Welwyn National Party

The Welwyn National Party (WNP; Welwynian: Plaid Genedlaethol Welwyn) is a nationalist party in Welwyn, Nordal. The party supports Welwynian Independence from Nordal and has it as its central manifesto policy. The WNP has campaigned for an independent Welwynian republic since its founding in the early 1870s. Since the start of the 20th Century, the party has expanded its manifesto to include a wide range of social and political policies and is regarded as one of the oldest socialist parties in the world. The WNP successfully helped pioneer legislation to introduce improved women's and worker's rights, the national living wage, land and tax reform, and political transparency. Toby Llyofwyn MP was elected leader in 2017, after defeating incumbent David Markland, with 64% of the membership vote.

As of January 2021, the WNP is the fifth largest party in the House of Commons, and the third-largest party by vote share in Welwyn, behind the Conservative Union Party, and Social Labour Party. The WNP has maintained a presence in Parliament since 1940, achieving its largest vote share in 1990 securing 12 seats in the House of Commons.

Foundation and Trade Union Roots
The WNP was founded the following year after the 1870 national congress of Trade Unions in Port Louis, Rewland. The congress included trade unions, co-ops, and underground socialist organisations from around Nordal after it was announced that the upcoming 1872 constitution of Nordal would guarantee the legality and freedom of speech of these groups. Here, trade unions from around Welwyn sought to cooperate and form a new political body that would contest future elections in Welwyn. From the start of the congress in early January to the end in late March, Welwynian trade unions entered talks to formalise a political pact and to agree on a shared manifesto for a potential new party. The two largest trade unions in Welwyn, the Welwyn Miner's Union and the Trade Union of Welwyn and Kurnlan, agreed to merge their membership under a political party called the Welwyn National Party. The talks originally included another socialist organisation, the Welwyn Redcoats, however, the talks broke down after the Welwyn Redcoats demanded the WNP focus more on spreading socialism to the rest of Nordal rather than Welwynian independence. The Welwyn Redcoats later went on to become the paramilitary wing of the Communist Party of Welwyn and Rewland in 1938.

The two trade unions agreed to formalise the WNP on the 1st of January, 1871 in order to campaign for the 1872 elections. It's first leader was elected through a secret ballot of trade union members, with James McCallaghan being elected with 96% of the vote.