New People's Party

{{Use Hong Kong English|date=June 2019}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}} {{Other uses|New People's Party (disambiguation)}}{{Infobox political party | country = Hong Kong | name = New People's Party | native_name = {{lower|0.25em|{{noitalics|{{nobold|新民黨}}}}}} | native_name_lang = zh-Hant | logo = New People's Party HK Logo.svg | logo_size = 230px | colorcode = {{party color|New People's Party (Hong Kong)}} | leader = | chairperson = [[Regina Ip]] | president = | secretary_general = | spokesperson = | leader1_title = Executive Vice Chairman | leader1_name = [[Lai Tung-kwok]] | leader2_title = Deputy Chairpersons | leader2_name = [[Pun Kwok-shan]] [[Eunice Yung]] [[Johnny Hon]] | founder = | founded = {{Start date and age|df=y|2011|01|09}} | headquarters = Flats D-F, 11/F China Overseas Building, 139 [[Hennessy Road|Hennessy Road]], [[Wan Chai]], [[Hong Kong]] | youth_wing = New People's Party Youth Committee | membership_year = 2019 | membership = {{increase}} 850 | affiliation1_title = Regional affiliation | affiliation1 = [[Pro-Beijing camp]] | ideology = {{nowrap|[[Conservatism]] ([[Conservatism in Hong Kong|HK]]) [[Chinese nationalism]] [[National conservatism]]}} | international = | colours = {{colour box|{{party color|New People's Party (Hong Kong)}}}}{{colour box|#E61C4B}} [[Blue]] and [[red]] | blank1_title = | blank1 = | seats1_title = [[Executive Council of Hong Kong|Executive Council]] | seats1 = {{Composition bar|1|33|hex={{party color|New People's Party (Hong Kong)}}}} | seats2_title = {{nowrap|[[Legislative Council of Hong Kong|Legislative Council]]}} | seats2 = {{Composition bar|3|90|hex={{party color|New People's Party (Hong Kong)}}}} | seats3_title = [[District councils of Hong Kong|District Councils]] | seats3 = {{Composition bar|25|470|hex={{party color|New People's Party (Hong Kong)}}}} | seats4_title = [[National People's Congress|NPC]] (HK deputies) | seats4 = {{Composition bar|0|36|hex={{party color|New People's Party (Hong Kong)}}}} | seats5_title = {{nowrap|[[People's Political Consultative Conference|CPPCC]] (HK members)}} | seats5 = {{Composition bar|1|124|hex={{party color|New People's Party (Hong Kong)}}}} | symbol = | flag = | slogan = "The Party that Makes a Difference" | website = {{Official URL}} }} {{Infobox Chinese | order = jp | showflag = stp | t = 新民黨 | s = 新民党 | p = Xīnmín dǎng | j = San1 man4 dong2 | y = Sān màhn dóng }} {{Conservatism in Hong Kong}} {{Politics of Hong Kong}} The '''New People's Party''' ('''NPP''') is a political party in Hong Kong. Chaired by [[Regina Ip]], it is currently the fourth largest party in the [[Legislative Council of Hong Kong|Legislative Council]].

Established by former senior government official Regina Ip in 2011, the party aims at broadening the middle class and civil servant votes where the pro-Beijing camp had traditionally underperformed. Since Ip has strongly indicated her interest in becoming [[Chief Executive of Hong Kong|Chief Executive]] and has run in [[2012 Hong Kong Chief Executive election|2012]] and [[2017 Hong Kong Chief Executive election|2017]] respectively, it has been suggested that the party is primarily a vehicle for that goal.<ref name=TopJob>Regina Ip hints at run for top job, [[South China Morning Post]], 31 Jan 2011</ref>

The party won two seats in the [[2012 Hong Kong legislative election|2012 Legislative Council election]], with Ip re-elected in [[Hong Kong Island (constituency)|Hong Kong Island]] and vice chairman [[Michael Tien]] gained a seat in [[New Territories West (constituency)|New Territories West]]. The NPP expanded its grassroots network by [[New People's Party–Civil Force|forming an alliance]] with regional political group [[Civil Force]] in Shatin in 2014. With the groundwork of the Civil Force, the party gained an additional seat in [[New Territories East (constituency)|New Territories East]] in [[2016 Hong Kong legislative election|2016]].

