A political group seeking independence for the North of England will field candidates in May’s local elections.
The Northern Independence Party (NIP) aims to secure a referendum on an independent socialist Northumbria, encompassing Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Lancashire, and Cumbria amongst others.
The group argues that 10 years of austerity has left the North “splintered”, and that there is now an appetite for radical action to remedy the perceived north/south divide.
This is the first time that the party, which is not yet registered with the Electoral Commission, will contest an election.
Ashley Knox of the Northern Independence Party said: “We’re going to be putting the full amount of candidates forward.
“I think that by us just having an eye-catching idea we should be able to start making some real inroads there.
“The aims would be for a fairer and independent North.”
Despite NIP being a socialist movement, Knox mused: “I think we’ve moved a little bit away from left and right [wing] as being what the regular person thinks.”
May’s local elections will be the first since 2019, after the 2020 elections were cancelled amidst the Coronavirus pandemic.
24 county councils will be up for re-election, as well as 127 unitary authorities.