English Constitution Party (ECP)

English Constitution Party (ECP)

Semantic Summary

Fringe English-nationalist party registered with the Electoral Commission in November 2021, led by Graham Moore from a residential address in North Tawton, Devon, with Val Phillips as treasurer. Its constitutionalist platform — an English Parliament, Magna Carta and Bill of Rights rhetoric, and the slogan "Make England Great Again" — provides a respectable electoral veneer for what is chiefly notable: its links to far-right activist Amanda Smith ("Yorkshire Rose"), documented by Byline Times as making 124 "visits" to migrant hotels and reportedly present at the violent Knowsley disorder of February 2023, with the Liverpool Post naming the party "a leading force in the harassment of migrants in the UK". Electorally negligible — four candidates and 1,563 votes (0.0%) at the 2024 general election — it is volunteer-run from rural Devon with income below Electoral Commission reporting thresholds.

Overview

Founding and Origins

The English Constitution Party was registered with the Electoral Commission on 16 November 2021, authorised to field candidates in England, Scotland, and Wales. The party's registration describes it as promoting "Independence for England," "Self-Determination for England," and an "English Parliament."

The party is formally led by Graham Moore, who serves as both Leader and Nominating Officer, with Val Phillips as Treasurer. The registered address is a residential property in North Tawton, a small Devon town, suggesting a very modest organisational footprint.

The party positions itself as a constitutionalist movement, arguing that England is disadvantaged within the current devolution settlement (where Scotland and Wales have their own parliaments but England does not). Its rhetoric draws on Magna Carta, the Bill of Rights, and historic English constitutional documents.

Links to "Yorkshire Rose" (Amanda Smith)

The English Constitution Party has been publicly linked to Amanda Smith, a far-right activist who operates under the online pseudonym "Yorkshire Rose." Smith is a prominent figure in the far-right YouTube "citizen journalist" scene, known for:

• Filming herself outside hotels housing asylum seekers and migrants
• Harassing staff and residents at migrant accommodation
• Anti-immigration and anti-refugee content
• Attending far-right protests and rallies

According to reporting by Byline Times (February 2023), Smith conducted 124 documented "visits" to migrant hotels — the highest number of any far-right activist tracked. The Sheffield Tribune profiled her aggressive tactics, noting regular appearances at hotels to "hassle staff and guests."

Smith was reportedly present in Knowsley, Merseyside on the night of 10 February 2023 when a protest outside a migrant hotel escalated into violent disorder, with a police van set on fire. The Liverpool Post identified the English Constitution Party as "a leading force in the harassment of migrants in the UK" and noted Smith uploaded video from Knowsley on the night of the violence.

The precise nature of Smith's relationship to the party's formal structure is unclear. The registered officers are Moore and Phillips, not Smith, suggesting she may be an affiliated activist or supporter rather than a formal office-holder.

Ideology and Platform

The ECP's platform, as stated on its website and registration documents, includes:

• English Parliament: Establishment of a devolved English Parliament, equivalent to the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Senedd
• Constitutionalism: Emphasis on historic constitutional documents (Magna Carta, Bill of Rights 1689) as the basis for English governance
• Anti-establishment: Opposition to party whips and institutional power; candidates pledge to represent constituents rather than party leadership
• "Make England Great Again": Slogan prominently featured on the party website, echoing Trumpian populist branding
• Pro-choice / Anti-coercion: Unusual for a right-wing party, the ECP explicitly states: "We are pro choice and anti coercion. Coercion is unlawful and vitiates consent, that is the law of the land" — likely referencing COVID-19 vaccine mandates and lockdown measures

The party's ballot descriptions registered with the Electoral Commission reveal its ideological positioning:

1. "English Constitution Party, Independence for England"
2. "English Constitution Party, Self-Determination for England"
3. "English Constitution Party, English Parliament"
4. "English Constitution Party, England, One Nation"
5. "English Constitution Party, Bill of Rights"
6. "English Constitution Party. Freedom, Magna Carta"
7. "English Constitution Party, Freedom"
8. "English Constitution. In God We Trust"

Electoral Performance

2024 General Election (4 July 2024)

• Constituencies contested: 4
• Total votes: 1,563
• Vote share: 0.0% (nationally)
• Constituencies won: 0
• Deposits saved: Likely 0 (candidates receiving under 5% lose their £500 deposit)

The party has not contested any other general elections and has no known local council by-election presence.

Organisation and Membership

The ECP operates from a residential address in rural Devon. Its website is a basic WordPress site with broken internal links, suggesting minimal resources and volunteer maintenance. The party lists no accounting units, local branches, or regional organisers.

The party's "About" page was not functional at the time of research (July 2026), returning a 404 error.

Controversies

• Far-right association: The party's links to Amanda Smith / Yorkshire Rose place it in the orbit of organised far-right harassment of asylum seekers, though the party itself has not been proscribed or formally investigated
• Knowsley disorder: The party was named by local press as a leading force in anti-migrant agitation that contributed to the violent disorder in Knowsley, February 2023
• Migrant hotel targeting: Bylinetimes documented ECP-affiliated activists' systematic targeting of migrant accommodation, raising safeguarding concerns

Funding

As an electoral commission-registered party exempt from quarterly donation returns, the ECP's income falls below the reporting threshold (£7,500 per quarter). Its financial year ends 31 December. The party is also exempt from quarterly transaction returns and parliamentary election returns, indicating minimal financial activity. It is believed to be entirely volunteer-run with negligible funding.

Assessment

The English Constitution Party exemplifies the Tier 3 fringe party category: legally registered, fielding token candidates, but lacking any genuine electoral base, membership infrastructure, or political influence. Its significance lies primarily in its association with the far-right activist network around Yorkshire Rose / Amanda Smith, serving as a thin electoral veneer for extra-parliamentary anti-migrant agitation. The "constitutionalist" branding provides a more respectable public face than openly extremist alternatives.

Known Associations

Auto-generated from cross-references in this archive.

• Yorkshire Rose — 19 mentions · tagged

Tags

• anti-immigration
• english-constitution-party
• far-right
• nationalist
• organisation
• sovereignty
• yorkshire-rose

Sources

• Electoral Commission Register: PP12881
• UK Parliament Election Results: English Constitution Party
• Byline Times: "'Are You Paying for this Room?' Three Years of Far-Right Attacks on Migrant Hotels" (February 2023)
• Sheffield Tribune: "First they fled war. Now they're getting hounded by the far-right"
• Liverpool Post: "What role did the far-right play in Knowsley's night of violence?"
• English Constitution Party website: englishconstitutionparty.com

Profile last updated: July 2026