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Wessex Regionalists

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The Wessex Regionalists is a small English regionalist political party in the United Kingdom. It seeks a degree of legislative and administrative home rule for Wessex, an area in the south and south-west of England based loosely on the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the same name.

Wessex Regionalists
LeaderNick Xylas
Founded1974
Headquarters48 Twynham Road
Maidenhead
Berkshire
Membership (2021)21[1]
IdeologyWessex regionalism
Agrarianism[2]
ColoursSea green, red and gold
Website
wessexregionalists.org

The party has contested a small number of Wessex-area parliamentary constituencies in most elections since it was established, but without success.

History

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Speaking at a tourism industry conference in 1969, the then Viscount Weymouth suggested Wessex as a regional identity for tourism purposes. He later wrote letters to the press, objecting to Wessex not being given the same opportunities as Scotland or Wales in the Kilbrandon Report.[3] Lord Weymouth subsequently stood as the first Wessex Regionalist parliamentary candidate for Westbury in the February 1974 general election,[3] coming last with 521 votes.[4]

The party was formally constituted in 1981. It initially used Thomas Hardy's definition of Wessex as Berkshire, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Somerset, Dorset and Devon; but later added Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.[5][6] It pulled out of the 1987 general election and advocated that its supporters voted for the Liberal/SDP Alliance on the basis that they were a close second in many Wessex seats and were the most supportive of regional government.[7]

Lord Weymouth (who succeeded as The 7th Marquess of Bath in June 1992) was the first president of the party, later defecting to the Liberal Democrats[2] although in 1999 he was "still in touch" with the Wessex Regionalists.[8] Subsequent presidents have included the activist John Banks and the former architect Colin Bex.[9] In 2010, during his term as President, Bex advocated for a 100% tax rate on the top 10% of earners, with the revenue passed to parish councils.[2]

In 2013, Dorset County Councillor David C. Fox switched his party allegiance from Liberal Democrat to Wessex Regionalist for his final few days in office.[10]

During the 2015 general election, then-leader Colin Bex cast doubt on the official version of events of the 2001 September 11 attacks.[9] During the UK's 2016 referendum on membership of the European Union, Bex campaigned to leave.[11] He described immigration as a "peaceful invasion", describing "people from all over the world" as "infiltrating" national institutions.[11] Bex was replaced as leader by Jim Gunter, who stood as candidate for the Devizes constituency: at a hustings shortly before the 2017 general election, Gunter advocated for a second referendum on Brexit and, if that were not possible, the "Norway option" of remaining in the single market.[12]

In the 2024 general election, the Regionalists endorsed the campaign of independent candidate George Wright, standing in the constituency of Maidenhead.[13] Wright received 791 votes, a 1.6% share.[14] In 2025, he wrote to the Maidenhead Advertiser that he had become an active member of the party, and argued for a confederal model for Europe as opposed to the "quasi-federal" status quo involving Article 50.[15]

In 2026, James Edward Crabb was put forward as candidate for Hampshire County Council in Winchester Eastgate,[16] campaigning for "better scrutiny of the infrastructural and ecological effects of urban development", and questioning the government's approach to local government reorganisation.[17] Crabb placed 6th of 6 candidates, with 49 votes.[18]

Ideology

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Wessex as defined by the Wessex Regionalists

One source labels the Wessex Regionalists, alongside other pro-devolution parties, as "ethnoterritorial,"[19] though an earlier study of regionalist and nationalist parties in Britain reached the opposite conclusion, saying that "For regionalism, the legitimacy of the state as a whole is not usually in question; the challenge is to its territorial organisation. This is in contrast to ethnic nationalism (for example, that advocated for Wales), which suggests that the state is not legitimate because it contains different nations."[20] Its platform is based on the creation of a devolved assembly for the region it defines as Wessex.[2] The party defines the counties of Berkshire, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Oxfordshire, Somerset, and Wiltshire as being part of Wessex. Whilst this roughly corresponds to the South West Region, it also includes the Western counties of the South East Region, and excludes Cornwall, which it describes as being "the last of the Celtic areas to be brought under Wessex rule, retain[ing] a more distinct character" as well as "its own devolutionary party," Mebyon Kernow.[21] The assembly has variously been described as having a rotating location in the style of the Anglo-Saxon Witenagemot and as being based in Winchester, which had been the capital of the ancient kingdom of Wessex.[22][23] The assembly would take power from Parliament in Westminster rather than from local authorities.[23]

