46-541: The National Health Action Party ( NHA ) is a political party in the United Kingdom . The party grew out of the movement opposing the 2012 Health and Social Care Act . It campaigns for renationalisation of the privatised parts of the English National Health Service , reductions in outsourcing, and improvements to NHS funding, service provision and staffing. Despite focusing on health, the party has
92-505: A chip shop and then Starbucks . In 2007 she took a job as a call handler for Essex County Fire and Rescue Service . After having a child, she was unable to arrange the work around childcare responsibilities, and was unable to negotiate adjustments to her working pattern to make continued employment feasible. Monroe resigned the post in November 2011. Monroe came to prominence in July 2012 when
138-407: A "blind election date" with British television personality Georgia Toffolo in which they discussed politics. Monroe has voiced her support for Scottish independence . "Scotland deserves better than the scraps that Westminster reluctantly throws every now and then while bleeding your resources dry," she tweeted on 7 July 2022. In November 2014, Monroe said on Twitter that then- Prime Minister of
184-661: A "lefty, liberal, lezzer cook". In 2017, Monroe said she had developed acute arthritis , citing the condition as a partial cause for her suspending her campaign for candidacy in the National Health Action Party . Her arthritis led her to develop a dependency on the prescription drug tramadol . In January 2019, Monroe wrote a piece in The Guardian that stated she was recovering from alcoholism and discussed how drinking had affected her work and personal life. She attended drug rehabilitation in 2021. Monroe had
230-470: A Bootstrap . In November 2012, Monroe became a weekly columnist for The Echo , a south Essex daily newspaper. In February 2013, she was taken on by the paper as a trainee reporter. She was later retained as an unpaid columnist for The Huffington Post . In July 2013 Monroe started writing a twice-monthly food and recipe column for The Guardian . This included cheap recipes aiming to provide family meals for less than £10 per week. She also contributed
276-497: A brief relationship with a male friend which resulted in a son. She also had a long-term relationship with a woman which ended shortly after Monroe told her partner she was considering a mastectomy. In 2014, it was reported that Monroe and her son were living with Monroe's then girlfriend Allegra McEvedy ; the relationship ended in June 2015. In January 2019, Monroe announced her engagement to Head of Channel 4 News Louisa Compton but
322-595: A crowdfunder on Kickstarter with a target of £8,000. Within 24 hours the target was met and £23,000 had been raised. The total raised was over £60,000. In February 2016 it was announced that a further edition of the book would be published by Bluebird . It was released in August 2018. According to BookScan data, by October 2018 Monroe had sold 90,515 copies of her books with A Girl Called Jack her best selling work to date at 67,842 copies sold. The fourth book Tin Can Cook
368-571: A former nurse. Her father is of Greek-Cypriot heritage; he served in the British Army for seven years, then with the fire service for 30 years. He was awarded an MBE in 2007 Birthday Honours for services to children and families. Monroe has three siblings. Monroe was diagnosed with autism and ADHD as a child, though was not made aware of this until she was an adult. Monroe has described herself variously as working class and as middle class. She came out as gay aged 15. Monroe passed
414-504: A hook. In 2013, Monroe appeared in a six-week advertising campaign for Sainsbury's supermarket. Writing in The Guardian in 2013 Monroe said she had accepted the equivalent of the living wage for the six weeks that the campaign ran and donated the remainder of the fee to charities including a food bank . Monroe appeared on BBC television's late night political programme This Week in June 2015 and again in May 2019. In April 2020, it
460-570: A number of political columns. Monroe has written seven budget cooking recipe books . In May 2013 she signed her first publishing deal with Penguin Group , reported to be worth £25,000. A Girl Called Jack was published in February 2014 and a second book A Year in 120 Recipes was published in October 2014. The third book Cooking on a Bootstrap was initially self-published. In December 2015 Monroe set up
506-472: A post on her blog A Girl Called Jack (now renamed Cooking on a Bootstrap ) went viral. She has published seven cookbooks that focus on " austerity recipes" and meals which can be made on a tight budget. She has written for publications such as The Echo , The Huffington Post and The Guardian . Monroe was born in Southend-on-Sea in 1988 to David Hadjicostas and Evelyn Hadjicostas (née Beatty),
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#1732855695559552-506: A range of policies in areas such as the economy, housing and education. These include opposition to austerity and a call for political reform. The passage of the Health and Social Care Act in March 2012 prompted the party's co-founder Clive Peedell , a cancer specialist doctor, to co-write an open letter to The Independent alongside esteemed medical signatories. The letter was highly critical of