As the NPP became closer with the [[Liaison Office (Hong Kong)|Beijing authorities]], Tien split from the party with six other District Councillors in 2017. Being the vocal supporter of the SAR administration, the NPP received a devastating defeat in the [[2019 Hong Kong local elections|2019 District Council election]] amid the [[2019–20 Hong Kong protests|widespread anti-government protests]] in 2019, with all of its 28 candidates being defeated and all of its 13 District Councillors being unseated.

==Party beliefs== The party positions itself with the [[pro-Beijing camp]]. Ip has said that it targets the "[[middle-class]]", rather than the "[[grass-roots]]".<ref name=TopJob/> Its electorate base also largely comes from the civil servants, especially retired officials from the [[Hong Kong Disciplined Services|disciplined services]], due to Ip's background. The party's stated platform includes [[Politics of Hong Kong#Universal suffrage|universal suffrage]], economic diversification<ref name=wsj/> and the reduction in the [[wealth gap]].<ref name=Stnd>http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=4&art_id=106856&sid=30858941&con_type=1&d_str=20110110&fc=10 ''The Standard'' accessed 17 January 2011</ref>

==History== ===Early years=== The leading figure of the New People's Party is [[Regina Ip]], who was the then [[Secretary for Security]] and the incumbent member of the [[Legislative Council of Hong Kong|Legislative Council]], as well as the chair of the think tank Savantas Policy Institute. She founded the New People's Party on 9 January 2011. [[Michael Tien]], former vice chairman of the [[Liberal Party (Hong Kong)|Liberal Party]] and younger brother of former Liberal Party chair [[James Tien (politician)|James Tien]], is the deputy chairman. Another deputy chairman was [[Louis Shih]].<ref name=wsj>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703667904576071570107656388?mod=googlenews_wsj|work=Wall Street Journal |access-date=17 January 2011|quote="Joining Ms Ip as deputy chairmen are former Liberal Party member Michael Tien and Louis Shih, former chairman of the pro-democracy organization SynergyNet."|first=Cathy|last=Yan|title=Hong Kong's Ip Launches Political Party|date=8 January 2011}}</ref>

The party intended to field ten candidates in the [[Hong Kong District Council election|district council elections]] in November 2011.<ref name=TopJob/> Candidates would include three former senior security service officers in Tony Liu Kit-ming, the soon-to-retire chairman of the Hong Kong Police Inspectors Association; Wat Ki-on, the retired former chairman of the Fire Services Department Ambulancemen's Union; and Tsui Chi-keung, the retired former chairman of the Fire Services Department Staff's General Association.<ref>High-profile officers join Ip's party, ''South China Morning Post'', Phyllis Tsang, 8 Feb 2011</ref> It won four seats in total as a result.

Ip announced her interest in running for the [[Chief Executive of Hong Kong|Chief Executive]] in the [[2012 Hong Kong Chief Executive election|2012 election]], but failed to secure enough nominations to enter the race. She then endorsed [[Leung Chun-ying]], winner of the election. In September, both chair Regina Ip and deputy chair Michael Tien were elected to the Legislative Council in the [[2012 Hong Kong legislative election|LegCo elections]]. Regina Ip was subsequently appointed by Leung Chun-ying to the [[Executive Council of Hong Kong|Executive Council]] in October 2012.

