NEWS RELEASE

NLP will not field candidates in General Election

New focus for NLP as Wessex voters fail to respond

[Portsmouth 'News' report on NLP election withdrawal - Feb 2001 - click here]

 Date: 16 January 2000

The Natural Law Party has decided it will not run candidates in the forthcoming general election or any other elections in the UK, including Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

According to Hampshire NLP spokesperson Rosemary Perry, "During the past eight years the NLP has fought elections across the region at all levels [1,2], but voters have not been receptive to our unique approach to providing creative and preventative solutions to society's most pressing problems. We have sadly come to the conclusion that contesting elections is not the best use of our candidates time and energy."

Continuing to press for Natural Law based Administration

Despite this decision, however, members of the Party will not be retiring from their efforts to see Natural Law based administration introduced across the region, the country and across the globe. Active in over 80 countries they will continue to encourage politicians in other parties, and other leading members of the community, to examine closely the platform of the Natural Law Party and to adopt for their own use the highly effective solutions it has been promoting since 1992 to secure global peace and prosperity.

Successes beyond the Ballot Box

Despite disappointing results at the ballot box the Natural Law Party has had some remarkable successes in other areas. It was the first political party to call for a ban on genetically modified foods, and was the first to call for Dorset and Hampshire to be declared GMO-Free Zones. "Across the region, across the country, across the world I think the Natural Law Party can justifiably claim to have done more than any other political party to raise the issue of GM crops and foods [3]. When we started our campaign to ban them in 1996 most politicians were not even aware of their existence. It has been a great achievement and we plan to carry on our efforts until they are finally banned everywhere", said Mrs Perry.

NLP programmes win National Award

However, the Party feels the greatest acknowledgement of its profound approach to society's wider problems came last autumn with the winning of a prestigious national award for an urban regeneration project in Lancashire based on the Party's core programmes [4]. The award was presented to community leaders by Hilary Armstrong MP, Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, at a ceremony last October in London, sponsored by the National House Building Council and English Partnerships.

Invitation to other parties and civic leaders in Wessex

The success of the Lancashire project demonstrates that what the Natural Law Party has been offering to the country since 1992 has not been based on idle wishful thinking. Backed by extensive published scientific research the Party's consciousness-based programmes have been shown to provide an extremely reliable and practical route to solving some of society's most intractable problems in the fields of education, health, crime, the economy and the environment.

"It's now clear that this approach works where the old ones have failed. We invite all other parties, community leaders and NGOs in Wessex to take a fresh and close look at this and to judge for themselves. It really is no longer necessary for politicians, civil servants and the community generally to be faced with constant problems. The more deprived areas within Dorset, Hampshire and the Island are especially in need of these kinds of solutions. We are keen to establish an on-going dialogue with anyone who is not frightened to show real leadership in bringing innovative solutions to the community", Mrs Perry concluded.

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Notes for editors:

1. Since 1992 the Natural Law Party has run candidates in the following parliamentary elections in Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight:
   - 1992: General Election
   - 1993: Christchurch By-election
   - 1994: European Election and Eastleigh By-election
   - 1997: General Election and Winchester By-election
   - 1999: European Election
   
   
2. Rosemary Perry (Barry) was the NLP candidate for Southampton Itchen at the last general election and also fought the controversial Winchester By-election for the NLP in the same year.
   
   
3. In 2000 the Natural Law Party organised a tour of Europe by US attorney Dr Steven Druker, the driving force behind a lawsuit against the US government for its failure to test GM foods despite the advice of its own scientists.
   
   The highlight of the tour was a sensational walk-out from the OECD conference on GM foods in Edinburgh by Dr Druker, the Natural Law Party and other campaign groups. Dr Druker and his supporters were immediately followed out by the world's press and into a briefing session intended to last 15 mins. It ran for an hour and a half. Media reports followed all over the globe.
   
   Regarded by many as more than just a coincidence, the arrival in Edinburgh of Dr Druker for the OECD conference at the end of February 2000 was accompanied by British Prime Minister Tony Blair's first public admission that "there is no doubt" that there is the potential for GM foods and crops to harm human health and the environment. Earlier in the month Dr Druker had given a personal briefing to Environment Minister Michael Meacher, and also to MPs in the House of Commons.
   
   More information at:
   http://www.netlink.de/gen/Zeitung/2000/000307a.html
   http://www.natural-law-party.org/whats_new/tour_steven_druker.htm
   http://www.netlink.de/gen/Zeitung/2000/000227.html
   
   
4. Full details of the urban regeneration award granted to the community project in Lancashire based on Natural Law Party programmes can be found on the British Urban Regeneration Association (BURA) web site at: http://www.bura.org.uk/awards/award2000/award2000burawinnersmaharishi.htm
   Also at the project web site:
   http://www.maharishi-european-sidhaland.org.uk/art_vas1.html
   
   In the opinion of the BURA judges: "This is a most unusual project and an outstanding example of best practice in many ways which are totally different from any other project previously submitted for a BURA Award....... It represents a different and unconventional joined-up approach which addresses education, health, housing, employment and crime in a positive and unusual way. It has a qualitative impact on the surrounding area and promotes regeneration by motivating the individual within the community".
   
   Anyone wishing to visit the project or to find out more should contact: Keith Laycock 12 Hazel Lane, Skelmersdale, Lancashire, WN8 6UN Tel: 01695 557 922 Fax: 01695 557 922 Email: keithlaycock@aol.com
   

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