598-590: A range of policies on healthcare, political reform, the economy, immigration, housing, education and environmental sustainability. The party stood 12 candidates in the 2015 general election . Targeted seats included those of leading proponents of the Health and Social Care Bill such as David Cameron and Jeremy Hunt . The candidates were: Among the twelve candidates, the party won no seats and only saved two deposits ( i.e. won more than 5%). Their best result came in Wyre Forest, where Dr Taylor (who had previously won
644-563: A register of parties. Membership of political parties has been in decline in the UK since the 1950s, falling by over 65% from 1983 (4% of the electorate) to 2005 (1.3%). There are a few political parties in the United Kingdom that do not have representation in the House of Commons, but have elected representatives in the Northern Ireland Assembly and Scottish Parliament . These are: This
690-686: A registered party can use "independent" or no label at all. As of 25 May 2024 , the Electoral Commission showed the number of registered political parties in Great Britain and Northern Ireland as 393. Before the middle of the 19th century, politics in the United Kingdom was dominated by the Whigs and the Tories . These were not political parties in the modern sense but somewhat loose alliances of interests and individuals. The Whigs included many of
736-636: Is a table of notable minor parties. Many parties are registered with the Electoral Commission but do not qualify for this list as they have not received significant independent coverage. Parties active across Ireland may have representation in the Republic of Ireland but not Northern Ireland . Jack Monroe Jack Monroe (born 17 March 1988) is a British food writer, journalist and activist known for campaigning on poverty issues, particularly hunger relief . She initially rose to prominence when
782-489: The 11-plus examinations and attended Westcliff High School for Girls , a grammar school in Westcliff-on-Sea . She left school at age 16, "bullied and disillusioned", with insufficient GCSEs (she sat 7 and passed 4 and a half of them) to progress to A Level . Despite her future career, Monroe said in 2022 that she only achieved a low D grade in her home economics GCSE. Monroe worked in various jobs, including in
828-578: The House of Commons for a food bank which has a compulsory cooking and budgeting class for those accepting food parcels. Monroe appeared in a Labour Party campaign video in October 2013. She left the Labour Party in March 2015, after disagreeing with its rhetoric on immigration, and became a member of the Green Party of England and Wales , also in March 2015. In April 2016, Monroe appeared online supporting
874-743: The Liberal Democrats for their role in the passage of the Act and stated that the signatories would "form a coalition of healthcare professionals to take on coalition MPs at the next General Election, on the non-party, independent ticket of defending the NHS and acting in the wider public interest". Two months later, on 14 May 2012, Peedell co-founded the NHA Party with retired doctor Richard Taylor , who had twice been elected as MP for Wyre Forest on an 'independent health' component to his local hospital party name. The party
920-647: The Scottish Parliament , the Senedd (Welsh Parliament), the Northern Ireland Assembly , the London Assembly and (until Brexit in 2020) the UK's seats in the European Parliament . In these bodies, other parties have had success. Traditionally political parties have been private organisations with no official recognition by the state. The Registration of Political Parties Act 1998 changed that by creating
966-547: The Women of the Future Award in the media category. Monroe was "surprised", saying "I'm not sure I'll even be a woman in the future". The award was won after Monroe came out as non-binary , which created some controversy. Writing in The Guardian in 2015 she said, "Because of my trans identity, I'm attacked for accepting a real woman's award." Monroe began going by the forename Jack, short for " Jack of all trades ". She added
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#17328556955591012-476: The Women's Equality Party . In January 2021, Monroe tweeted that she was a "fully paid up member of the Labour Party and have been for quite some time now." In the 2017 United Kingdom general election , Monroe intended to stand in Southend West as a candidate for the National Health Action Party , but withdrew after receiving death threats and because of health problems. In May 2017, Monroe participated in
1058-421: The "Hunger Hurts" post on her blog A Girl Called Jack went viral on social media. The post detailed her experience of poverty, relying on benefits and struggling to feed herself and her child from a £10 weekly food budget. The blog was originally intended for posts about local politics, but evolved to offer cheap recipes suitable for people on a low budget. In December 2015, the blog was renamed as Cooking on
1104-564: The 1920s, when the Liberal Party declined in popularity and suffered a long stream of resignations. It was replaced as the main anti-Tory opposition party by the newly emerging Labour Party , which represented an alliance between the labour movement , organised trades unions and various socialist societies . Since then, the Conservative and Labour parties have dominated British politics, and have alternated in government ever since. However,
