The Pirate Party UK And The Digital Battleground

THERE will be a new party on the ballot sheet at this year's local elections — Pirate Party UK.

With candidates standing in three of the city's wards, Pirate Party UK claims to be a democratic political party built on grassroots support that stands for digital rights, civil liberties and politics fit for the twenty first century.

The Pirate Party is worldwide the only party that has identified early on the big issues that will be affecting us in the next decade or more, very real and concrete issues relating to our increasingly and unavoidably digital society and economy

Dr Maria Aretoulaki is the party's candidate for the city centre. When asked what she hoped to get from these elections the answer was simple: she wants a seat on the city council.

She said: “This is not about fancy titles, fame and glory. I just want to give power to the people who, like me, live and work in Manchester city centre. I particularly want to give voice to those Manchester residents who don't identify or agree with the Labour or Liberal Democratic policies and practices."

She added that she wants to be the alternative choice for those who find elections pointless or feel the right people never get elected.

She said perhaps her greatest challenge is to excite the interest and hopefully provide positive action for the disillusioned, those who think that "all politicians are scum" or the people who find politics boring.

“I believe that things can be different here and now, when more people participate in the decision process regarding issues that affect us all. And this starts with voting to power the people who will think, speak, and act on our behalf. And you would hope that is people you trust and respect. My goal is to be one of them.”

I'm proud to say that we've had registered Labour party members contact us telling us they cannot officially join the Pirate Party because of their Labour membership but still telling us they're going to vote for us

Dr Aretoulaki explained that another reason for standing at the local elections is to make the Pirate Party a household name in the UK. The party wants more people to know of their existence and to become a part of the city’s political discussion.

She said: “We want local people to realise that they can make the party work for them rather than have it dictate to them what's important or urgent to someone else. The goal is to extend the choice beyond the devil and the deep blue sea, which is crucial in the running of any local council.”

When asked if there was any point in running in a city that is dominated by Labour and the Liberal Democrats, she said that it made more sense to run in Manchester.

The low turnout for local elections — less than 25% — means the party would not need many votes to win. It also prompted the Pirate Party's 'Make it More Than One in Four' campaign, aimed at increasing voter participation.

Dr Aretoulaki continued by saying that the scale and mechanism of the elections means that local and national politics can follow very different paths.

She said: “I'm proud to say that we've had registered Labour party members contact us telling us they cannot officially join the Pirate Party because of their Labour membership but still offering us their support and time and telling us they're going to vote for us too.

"I call this a quiet revolution. Small actions with a big impact. More effective than noisy or bloody revolutions too.”

When asked about funds, Dr Aretoulaki explained that the Pirate Party is being funded by their membership and small donations. She said they are very lucky to have a growing base of volunteers who contribute their skills, time and resources — offering anything from flyering to web design, social media and marketing.

She also said they get people requesting them to stand for election in their cities too, something she feels is very encouraging.

We are all digital natives at the Party and know what is at stake, so we are not going anywhere. That is the whole point

Dr Aretoulaki said the Pirate Party UK is here to stay and that it isn’t a protest party set up for just one election. She said protests and rallies are important but make up only a small part of their work. The biggest part, she said, is to listen to people’s concerns and provide carefully thought out solutions to their problems.

“And remember, the Pirate Party is worldwide the only party that has identified early on the big issues that will be affecting us in the next decade or more, very real and concrete issues relating to our increasingly and unavoidably digital society and economy: data access, data protection and copyright, transparency of government decisions and data held on the citizens, personal freedoms, the widening digital divide between young and older people, rich and less well-off.

“These are issues that require determination and medium plus long-term solutions, which can only be proposed and implemented by people who know what they are talking about. We are all digital natives at the Party and know what is at stake, so we are not going anywhere. That is the whole point.”

Manchester candidates: Party Leader Loz Kaye, Maria Aretoulaki and Tim Dobson.

The name of the Pirate Party UK is a part of a bigger Europe wide Pirate movement which started in Sweden in 2006. Maria said that as well as being an easy to remember and a catchy name she feels it’s quite appropriate. “The word Pirate comes from the Greek for Peiratomai, which means 'to attempt'. We want to attempt to change things or do them differently, despite what people may say about our small size in the UK and the extent of our influence. And any change starts with attempting.

The Pirate Party UK is an officially registered national party. In this year’s local elections it has 3 candidates in Manchester, Maria Aretoulaki, Tim Dobson and the Party leader, Loz Kaye. There are also Pirate candidates standing in Glasgow and Edinburgh. The party also ran in the national elections in 2010 and plans on doing so again the next time around. 

But whether they can articulate their message clearly enough to really dent the three party axis of power in the UK is the big question.