New England Online > Government & Politics > Parliament > Opposition Parties
Opposition Parties
The presence of opposition parties is an essential part of the democratic system of government, and New England has had a large number of political parties of all persuasions since independence.
His Majesty's Loyal Opposition
The official opposition is generally the second largest party in the parliament, and acts as the alternative government.
Leader of the Opposition - His Majesty's Loyal Opposition is lead by the Opposition Leader, currently Kristine Dawkins.
Third Parties
Since independence, New England has been a multiparty state, with three or more parties represented in the parliament. For the majority of this time, there has been a two and a half party system, with only the National Party and Social Democratic Labour Party being able to form a government. Despite this, the third party has official recognition and entitlements, and wields considerable power both in parliament and on the political landscape in general. There have been three parties recognised as third parties since 2012, and since 2028, the third party has been the New England Alliance.
Leader of the Third Party - Along with the special status accorded to the "third party", the leader of this group is given considerable rights in the House of Assembly, including the capacity to ask questions of the First Minister and is accorded a set number of seats on committees, which currently stands at 20%. The current Leader of the Third Party is Scott Rogers.