1150-513: The Live Below the Line campaign. In March 2022, Monroe complained that due to inflation poor people could not afford food, fuel and rent, and were having to go without food or fuel, or were eating unhealthily because they could not afford healthy food. Monroe called for social security benefits to be raised in line with inflation. In May 2022, Monroe criticised Conservative MP Lee Anderson 's praise in
1196-535: The UK by seats with the outcome of the 2024 United Kingdom general election . The UK's first-past-the-post electoral system leaves small parties disadvantaged on a UK-wide scale. It can, however, allow parties with concentrations of supporters in the constituent countries to flourish. In the 2015 election, there was widespread controversy when the UK Independence Party (UKIP) and the Green Party of England and Wales received 4.9 million votes (12.6% of
1242-487: The UK is not quite a two-party system as other parties have significant support. The Liberal Democrats were the third largest party until the 2015 general election when they were overtaken by the Scottish National Party in terms of seats and UK political party membership, and by the UK Independence Party (UKIP) in terms of votes. The Liberal Democrats regained the status of the third largest political party in
1288-626: The United Kingdom King Charles III [REDACTED] William, Prince of Wales [REDACTED] Charles III ( King-in-Council ) [REDACTED] Starmer ministry ( L ) Keir Starmer ( L ) Angela Rayner ( L ) ( King-in-Parliament ) [REDACTED] Charles III [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The Lord Reed The Lord Hodge Andrew Bailey Monetary Policy Committee The Electoral Commission's Register of Political Parties lists
1334-567: The United Kingdom David Cameron "uses stories about his dead son as misty-eyed rhetoric to legitimise selling our NHS to his friends". The Daily Mail journalist Sarah Vine criticised Monroe for using the death of Cameron's severely disabled son for political purposes and "choosing" a life of poverty. Jenn Selby, writing in The Independent , described this as a "caustic attack", and Monroe replied on Twitter that Vine's column
1380-628: The details of political parties registered to contest elections in the United Kingdom , including their registered name. Under current electoral law, including the Registration of Political Parties Act 1998 , the Electoral Administration Act 2006 , and the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 , only registered party names can be used on ballot papers by those wishing to fight elections. Candidates who do not belong to
1426-417: The fire service, out of concern over "the potential for deadnaming and bullying in a not-particularly-tolerant organisation. Not a great place to be gay, let alone genderqueer ." She did not take part in a fire-service passing out ceremony, because protocol would have required her to wear a skirt. Monroe had previously identified as a cisgender lesbian. In a February 2014 interview, she described herself as
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1472-795: The leading aristocratic dynasties committed to the Protestant succession, and later drew support from elements of the emerging industrial interests and wealthy merchants, while the Tories were associated with the landed gentry , the Church of England and the Church of Scotland . By the mid 19th century, the Tories had evolved into the Conservative Party , and the Whigs had evolved into the Liberal Party . The concept of right and left came originally from France, where
1518-602: The seat twice for the Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern party) came 4th with 14.6% of the vote. Dr Irvine came 4th with 8.5% in South West Surrey. The party stood five candidates at the 2017 general election . Food blogger and activist Jack Monroe was announced as the NHA Party candidate for Southend West , but withdrew due to ill health and receiving death threats. The candidates standing were: List of political parties in
1564-566: The supporters of a monarchy (constitutional or absolute) sat on the right wing of the National Assembly, and republicans on the left. In the late 19th century, the Liberal Party began to lean towards the left. Liberal Unionists split off from the Liberals over Irish Home Rule and moved closer to the Conservatives over time. The Liberals and Conservatives dominated the political scene until
1610-700: The surname 'Monroe' as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe . Speaking in 2015 she said, "I legally changed my name by deed poll immediately after leaving Essex County Fire and Rescue Service at the end of 2011". In 2014, three years after she legally changed her name, she stated that she still experienced deadnaming by people. She has requested that her birth name not be used by the media. The 2013 book deal resulted in housing benefit being frozen and Monroe came close to being evicted, which led to moving into cheaper accommodation. Speaking in 2013 she said, "I go out to work every day, but I still can't afford to make ends meet." By January 2014, finances had improved, and Monroe