===Alliance with Civil Force=== The party expanded the network in the [[New Territories East (constituency)|New Territories East]] by forming a [[New People's Party–Civil Force|political alliance]] with the [[Civil Force]] in Shatin in February 2014. Civil Force leader [[Pun Kwok-shan]] was appointed Vice-Chairman of the New People's Party.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://rthk.hk/rthk/news/expressnews/20140212/news_20140212_55_984238.htm|work=Radio Television Hong Kong|date=12 February 2014|script-title=zh:新民黨宣布與公民力量結成聯盟|language=zh}}</ref> With 17 Civil Force District Councillors and 2 independents joined the New People's Party, the party's seat in the District Councils jumped from 12 to 31.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.metroradio.com.hk/997/News/Default.aspx?NewsID=20140212154649|work=Metro Radio|script-title=zh:新民黨與公民力量結盟葉劉淑儀否認吞併|date=12 February 2014|language=zh}}</ref>

In the [[2015 Hong Kong local elections|2015 District Council election]], the New People's Party and Civil Force won 25 seats, while its seats in [[Tai Hang (constituency)|Tai Hang]] and [[Tai Koo Shing East (constituency)|Tai Koo Shing East]] in Hong Kong Island where Ip's base was taken by pro-democrats. Civil Force's base in Sha Tin was also lost to the pro-democrats with five veterans defeated by new faces.

The New People's Party scored a victory in the [[2016 Hong Kong legislative election|2016 Legislative Council election]] by taking three seats in the [[geographical constituencies]] and doubled their vote share from 3.76 to 7.73 per cent. Incumbents Regina Ip and Michael Tien both received large vote share in [[Hong Kong Island (constituency)|Hong Kong Island]] and the [[New Territories West (constituency)|New Territories West]] respectively with new face [[Eunice Yung]] first elected in the [[New Territories East (constituency)|New Territories East]] despite the allegation of her being backed by the [[Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region|Liaison Office]].

===2017 Chief Executive election and Michael Tien departure=== In December 2016, the party endorsed Ip's second bid in the [[2017 Hong Kong Chief Executive election|2017 Chief Executive election]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Regina Ip declares her entry into leadership race with pledge to enact controversial Article 23|date=15 December 2016|newspaper=South China Morning Post|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2054878/regina-ip-announces-her-entry-chief-executive-race-slogan}}</ref> Due to the lobbying by the Liaison Office for former [[Chief Secretary for Administration|Chief Secretary]] [[Carrie Lam]] and pro-democrats' aim to send former [[Financial Secretary of Hong Kong|Financial Secretary]] [[John Tsang]] and retired judge [[Woo Kwok-hing]] into the race, Ip was squeezed out from canvassing a minimum number of 150 nominations in the 1,194-member [[Election Committee]] to enter the race for the second time.<ref>{{cite news|title=Regina Ip drops out of Hong Kong chief executive race|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2075125/regina-ip-drops-out-hong-kong-chief-executive-race|date=1 March 2017|newspaper=South China Morning Post}}</ref> After the election, Ip said that the party may reposition itself to become less pro-establishment.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20170303/s00001/1488504031915|title=新民黨選戰後重新定位葉劉指或「冇咁建制」|newspaper=Ming Pao|date=3 March 2017}}</ref>

Michael Tien, the party deputy chairman, complained the election had "lost its shape" due to the increasing interference of "an invisible hand", referring to the Liaison Office. Tien indicated his support for John Tsang, although Ip endorsed Carrie Lam on the last day before the election.<ref name="Lamannounces">{{cite news|title=Carrie Lam aims to 'reignite' Hong Kong as she officially announces candidacy for top job|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2062576/carrie-lam-aims-reignite-hong-kong-she-officially-announces|newspaper=South China Morning Post|date=16 January 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title='Don't ask us to quit': Chief executive hopeful Regina Ip stands firm on candidacy in overcrowded field|newspaper=South China Morning Post|date=17 January 2017|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2062856/dont-ask-us-quit-chief-executive-hopeful-regina-ip-stands}}</ref> Tien eventually quit the party on 10 April with six District Councillors, citing the party's overly close tie with Beijing was one of the reasons of his departure. The numbers of Legislative Council seats dropped to two and District Councils to 19 as a result.<ref>{{cite news|title=【新民黨分裂】直播田北辰宣佈退黨：因了解而分開|url=http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/realtime/news/20170410/56544841|date=14 November 2016|newspaper=Apple Daily}}</ref>

