How to cancel your UK political party membership
As with most things, it is harder to cancel a political party membership than it is to set one up, but if you really want to do it, this is everything that you need to know.
Bean is here to stop you wasting your money on things that you don’t want or use. Now that the election is over, a number of our users have decided to cancel their political party memberships and donations. However, information and advice around how to cancel a political party membership has proven to be more elusive than most services and subscription plans.
How do political party donations work?
UK political parties are allowed to accept donations from individuals if they are considered to be a “permissible source”. To be a permissible source, you need to be registered on a UK electoral register (including bequests). There are no rules limiting the amount of money that individuals can give, as long as the donation is declared and the donor is permissible.
There are two ways in which individuals can provide financing to political parties. These are:
- Membership fees; and
- Donations.
Recurring donations are simply you handing over cash to a party; there is no binding contract. So, to cancel a regular donation, all you need to do is cancel your payment plan with your bank.
Memberships means that you are part of the party and bound by their terms and conditions. The benefits include being able to vote on party matters, like the party leadership. However, if you break these terms and conditions, you can be expelled by the party.
After extensively reviewing the websites of all major political parties in the UK, NO party offers any guidance whatsoever in their membership section about how to legitimately cancel your membership.
Although there are numerous acts that can trigger your suspension from the party, when you delve into the detail, their rulebooks contain no specific guidance on how a member can voluntarily leave the party. We have poured over the websites and rulebooks of all major parties and contacted each party to create the definitive guide to getting out of a UK political party below.
How easy is it to cancel a political party donation?
The first recommended step to cancel a political party membership or regular donations is to cancel your direct debit or standing order to the party with your bank. As the majority of recurring membership payments are taken through direct debit, you are covered by the direct debit guarantee. This guarantee allows you to directly cancel any payment to your political party. This will stop the party being able to collect your money. In a similar way, if you are paying through a standing order, you should first cancel the payment directly with your bank.
Once you have cancelled your payment, we recommend that you contact your party directly in writing to let them know that you would like to leave and that you have cancelled your payment. This way they will stop sending you any direct communications and they will immediately remove you from their membership register.
When you write to your party you should provide them with your name, address and membership number.
How to leave the Conservative Party
To cancel your Conservative membership, write to the party at the following address:
Conservative Campaign Headquarters, 4 Matthew Parker Street, London SW1H 9HQ.
Email: Membership@conservatives.com
How to leave the Labour Party
To cancel your Labour party membership, write to the party at the following address:
To submit an email form, click here.
The Labour Party, Labour Central, Kings Manor, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 6PA.
How to leave UKIP
To cancel your UKIP membership, write to the party at the following address:
UKIP, Lexdrum House, King Charles Business Park, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 6UT
Email: mail@ukip.org
Alternatively, you can call: 0333 800 6800.
How to leave the Liberal Democrats
To cancel your LibDem membership, write to the party at the following address:
Liberal Democrats, 8–10 Great George Street, London, SW1P 3AE.
How to leave the SNP
To cancel your SNP membership, write to the party at the following address:
Scottish National Party, Gordon Lamb House, 3 Jackson’s Entry, Edinburgh, EH8 8PJ, Scotland.
Email: info@snp.org
Or call membership services: 0131 525 8925.
How to leave the Green Party
To cancel your Green Party membership, write to the party at the following address:
The Biscuit Factory, Unit 201 A Block, 100 Clements Road, London, SE16 4DG.
Email: members@greenparty.org.uk
Or call membership services: 020 3691 9400.
How to leave Plaid Cymru Party
To cancel your Plaid Cymru Party membership, write to the party at the following address:
Plaid Cymru, Tŷ Gwynfor, Anson Court, Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff, CF10 4AL.
Email: post@plaidcymru.org
Or call membership services: 029 2047 2272.
How to leave the Democratic Unionist Party
To cancel your DUP membership, write to the party at the following address:
91 Dundela Avenue, Belfast, BT4 3BU
Email: info@mydup.com
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