1656-671: The total vote for UKIP and 3.8% for the Greens) yet only gained one seat each in the House of Commons . After that election, UKIP, the Liberal Democrats, the Scottish National Party , Plaid Cymru , and the Green Party of England and Wales, together with its Scottish and Northern Ireland affiliated parties, delivered a petition signed by 477,000 people to Downing Street demanding electoral reform . Since 1997, proportional representation -based voting systems have been adopted for elections to
1702-471: The work begun by Drs Peedell and Taylor. Dr Ashman resigned as leader in 2019 and was replaced by co-leaders Alastair Fischer and Veronika Wagner. Supporters have included authors Mark Haddon and Philip Pullman , satirist Armando Iannucci , science writer Marcus Chown and comedian Rufus Hound . Hound stood as an NHA Party candidate in the London constituency for the 2014 European elections . The party has
1748-655: Was "homophobic, transphobic, deadnaming [and] ignorant". Monroe has been described as an "austerity celebrity". In May 2022, Lee Anderson , MP for Ashfield , stated that Monroe was "taking money off some of the most vulnerable people in society and making an absolute fortune [off] the back of people". In response, Monroe indicated that she intended to sue Anderson for libel. In a January 2023 interview with Simon Hattenstone in The Guardian , Monroe acknowledged that she had recklessly spent money given by backers; she said: "I'd go online absolutely shitfaced and buy nice furniture." Hattenstone wrote: "The guru of thriftiness
1794-489: Was "wedded to a narrative of personal struggle and sudden dramatic changes of fortune, for better or worse" with an "inability to keep a story straight about whether she's really a downtrodden victim of a cruel system or rather #winningatlife", which had given rise to "an army of determined internet sleuths" and "a multi-headed hydra of critics on Twitter". The University of Essex announced in May 2015 that it would be awarding Monroe an honorary degree . In 2015, Monroe won
1840-466: Was able to move into a small two-bedroom flat with her son. Speaking in 2014, Monroe described life as having "changed beyond recognition", but said that she is still affected by her experience of poverty. Monroe came out as non-binary in October 2015, and goes by she/her or they/them pronouns. Writing in the New Statesman in 2015 she said she did not change her name to Jack while still working at
1886-484: Was announced in October 2022 for release in January 2023. The publisher Bluebird put out a statement shortly after release warning that some of the hacks could be dangerous. These included: using a sharp knife and hammer to open tin cans without an opener, freezing glass bottles filled with water to use as a rolling pin, using empty tuna tins as egg rings and straining hot liquids via a piece of cotton held up with carabiners on
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1932-466: Was announced that Monroe would co-host Daily Kitchen Live on BBC One alongside Matt Tebbutt . The programme, made in response to issues stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic , offered tips and guidance to families struggling with limited resources, and aired daily for a two-week period that commenced on 14 April 2020. In 2015 Monroe was an ambassador for Child Poverty Action Group . She raised funds for
1978-648: Was chucking away tens of thousands of pounds, given to her by the public to support her work, on items she didn't even want, let alone need", stating that she didn't deny she'd "abused the goodwill of well-meaning backers". Writing for Pink News in September 2022, Lily Wakefield said that Monroe has "faced accusations of inventing experiences of living in poverty", while in October 2022 Killian Fox said in The Guardian that "critics claim that she makes herself out to be poorer than she actually is". In January 2023, Kathleen Stock (writing for UnHerd ) stated that Monroe
2024-560: Was launched in Westminster in November 2012. The party first stood in the 2013 Eastleigh by-election , with candidate Dr Iain Maclennan taking 392 votes. The party went on to stand in the 2014 European Parliament elections and the 2015 General Election , taking over 20,000 votes in each. This placed the party seventh in the popular vote in England in the latter. The party's best result to date
2070-470: Was published by Bluebird in May 2019. Monroe raised over £30,000 through a fundraiser on the website GoFundMe in order to send 7,000 copies of the book to food banks . A deal with Bluebird for two further books was announced in June 2019. Vegan (ish) was released in December 2019. Good Food for Bad Days was released in May 2020. A seventh book Thrifty Kitchen of money-saving recipes and home hacks
2116-531: Was the 7,211 votes taken by Dr Richard Taylor in Wyre Forest in 2015 (he had been the MP from 2001 to 2010 under the label Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern ). Party co-founder Dr Clive Peedell resigned the leadership in July 2016, and Dr Paul Hobday was appointed as interim leader. Surgical registrar Dr Alex Ashman was elected as the new permanent party leader in December 2016 and promised to continue
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