The party nominated [[Southern District Council]]lor [[Judy Chan]] to represent in the [[2018 Hong Kong Island by-election|2018 Legislative Council Hong Kong Island by-election]] running against independent democrat [[Au Nok-hin]] for the seat left vacant by the [[Hong Kong Legislative Council oath-taking controversy|oath-taking controversy]] which resulted in the disqualification of six legislators. The party combined forces with the [[Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong]] (DAB) and the [[Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions]] (FTU) to form a united front against the pro-democrats. As a result, Chan was narrowly defeated in the election by only three per cent of margin by receiving more than 127,000 votes.<ref>{{cite news|title=Hong Kong democrats to rely on legal appeals after failing to win back Legco veto foothold|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2136762/pan-democrats-look-set-regain-power-veto-rivals-moves-hong|newspaper=South China Morning Post|date=12 March 2018}}</ref>

A staunch supporter of the government amid the [[2019–20 Hong Kong protests|massive protests against the extradition bill]], the party saw a massive departure of its members, many of which were District Councillors.<ref>{{cite news|title=【李八方online】新民黨現跳船潮元朗區議員退黨兼棄選|url=https://hk.news.appledaily.com/local/realtime/article/20190812/59922975|date=2019-08-12|newspaper=蘋果日報}}</ref> The number of District Councillors dropped from 25 in the 2015 elections to 13 only. In the [[2019 Hong Kong local elections|2019 District Council election]], the party suffered a devastating defeat by losing all its 13 seats in the District Councils and failing to get any candidate elected in the landslide victory of the pro-democracy camp.

=== Current years === In February 2021, after [[Xia Baolong]] called for only "patriots" to be part of the Hong Kong government, the NPP voiced full support and claimed that "The Legislative Council and the District Council, occupied by people who oppose the country's sovereignty and endanger national security... distorted Hong Kong's political system."<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-02-23|title=Hong Kong's Lam says China's patriots-only rule is not meant to exclude democrats from politics|url=https://hongkongfp.com/2021/02/23/hong-kongs-lam-says-chinas-patriots-only-rule-is-not-meant-to-exclude-democrats-from-politics/|access-date=2021-02-24|website=Hong Kong Free Press HKFP|language=en-GB}}</ref>

==Performance in elections== ===Chief Executive elections=== {| class=wikitable style="text-align: right;" |-align=center ! Election ! Candidate ! No. of votes ! % of votes |- ! [[2012 Hong Kong Chief Executive election|2012]] | align=left| [[Regina Ip]] | colspan=2 align=center | ''Not nominated'' |- ! [[2017 Hong Kong Chief Executive election|2017]] | align=left| Regina Ip | colspan=2 align=center | ''Not nominated'' |}

===Legislative Council elections=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: right;" |-align=center ! Election ! Number of popular votes ! % of popular votes ! [[Geographical constituency|GC]] seats ! [[Functional constituency (Hong Kong)|FC]] seats ! [[Election Committee (constituency)|EC]] seats ! Total seats ! +/− ! Position |- ! [[2012 Hong Kong legislative election|2012]] | 68,097{{nochange}} | 3.76{{nochange}} | 2 | 0 | rowspan="2"| | {{Composition bar|2|70|hex={{party color|New People's Party (Hong Kong)}}}} | 1{{increase}} | 9th{{increase}} |- ! [[2016 Hong Kong legislative election|2016]] | 167,589{{increase}} | 7.73{{increase}} | 3 | 0 | {{Composition bar|3|70|hex={{party color|New People's Party (Hong Kong)}}}} | 1{{increase}} | 7th{{increase}} |- ! [[2021 Hong Kong legislative election|2021]] | 150,118{{decrease}} | 11.35{{increase}} | 2 | 0 | 3 | {{Composition bar|5|90|hex={{party color|New People's Party (Hong Kong)}}}} | 2{{increase}} | 4th{{increase}} |- ![[2025 Hong Kong legislative election|2025]] |147,113{{decrease}} |11.52{{increase}} |2 |0 |1 |{{Composition bar|3|90|hex={{party color|New People's Party (Hong Kong)}}}} |2{{decrease}} |5th{{decrease}} |}

