Volt UK
British political party
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Volt United Kingdom,[1] commonly known as Volt UK, is a pro-European[8] minor political party in the United Kingdom. It is the British branch of Volt Europa, a political movement that operates on a European level.
Volt United Kingdom Volt Y Deyrnas Unedig | |
|---|---|
| |
| Abbreviation | Volt UK / Volt |
| Leader | Jason Hughes[1] |
| Treasurer | Luis Perdigao[1] |
| Campaigns officer | Vacant[2] |
| Founded | 6 January 2020[1] |
| Registered | PP8009 |
| Headquarters | London[1] |
| Women's wing | Volt Women UK |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Centre[6] to centre-left[7] |
| European political alliance | Volt Europa |
| Colours | Purple |
| Website | |
| voltuk | |
History
Volt UK was founded in London on 6 January 2020, with Philipp Gnatzy as its first leader.[1][failed verification]
2021
In the 2021 local elections, the party stood one candidate for election to a local authority, Luis Perdigao in Cubbington & Leek Wootton Ward in Warwickshire; he lost, with about 2% of the vote.[9] He campaigned in particular for improvements in the transport sector and public transport, in addition to avoiding damage from Brexit.
In London, Volt backed Richard Hewison, Rejoin EU's candidate in the London mayoral election, and the two parties stood a joint list for the London-wide assembly election.[10] Hewison received 1.1% of the mayoral vote,[11] while the two parties received 49,389 votes (1.91%) for the Assembly, not winning a seat.[12]
The party also stood, unsuccessfully, in the Scottish Parliament election on a joint list with Renew Scotland.[13]
2022
In May 2022, the party contested the Glasgow City Council election.[14] Volt received 4.1% of the first-preference vote in the Pollokshields ward, not winning a seat.[15]
2023
On 2 August Volt announced Ewan Hoyle as their candidate for the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election,[16][17] the first party candidate in a national election.[18] He received 46 votes, 0.15% of those cast.[19]
2024
Three Volt UK candidates: Charlotte Blake, Alessandro Gallo, and Marianne Mandujano, were included on the Rejoin EU candidate list for the 2024 London Assembly election on 2 May 2024.[20] Rejoin EU received 2.52% of the vote (62,528 votes), finishing in sixth place and retaining their deposit.[21]
Volt UK stood two candidates in the 2024 general election: Annaliese Cude in Newton Abbot,[22] and Jason Hughes in Stroud.[23] Neither were elected.
2025
On 6 April 2025, Jason Hughes was announced as Volt UK's candidate for the Runcorn and Helsby by-election.[24][25]
2026
On 19 February 2026 Volt UK endorsed the Rejoin EU candidate Joseph O'Meachair for the 2026 Gorton and Denton by-election.[26]
Ideology and policies
The party states that it supports the "5+1 fundamental challenges" defined by Volt Europa: a smart state, economic renaissance, social equality, global balance, citizen empowerment, and European reform.[27] In addition to the pan-European policies of Volt, additional policies of the British branch include electoral reform, rejoining the EU, action to address climate change, and reform of political campaigns.[28]
Volt Scotland
Volt Scotland is the Scottish branch of Volt UK. It stood two candidates in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election on Renew Scotland's party list, though neither were elected.[29] For the Scottish Parliament elections, Volt endorsed a multiple-choice referendum on the issue of Scottish independence, alongside Renew Scotland.[30] Renew Scotland contested five regions and no constituencies in the election, receiving 493 votes nationwide.[31][32][33][34][35] Volt UK also stood one candidate at the 2022 Scottish local elections,[36] with their candidate receiving 4.06% of first preference votes in the four-member Pollokshields ward.[37]
Electoral performance
Scottish Parliament
| Election | Political party | Constituency | Regional | Total seats | +/– | Government | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vote | % | Seats | Vote | % | Seats | |||||
| 2021 | Volt Scotland (as part of Renew Scotland)[29] | N/A | 0 / 73 |
493 (Renew Scotland)[31][32][33][34][35] | 0.02% (Renew Scotland)[38] | 0 / 56 |
0 / 129 |
New | N/a | |
Renew Scotland contested in five regions and no constituencies in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.
2024 general election
The party fielded two candidates at the 2024 United Kingdom general election on 4 July 2024, one in Newton Abbot and one in Stroud.[39] The candidates accumulated a total of 267 votes and came last in both constituencies.[40]
By-elections
The party stood a candidate in the 2026 Antony Parish Council by-election on 3 September 2026, who came second and was not elected.[41][non-primary source needed]
| Election year | Constituency | # of seats won | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Antony Parish | 0 / 1  |
No seats |
