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Follow us on twitterThe Pirate Party UK is one year old
22nd April 2010 22:24 | by MonkeyJam
About five days ago, last year, the Pirate Bay's verdict was announced and there was a dramatic rise of global interest in Pirate Parties, but confusingly, there was not one in the UK. That’s where the party as you see today originally came from, then about this time in April, the PPI board for the UK was unlocked and a few more lurkers joined in discussions.
A very rudimentary website was set up on a server at someone’s workplace using Drupal (after tracking down the owner of the domain) and a forum was eventually added (after we’d figured out how). Most logos, the constitution and the then manifesto were from a first attempt at starting PPUK in 2006. Some of the text (I believe) on the landing page is still from the first site.
The main work done was improving the two mentioned documents required for us to sign up as a political party, the constitution was solidly written and a manifesto has been worked on ever since.
On completion, and after a running campaign for the exec roles, Andy and Eric officially registered the Party on the 30th of June. The media picked this up as an “also in the news” story mainly, and over just one hour, we had 100 new members!
It was not all plain sailing though! Oh there were numerous web redesigns and debates about them, an exec resigning fairly soon after our registration, and an extreme influx on the forum for the legalisation of cannabis for a day. Even though, early on, we may not have been focused on some of our most pressing issues, we are here now.
And that’s probably when many of you joined us, but since then, it’s unbelievable! We’ve voted in a new treasurer and nomination officer, and ratified the rest of our exec. We have a complete manifesto with policies on a range of issues. We have raised enough funds to run 9 candidates in the general election, if not fund them all as we would like, practically on our 1st birthday (a tenth candidate was ratified but, unfortunately, was stranded abroad). If that is not an example about how the Internet should be used for campaigning, I don’t know what is. I’d just like to thank all of you for making this possible.
So thanks, and lets get those deposits back on 6th May!
13 comments
After watching the debate on TV tonight of the so called 'leaders', I kept hearing that we need change. We do, we do need change. The world is changing, and not one single 'mainstream' party has the understanding and/or the vision to realise that the internet is transferring power from global oligopolies and into the hands of the people, and that this is a good thing and needs to be supported rather than hindered. That a world in which communities find each other and form can still be a world where individuals have protected rights to privacy.
I am glad that the Pirate Party movement, across the world, is working to educate those that "don't get it" (as Gordon might say), and I am proud to be a member.
Thank you Pirate Party UK for existing and giving me a way to support the changes I think are vital.
- More tax cuts for families
- Making the NHS Better
- More police
Same thing every year.
___________________________
Hello British pirates!
We would like to wish you a very Happy Birthday and we hope that the rum that you will drink will not stop you from making a successful campaign for your brave candidates!
Our members are very impressed with the achievements that you have made in such a short period of time!
In Russia we say 'the first pancake is the faulty one' and a similar saying in your language is 'worst-first' lets hope that our second attempts(we had a Pirate Party in Russia before as well) will be fortunate!
That is very sad that you can not even hope for having an MP in the next four years but at the end it is all about trying to! We really do hope you will get your deposits back!
Regarrrds, Pirate Party of Russia.
[zoldor] wrote: That is very sad that you can not even hope for having an MP in the next four years but at the end it is all about trying to! We really do hope you will get your deposits back!.
Don't worry, we've got Scottish, Welsh, London and EU elections to look forward to. Proportional Representation FTW!
finlay_a wrote:[zoldor] wrote: That is very sad that you can not even hope for having an MP in the next four years but at the end it is all about trying to! We really do hope you will get your deposits back!.
Don't worry, we've got Scottish, Welsh, London and EU elections to look forward to. Proportional Representation FTW!
I would say, "That's the spirit!" But my spirit of choice is Armagnac.
I will be a fully paid up member until the day I die, its something I believe in very strongly.
Long live the Pirates!
It's been a roller-coaster voyage, I've been on board for maybe the last nine months.
I can't say enough how delighted I am that we are standing so many candidates in this election, and that in that sense we have arrived as a political force. It is all very well to talk the talk, and say the right things - but if we are to be noticed, and to make this work, we have to stand candidates and fight elections, and despite storms and struggles we have done this.
That's what gets noticed, and makes a difference.
Congratulations, Daniel, and to all the Pirates out there who helped make this real, and make it happen.