===District Council elections=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: right;" |-align=center ! Election ! Number of popular votes ! % of popular votes !{{Abbr|D.E.|Directly elected}} seats !{{Abbr|E.C.|Electoral college of "Three Committees"}} seats !{{Abbr|App.|Appointed}} seats ! Total seats ! +/− |- ! [[2011 Hong Kong local elections|2011]] | 15,568{{nochange}} | 1.32{{nochange}} |4 | rowspan="3" | |1 | {{Composition bar|4|412|hex={{party color|New People's Party (Hong Kong)}}}} | 4{{increase}} |- ! [[2015 Hong Kong local elections|2015]] | 75,793{{increase}} | 5.24{{increase}} |26 | rowspan="2" | | {{Composition bar|26|431|hex={{party color|NPPHK}}}} | 22{{increase}} |- ! [[2019 Hong Kong local elections|2019]] | 79,975{{increase}} | 2.73{{decrease}} |0 | {{Composition bar|0|452|hex={{party color|NPPHK}}}} | 26{{decrease}} |- ! [[2023 Hong Kong local elections|2023]] | 99,775{{increase}} | 8.52{{increase}} |5 |10 |10 | {{Composition bar|25|470|hex={{party color|NPPHK}}}} | 25{{increase}} |- |}

==Representatives== ===Executive Council=== * [[Regina Ip]]

===Legislative Council=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left;" |- ! Constituency !! Member |- | [[Hong Kong Island West (2025 constituency)|Hong Kong Island West]]|| [[Judy Chan Ka-pui|Judy Chan Kapui]] |- | [[New Territories North East (2021 constituency)|New Territories North East]]|| [[Dominic Lee]] |- | rowspan="1" |[[Election Committee (constituency)|Election Committee]] |[[Adrian Ho]] |}

===District Councils=== The party holds 25 seats in eight District Councils (2024–2027): {| class="wikitable" |+ !District !Constituency !Members |- |[[Wan Chai District Council|Wan Chai]] | rowspan="2" |District Committees |Joey Lee Man-lung |- | rowspan="3" |[[Eastern District Council|Eastern]] |Dana Lau Shing-she |- | rowspan="2" |Appointed |Anthony Lu Xiaofeng |- |Calvin Kwok Ho-king |- | rowspan="2" |[[Southern District Council|Southern]] |District Committees |Nicole Wong Yu-ching |- | rowspan="2" |Appointed |Vera Ho Yuen-wei |- |[[Tsuen Wan District Council|Tsuen Wan]] |Marcella Cheung Man-ka |- | rowspan="3" |[[Tuen Mun District Council|Tuen Mun]] |Tuen Mun North |So Ka-man |- | rowspan="3" |District Committees |Kam Man-fung |- |Victor Kwong Man-tik |- |[[Tai Po District Council|Tai Po]] |Kitty Chan Kin-wan |- | rowspan="3" |[[Sai Kung District Council|Sai Kung]] |Tseung Kwan O North |Victor Chan Chi-ho |- | rowspan="2" |District Committees |Ken Chan Kin-chun |- |Tam Chuk-kwan |- | rowspan="11" |[[Sha Tin District Council|Sha Tin]] |Sha Tin East |Yiu Ka-chun |- |Sha Tin South |Eddie Lam Yiu-shing |- |Sha Tin North |Anna Law Yi-lam |- | rowspan="3" |District Committees |Leung Ka-wai |- |Cheung Pak-yuen |- |Ha Kim-kwan |- | rowspan="5" |Appointed |Vincent Wong Wai-shin |- |Leung Ka-fai |- |Chan Man-kuen |- |Michael Lau Tsz-chung |- |Pun Kwok-shan |}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.npp.org.hk/ Official website] * {{facebook|npp.hk}} * {{youTube|u=NewPeoplesParty}}

[[Category:2011 establishments in Hong Kong]] [[Category:Conservative parties in Hong Kong]] [[Category:National conservative parties]] [[Category:Political parties established in 2011]] [[Category:Political parties in Hong Kong]]