Roman Party

{{short description|British political party}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}

The Roman Party, also known as the Roman Party. Ave, was a British political party founded by Jean-Louis Pascual, a Frenchman from Bordeaux who works as a bus driver in Reading, Berkshire.{{cite news|last=Fort|first=Linda|title=What did the Roman Party ever do for us?|url=http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/what-roman-party-ever-us-4237528|accessdate=12 May 2014|newspaper=Get Reading|date=11 June 2009}} An admirer of the ancient Romans whom he wants more people to learn about,{{cite news|title=European elections: Party-by-party guide|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27218759|accessdate=12 May 2014|newspaper=BBC News|date=8 May 2014}} he credits "when in Rome, do as the Romans" as the basis of his policy, as well as being "against injustice", and believes that teenage mothers should be sent back to school.

The party ran in South East England in the 2009 European election, and received 5,450 votes or 0.2% of those cast in the region,{{cite news|title=European Election 2009: South East|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/elections/euro/09/html/ukregion_35.stm|accessdate=12 May 2014|newspaper=BBC News|date=8 June 2009}} the least of any candidate. Pascual therefore lost his £5,000 deposit. He spent £2,000 on his campaign, but said, "It was a great experience and the money is not wasted if that is your hobby." He ran again in the same region in 2014 as his party's only candidate (most of the other parties fielded 10 candidates),{{cite news|title=Vote 2014: European election candidates for the South East|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27051068|accessdate=12 May 2014|newspaper=BBC News|date=28 April 2014}} and came 12th of 15 parties, with 2,997 votes (0.13%).{{cite news|title=Vote 2014 - South East|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/eu-regions/E15000008|work=BBC News|accessdate=25 May 2014}} He also stood for the party in elections to Reading Borough Council, contesting the Battle ward. He received 43 votes and finished last of five candidates on 22 May 2014.{{cite web|title=Local Elections and Park By-Elections May 2014|url=http://www.reading.gov.uk/elections/election/10/results/|publisher=Reading Borough Council|accessdate=17 May 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924085304/http://www.reading.gov.uk/elections/election/10/results/|archivedate=24 September 2015}} Philip West contested the seat of Reading West for the party in the 2015 general election, finishing last of eight candidates with 64 votes.{{cite news|title=Reading West|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000890 |work=BBC News|accessdate=16 May 2015}}

The party did not have a website.