is now defunct.
Political views
We Demand a Referendum aimed to "go beyond party politics" and "do everything within [its] power to enable a referendum". Its leadership accused the EU of being protectionist and called for the creation of a Royal Commission to look into the costs and benefits of EU membership for the United Kingdom.