In light of UK government recognition of the Cornish people as a national minority under a European treaty, in 2014 the party called for greater protection of local produce and what it described as the "Wessex dialect".[22] The party believes that the Wessex region has a distinct cultural identity, which it seeks to promote.[24] It defines this culture as including morris dancing, cider, and the works of various local writers.[2] The party was described in 2010 by The Guardian as having a "nostalgia for pre–industrial revolution England".[2]

The party has expressed skepticism towards upcoming structural changes to local government in England, arguing that devolved regional governance could better relieve local authorities of pressures caused by "problems of a larger scale" such as adult social care.[17]

A 2018 survey found that when prompted with a text emphasising shared DNA, history, and linguistic features, as well as which focused on political concerns of a regional scale, people from the South West of England were more likely to express support for the Wessex Regionalists.[25]

Electoral performance

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Local elections

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Election Candidate Local authority Division / Ward Ward Votes %
2016 Nick Xylas Bristol City Council n/a Eastville 62[26] 0.85
2026 James Edward Crabb Hampshire County Council Winchester Winchester Eastgate 49[18] 0.79

Parish and town council elections

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Election Candidate Town / parish council Ward Votes %
2023 Nick Xylas Patchway Coniston 152[27] 3.97

General elections

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Election Candidate Constituency Votes[28] %
1974 (February) Alexander Thynn Westbury 521[4] 0.85
1979 Colin Bex Windsor and Maidenhead 251[29] 0.39
Henrietta Rous North Devon 50[30] 0.08
Gwendoline Ewen West Dorset 192[31] 0.43
Michael Mahoney Winchester 395[32] 0.58
Alexander Thynn Wells 155[33] 0.26
Anthony Mockler Devizes 142[34] 0.22
Tom Thatcher Westbury 1,905[35] 3.00
1983 Anthony Mockler Wantage 183[36] 0.37
Colin Bex Windsor and Maidenhead 68[37] 0.12
Henrietta Rous Torridge and West Devon 113[38] 0.21
David Fox Dorset North 294[39] 0.57
Simon Winkworth Winchester 155[40] 0.28
Adam Stout Wansdyke 213[41] 0.41
David Robins Woodspring 177[42] 0.32
Gwendoline Ewen Devizes 234[43] 0.38
Maya Kemp Salisbury 182[44] 0.34
John Banks Westbury 131[45] 0.22
1997 Colin Bex Portsmouth North 72[46] 0.16
2001 Colin Bex Wells 167[47] 0.33
Henrietta Rous Winchester 66[48] 0.11
2005 Colin Bex South Dorset 83[49] 0.17
2010 Colin Bex Witney 62[50] 0.11
2013(b) Colin Bex Eastleigh 30[51] 0.07
2015 Colin Bex Witney 110[52] 0.19
2017 Jim Gunter Devizes 223[53] 0.44

European Parliament elections

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Election Candidate Constituency Votes %

1979

 Alexander Thynn Wessex 1,706[54] 0.83
1984 Henrietta Rous Devon 659 0.33
1989 Gwendoline Ewen Bristol 1,017 0.46
Henrietta Rous Devon 385 0.17
Anthony Mockler Somerset and Dorset West 930 0.39

