List_of_parties_contesting_the_2005_United_Kingdom_general_election
In the 2005 general election, numerous minor or single issue candidates stood for election. Due to the first past the post electoral system, national fourth parties are rarely successful in achieving representation in the House of Commons. A notable exception is the case of regional parties, such as the Scottish National Party or Plaid Cymru, who have gained a number of seats.
The impact of minor parties should not be underestimated. The success of the Green Party in the 1980s led to environmentalism becoming a key issue for the three main parties, while the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) is now one of the largest British parties in the Europe Parliament and has greatly advanced the issue of euroscepticism.
Parties listed below are organised firstly by the nations and regions in which they are standing, then the number of MPs elected in the 2001 general election, then by number of candidates standing in the 2005 election, and finally alphabetically. As a result, parties attracting more support will tend to appear higher in each list than fringe parties.