The Progressive Constitutionalist Party (PCP) was a

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology ...

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

between 1953 and 1971.

History

The PCP was established in 1953 by Mabel Strickland, owner of the ''

Times of Malta The ''Times of Malta'' is an English-language daily newspaper in Malta. Founded in 1935, by Gerald Strickland, 1st Baron Strickland, Lord and Lady Strickland and Lord Strickland's daughter Mabel Strickland, Mabel, it is the oldest daily newspap ...

'' and daughter of Gerald Strickland, the founder of the Constitutional Party.Vincent E McHale (1983) ''Political parties of Europe'', Greenwood Press, p635 It was a split from the Constitutional Party, which Strickland had left in protest against its support for the Labour Party's policy of integration with the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. The party failed to win a seat in elections in 1953 and 1955, but won a single seat in the

1962 elections The following elections occurred in 1962. Africa * Algerian independence referendum * 1962 Chadian parliamentary election * Gambian legislative election * Northern Rhodesian general election * Southern Rhodesian general election * Federat ...

. However, it lost its seat in the post-independence 1966 elections. After failing to win a seat in the 1971 elections it subsequently disappeared.

Ideology

The party promoted loyalty to the Catholic church and the British Crown, but advocated dominion status for Malta to avoid any cultural assimilation or secularisation that integration with the United Kingdom would bring.McHale, p636 It also held a strict anti-communist line.

References

External links

Progressive Constitutional Party's Principles and Programme
{{Authority control Defunct political parties in Malta Political parties established in 1953 1953 establishments in Malta Political parties disestablished in 1971 1971 disestablishments in Malta Anti-communist parties Catholic political parties Monarchist parties