•Enthusiasm for a new pragmatic politics across the UK
•Sign-ups reach beyond recent Conservative voters
•Prosper UK launched with poll showing 7 million politically homeless centre and centre right voters
Prosper UK today announced that more than 17,000 people across the country have signed up as supporters in the movement’s first two weeks, a clear demonstration that Prosper UK’s pro-business, pro-growth message is cutting through with voters who feel unrepresented.
This milestone follows Prosper UK’s launch in January, when the research by More in Common was unveiled showing there are more than 7 million centre and centre right voters who feel that no political party currently represents their views.
Initial data from those signing up also suggests Prosper UK is reaching well beyond existing Conservative Party members, with fewer than one in six identifying as current members and around one in three saying they voted Conservative at the last election.
Prosper UK will now build on this early support by growing its nationwide grassroots network, taking the conversation beyond Westminster and engaging with voters and businesses across the UK to shape a credible pro-business, pro-growth agenda focused on growth, opportunity and jobs.
Prosper UK Co Chair Andy Street said:
“What we are seeing is a real gap in UK politics for a pragmatic, optimistic centre right and 17,000 people signing up in two weeks is early evidence of that. Prosper UK is building the organisation to make that case beyond Westminster and help shape a pro-business agenda that can win support in every part of the UK, including among those who currently feel unrepresented.”
Gavin Barwell, part of Prosper UK’s leadership team, said:
“We said when we launched Prosper UK that our aim was to reach out to people with centre right views who haven’t voted Conservative in recent elections, and that is exactly what we’re achieving. The vast majority of the 17,000 who have signed up as supporters so far are not existing members of the Conservative Party and many didn’t even vote Conservative last time. We are going to continue to reach out to and speak up for this crucial segment of the electorate”