Independent Green Voice
{{use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox political party
| name = Independent Green Voice
| logo = Independent Green Voice logo 2021.png
| logo_size =
| colorcode = Black
| leader =
| leader1_title = Founder
| leader1_name = Alistair McConnachie
| leader2_title = Leader
| leader2_name = Alistair McConnachie
| foundation = March 2003
| headquarters = c/o Clyde Offices
2nd Floor
48 West George Street
Glasgow
Scotland
G2 1BP
| position = Far-right
| ideology = {{ubl|class=nowrap|
|Euroscepticism{{Cite web|url=http://www.sovereignty.org.uk/features/articles/manifesto05/outeu.html|title=Better off out the EU European Union|publisher=Independent Green Voice |access-date=2021-09-06|archive-date=2021-09-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210906074839/http://www.sovereignty.org.uk/features/articles/manifesto05/outeu.html|url-status=live}}
}}
| colours = Black and white
| seats1_title = Scottish Parliament
| seats1 = {{Composition bar|0|129}}
| seats2_title = Local government in Scotland
| seats2 = {{Composition bar|0|1227}}
| country = Scotland
| country2 = the United Kingdom
| website = {{URL|http://www.sovereignty.org.uk/features/articles/manifesto07/aboutus.html}}
}}
Independent Green Voice (IGV) is a minor far-right political party in Scotland. Founded by Alistair McConnachie,{{Cite web|url=https://theferret.scot/independent-green-voice-candidates-include-ex-bnp/|title=Alleged Holocaust denier and ex-BNP activists standing for independent 'Green' party|last=Briggs|first=Billy|website=The Ferret|date=5 May 2021|access-date=26 August 2021|archive-date=26 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826213336/https://theferret.scot/independent-green-voice-candidates-include-ex-bnp/|url-status=live}} it was registered with the Electoral Commission in March 2003.{{cite news|url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/19322533.independent-green-voice-founder-barred-ukip/|title=The Independent Green Voice founder who was barred from UKIP|last=Duffy|first=Judith|date=23 May 2021|website=The National|access-date=26 August 2021|archive-date=26 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826213337/https://www.thenational.scot/news/19322533.independent-green-voice-founder-barred-ukip/|url-status=live}} It received 9,756 regional votes at the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, the ninth highest of any party, possibly due to voters mistakenly voting for it instead of the Scottish Greens, which had campaigned on a platform in support of Scottish independence, drawing enough votes away from the Scottish Greens to prevent them from receiving an additional two seats in the Scottish Parliament.{{Cite web|url=https://www.emb.scot/news/article/22/full-votes-and-seats-by-party-etc-spe21?newsID=22|title=Full votes and seats by party etc - SPE21 |publisher=Electoral Management Board for Scotland |date=9 May 2021 |access-date=2021-09-07|archive-date=2022-05-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531152146/https://www.emb.scot/news/article/22/full-votes-and-seats-by-party-etc-spe21?newsID=22|url-status=live}}
- {{cite news|url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/19293533.snp-lose-target-seats-unionist-tactical-voting-ads/|title=Did Unionist tactical voting ads stop SNP from winning key target seats?|last=O'Toole|first=Emer|website=The National|date=11 May 2021|access-date=26 August 2021|archive-date=26 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826201331/https://www.thenational.scot/news/19293533.snp-lose-target-seats-unionist-tactical-voting-ads/|url-status=live}}
Overview
Independent Green Voice was founded by Alistair McConnachie, a far-right activist and former Scottish organiser for the UK Independence Party (UKIP) who was refused renewal of his membership for questioning the Holocaust.
From its 2003 launch until March 2021, two months before the election, IGV's logo consisted of a right forearm with a clenched hand making the thumbs up sign. On 23 March 2021, the party registered a new logo with the Electoral Commission that consists of an image of a leaf and the words "Independent Green Voice" in capital letters, with "Green" being in a larger font than "Independent" or "Voice".{{cite news|url=https://theferret.scot/ffs-scottish-greens-independent-green-voice/|title=FFS explains: Scottish Greens, Independent Green Voice and the lost MSPs|author=Ferret Journalists|website=The Ferret|date=14 May 2021|access-date=26 August 2021|archive-date=26 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826213336/https://theferret.scot/ffs-scottish-greens-independent-green-voice/|url-status=live}} The Scottish Greens reported that they had complained to the Electoral Commission about the name when IGV was first registered.{{cite news|last1=Andrews|first1=Kieran|title=Scottish Greens fear fringe party's logo cost them two MSPs|work=The Times|date=11 May 2021|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/scottish-greens-fear-fringe-partys-logo-cost-them-two-msps-wpchc78hw|url-access=subscription|access-date=27 August 2021|archive-date=27 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827072154/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/scottish-greens-fear-fringe-partys-logo-cost-them-two-msps-wpchc78hw|url-status=live}}
- {{cite news|url=https://todaynewspost.com/news/world/uk-news/revealed-the-independent-green-voice-complaints-sent-to-electoral-commission/|title=REVEALED: The Independent Green Voice complaints sent to Electoral Commission|last=Widely|first=Page|date=17 July 2021|work=Today News Post|access-date=28 August 2021|archive-date=27 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827051816/https://todaynewspost.com/news/world/uk-news/revealed-the-independent-green-voice-complaints-sent-to-electoral-commission/|url-status=live}} The Greens were 1,000 votes short of gaining a list seat in Glasgow (where IGV received 2,210 votes) and 100 votes short of gaining one in South Scotland (where IGV received 1,690 votes).{{cite news|url=https://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/news/politics/greens-say-voters-could-have-been-duped-3232604|title=Greens say voters could have been duped|last=Janiak|first=Kevin|date=11 May 2021|website=The Southern Reporter|access-date=26 August 2021|archive-date=26 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826213336/https://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/news/politics/greens-say-voters-could-have-been-duped-3232604|url-status=live}}
On 22 May 2021, the Electoral Commission ruled out an investigation.{{cite news|title=Unionist party gets away with claims of vote-rigging, despite hundreds of complaints|url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/19322520.unionist-party-gets-away-claims-vote-rigging/|last=Duffy|first=Judith|date=22 May 2021|access-date=27 August 2021|website=The National|archive-date=27 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827075913/https://www.thenational.scot/news/19322520.unionist-party-gets-away-claims-vote-rigging/|url-status=live}}
Electoral history
= Scottish Parliament =
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right" |
| rowspan="2"| Election
! colspan="3"| Constituency ! colspan="3"| Regional ! rowspan="2"| Total seats ! rowspan="2"| +/– ! rowspan="2"| Rank ! rowspan="2"| Government |
|---|
| Votes
! % ! Seats ! Votes ! % ! Seats |
| 2003
| 1,300 | 0.1 | {{Composition bar|0|73}} | colspan=3 bgcolor="lightgrey"| | {{Composition bar|0|129}} | bgcolor="lightgrey"| | {{steady}} 20th | {{no|Not in parliament}} |
| 2007
| colspan=3 bgcolor="lightgrey"| | 496 | 0.00 | {{Composition bar|0|56}} | {{Composition bar|0|129}} | bgcolor="lightgrey"| | {{decrease}} 30th | {{no|Not in parliament}} |
| 2021
| colspan=3 bgcolor="lightgrey"| | 9,756 | 0.36 | {{Composition bar|0|56}} | {{Composition bar|0|129}} | bgcolor="lightgrey"| | {{increase}} 9th | {{no|Not in parliament}} |