References

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  1. ↑ "Wessex Regionalists". Electoral Commission. 13 September 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Petridis, Alexis (3 May 2010). "Cider, morris dancing and 100% tax: an election strategy with a difference". The Guardian.
  3. 1 2 Fort, Linda (2 April 2015). "Wessex Regionalists want "devo-opt" for Berkshire and points west". Berkshire Live. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  4. 1 2 "February 1974 General Election - Westbury".
  5. ↑ Peter Barberis; John McHugh; Mike Tyldesley (1 January 2000). Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organizations: Parties, Groups and Movements of the 20th Century. A&C Black. pp. 77–. ISBN 978-0-8264-5814-8.
  6. ↑ "Devolution strikes back – but do Cornwall and Yorkshire want more powers . . . or just more money?". www.newstatesman.com. 18 September 2014.
  7. ↑ "Regionalists pull out", Reading Evening Post page 5, 28 May 1987
  8. ↑ Daily Express page 29, 23 June 1999
  9. 1 2 Douglas, Jason; Colchester, Max (7 May 2015). "In U.K. Election, Ancient Kingdom Eyes Political Comeback" – via www.wsj.com.
  10. ↑ "Tories remain in control of Dorset County Council". Bridport News. 3 May 2013.
  11. 1 2 "Middle England's immigration referendum". 14 June 2016.
  12. ↑ "Brexit dominates discussion at hustings for Devizes candidates". The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. 31 May 2017. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  13. ↑ Nair, Anaka (28 June 2024). "Election candidates in focus: George Wright (Independent)". www.maidenhead-advertiser.co.uk. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  14. ↑ "Election result for Maidenhead (Constituency) - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament". members.parliament.uk. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  15. ↑ Preston, James (17 March 2025). "Viewpoint: Will Nicholson Quarter have enough public parking?". www.maidenhead-advertiser.co.uk. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  16. ↑ "James Edward Crabb for Winchester Eastgate in the Hampshire local election". whocanivotefor.co.uk. Retrieved 21 April 2026.
  17. 1 2 "Parties contesting Hampshire County Council elections set out their views". Daily Echo. 27 April 2026. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  18. 1 2 "LIVE - Lib Dems win all seven divisions in Winchester district". Hampshire Chronicle. 7 May 2026. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  19. ↑ Meguid, Bonnie M., Institutional Change as Strategy: The Role of Decentralization in Party Competition (2009). APSA 2009 Toronto Meeting Paper. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1450911
  20. ↑ Bennett, RJ, 'Regional movements in Britain: a review of aims and status', Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy, Volume 3, Issue 1, pp 75-96 (1985)
  21. ↑ "Defining Wessex". Wessex Regionalists. 25 July 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  22. 1 2 Knox, Patrick (28 April 2014). "Why can't Wessex be recognised as National Minority like Cornwall?". Daily Echo.
  23. 1 2 "Could Hampshire have more power over its own destiny?". Daily Echo. 21 September 2014.
  24. ↑ Byrne, Eugene (7 June 2017). "Bristol's fringe political candidates throughout the years". Bristol Post.
  25. ↑ BYU Kennedy Center (19 April 2019). Divided Kingdom? Divergent Public Opinion in the UK in 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2026 – via YouTube. Timestamp: 14:35.
  26. ↑ "Bristol City Council: The 9 candidates in Eastville". whocanivotefor.co.uk. Retrieved 21 April 2026.
  27. ↑ https://council.southglos.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?XXR=0&ID=372&RPID=9501417
  28. ↑ Banks (1986)
  29. ↑ "1979 General Election - Windsor and Maidenhead". UK Parliament.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  30. ↑ "1979 General Election - North Devon". UK Parliament.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  31. ↑ "1979 General Election - West Dorset". UK Parliament.
  32. ↑ "1979 General Election - Winchester". UK Parliament.
  33. ↑ "1979 General Election - Wells". UK Parliament.
  34. ↑ "1979 General Election - Devizes". UK Parliament.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  35. ↑ "1979 General Election - Westbury".
  36. ↑ https://api.parliament.uk/uk-general-elections/elections/21784
  37. ↑ https://api.parliament.uk/uk-general-elections/elections/21813
  38. ↑ https://api.parliament.uk/uk-general-elections/elections/21762
  39. ↑ https://api.parliament.uk/uk-general-elections/elections/21589
  40. ↑ https://api.parliament.uk/uk-general-elections/elections/21812
  41. ↑ https://api.parliament.uk/uk-general-elections/elections/21782
  42. ↑ https://api.parliament.uk/uk-general-elections/elections/21819
  43. ↑ https://api.parliament.uk/uk-general-elections/elections/21354
  44. ↑ https://api.parliament.uk/uk-general-elections/elections/21674
  45. ↑ https://api.parliament.uk/uk-general-elections/elections/21805
  46. ↑ https://api.parliament.uk/uk-general-elections/elections/23593
  47. ↑ https://api.parliament.uk/uk-general-elections/elections/24411
  48. ↑ https://api.parliament.uk/uk-general-elections/elections/24433
  49. ↑ https://api.parliament.uk/uk-general-elections/elections/24959
  50. ↑ https://api.parliament.uk/uk-general-elections/elections/25731
  51. ↑ "Election result for Eastleigh (Constituency) - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament". members.parliament.uk. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  52. ↑ https://api.parliament.uk/uk-general-elections/elections/26381
  53. ↑ "2017 General Election - Devizes". UK Parliament.
  54. ↑ EP election results at constituency Level (1979-2019)

Sources

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  • Banks, John C. (1986). "The Regionalist (No. 8)". The Regionalist. Houghton-le-Spring: John Ellis. ISSN 0264-522X.
  • Wessex Regionalists (1996). The Statute of Wessex. Cheltenham: Wessex Regionalists. ISBN 0-9508721-0-5.
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