Social Credit Party (New Zealand)

Not to be confused with Social Credit-NZ.

Social Credit Party
Founded10 January 1953; 71 years ago (1953-01-10)
Dissolved28 February 2023; 20 months ago (2023-02-28)
Preceded byReal Democracy Movement
Headquarters42 Reyburn House Lane, Whangārei, 0110
IdeologySocial credit
Political positionCentre to centre-left
Slogan"Here for Good"
Website
socialcredit.nz

The New Zealand Social Credit Party (sometimes called "Socred") was a political party that was New Zealand's third party from the 1950s to the 1980s. It won representation in the New Zealand House of Representatives, holding one seat at times between 1966 and 1981, and two seats from 1981 to 1987. While Social Credit once had significant support, particularly as a protest vote, it was disadvantaged by first-past-the-post voting as it had no geographically concentrated vote.[1] Its most identifiable leaders were Vernon Cracknell (1963-70), who served just one term in parliament, and the household name Bruce Beetham, who rebuilt the party into a significant political force. At its zenith under Beetham in 1981, Social Credit achieved an unprecedented 20.7% of the vote.

The party held no seats in its own right after 1987 and subsequently declined. It was named the New Zealand Democratic Party from 1985 to 2018, and was part of the Alliance from 1991 to 2002. The party returned to the Social Credit name in 2018. The Social Credit Party and its logo were deregistered at the party's request on 28 February 2023, following the death of its leader Chris Leitch earlier that year.[2][3]

The party was based on the ideas of social credit, an economic theory established by C. H. Douglas. Social credit movements also existed in Australia (Douglas Credit Party and Australian League of Rights), Canada (Social Credit Party of Canada), and the United Kingdom (UK Social Credit Party) although the relationship between those movements and the New Zealand movement was not always amicable. The party was also intermittently damaged from allegations of antisemitism, stemming from Douglas' own racist views. Beetham formally denounced antisemitism upon his election.

  1. ^ Jennifer, Curtin; Raymond, Miller (20 June 2012). "Political parties – Challenging the two-party system". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand.
  2. ^ "Amendment to Party Register". Elections. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  3. ^ "After long battle with neck cancer Whangārei,-based Social Credit leader Chris Leitch dies". NZ Herald. Retrieved 1 March 2023.