Sotirian Defence Party (Imagua)
Sotirian Defence Party of Imagua and the Assimas Partito di Difesa Sotiriano di Imagua e Assime | |
|---|---|
| File:ImaguaNationals.png | |
| Leader | Edgar Redmond Keswick |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Split from | Sotirian Democratic Party |
| Headquarters | Cuanstad, Imagua and the Assimas |
| Youth wing | Youth for the Sotirian Defence |
| Ideology | Conservatism |
| Political position | Far-right |
| Colors | Blue |
| Legislative Council | 0 / 19
|
| Chamber of Commons | 0 / 70
|
| County Council | 2 / 261
|
The Sotirian Defence Party (Vespasian: Partito di Difesa Sotiriano) is a minor political party in Imagua and the Assimas. Formed in 1997 from the far-right of the Sotirian Democratic Party after merging with the National Labour Party to form the Sotirian Labour Party, the Sotirian Defence Party has garnered notoriety for its condonation of racism and white supremacy. Since 2020, it has been led by Edgar Redmond Keswick, the younger son of Walter Redmond Keswick, and the half-brother of former leader Hector Redmond Keswick.
History
As the Sotirian Democratic Party declined through the 1980s and 1990s, due to the rise of the National Labour Party, tensions began growing between centre-right SDP members, who wanted to appeal to the Bahio-Imaguan majority, and the far-right SDP members, who sought to have the party advance Eucleo-Imaguan interests. This became more noticeable under Erberto Formica's membership, with many in the far-right, such as Walter Redmond Keswick and Edwin Burke being critical of Formica's leadership.
By the 1990s, Burke was the main voice of the far-right in the party, and was an opponent to merging the Sotirian Democratic Party with the National Labour Party. However, after their failure to return to the Imaguan Parliament in 1996, the party leadership negotiated a merger with the National Labour Party to create the Sotirian Labour Party. This was opposed by Edwin Burke, and after the merger was approved on 2 April, Burke announced the formation of his own political party, with Burke saying that it would defend "social conservatism and the natural order" from the "Godless socialism of the Democratic Labour Party." Former President Walter Redmond Keswick, who had been expelled from the Sotirian Democratic Party in 1989 became a member of the Sotirian Defence Party.
He was joined by an SDP member of the Legislative Council, Malcolm O'Cahill, who would go on to be the party's sole representative in either chamber of Parliament. However, as the Sotirian Democratic Party lacked representation in the Chamber of Commons, no MP joined the Sotirian Defence Party.
In 2000, the Sotirian Defence Party ran a full slate of candidates, but performed poorly, earning fewer votes than the New Labour Party. Shortly after the 2000 elections, Burke resigned from the party leadership, and in the 2000 leadership convention, he was succeeded by Hector Redmond Keswick, the second son of Walter Redmond Keswick, who died in 1998. Under Hector's leadership, the party veered further to the right, as it embraced racism and xenophobia against non-Estmero-Imaguans. This led to many moderate members leaving the party, including Legislative Councillor O'Cahill, who in 2004 joined the newly-established Movement for a New Imagua.
While the 2004 elections saw Hector Redmond Keswick perform poorly, over the next twelve years, Hector Redmond Keswick was able to gradually improve on the election results, particularly as he appealed to Estmero-Imaguans yearning for the old days and critical of the Sotirian Labour Party's continued support of neoliberalism. By 2016, he led the party to its highest vote share since the 2000 elections, when he managed to secure 1.01% of the vote. In 2017, Hector Redmond Keswick retired from the Sotirian Defence Party and from Imaguan politics. While he endorsed his younger half-brother, Edgar Redmond Keswick, the party membership in a surprise upset narrowly voted in favour of Janet Gardner.
Janet Gardner's election proved to be controversial, as many within the Sotirian Defence Party saw a woman leading the party as being "antithetical to the principles of the Sotirian Defence Party." While there were rumors of a split, with several constituency associations considering forming their own party led by Edgar Redmond Keswick, Edgar Redmond Keswick remained loyal to the party, although the party saw a steep decrease in members. Thus, by 2020, Janet Gardner led the Sotirian Defence Party to its worst result since 2008, which led to Janet Gardner announcing her resignation. In the 2020 leadership convention, Edgar Redmond Keswick won by default, as nobody ran against him.
Under his leadership, Edgar Redmond Keswick has sought to move the party towards a neo-functionalist direction, and to appeal to voters who find the Movement for a New Imagua "too liberal" for their tastes.
Results
| Election | Leader | Candidates | Seats | +/- | Votes | % | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Edwin Burke | 67/67 | 0 / 67
|
|
28,206 | 3.34% | Extra-parliamentary opposition |
| 2004 | Hector Redmond Keswick | 58/68 | 0 / 67
|
|
2,191 | 0.31% | Extra-parliamentary opposition |
| 2008 | 43/68 | 0 / 67
|
|
3,327 | 0.49% | Extra-parliamentary opposition | |
| 2012 | 41/70 | 0 / 67
|
|
6,019 | 0.89% | Extra-parliamentary opposition | |
| 2016 | 62/70 | 0 / 67
|
|
7,498 | 1.01% | Extra-parliamentary opposition | |
| 2020 | Janet Gardner | 33/70 | 0 / 67
|
|
5,627 | 0.62% | Extra-parliamentary opposition |