of members and former members from Veritas and UKIP, including Anthony Bennett and Ken Wharton, formed a new party, the Popular Alliance in March 2006. Eston appointed a deputy, Howard Martin, who was the main Veritas Party spokesperson, and seemed determined to continue with the party, despite the depletion of the Veritas membership. 2005–15 In the 2006 local elections, Veritas stood four candidates: two each in Kingston-upon-Hull and Bolton. They polled an average of 98 votes each (3.5% of the total). In the 2007 elections, Veritas stood three candidates: two in English council elections and one – Iain James Sheldon in the Mid and West Wales Region for the Welsh Assembly, who received 502 votes (0.2% of the total). In the summer of 2007, Patrick Eston contacted the leadership of other parties with similar political positions with a view to organising a meeting to discuss co-operation. While all parties were being contacted a later meeting was being arranged for September between Eston and the leaders of the Freedom Party and United Kingdom Popular Democrats who had shown interest. On 15 June 2008 Patrick Eston announced that he could not take the Veritas Party in the direction he wanted and so would be resigning the party leadership. In a resignation letter to the party membership he said: "I have come to the reluctant conclusion that the only way a new political party can move forward is for one person to have complete control and take all the decisions. However, I believe that members must have a say on whether that person stays as leader on a yearly basis. A sort of benevolent dictator that members can remove yearly if they so wish." Therese Muchewicz, Party Secretary, served as Acting Leader until leadership elections in October 2008. She was subsequently elected as the new Party Leader. The party put forward no candidates in the 2010 or 2015 general elections. It was subsequently announced that Veritas would merge into the English Democrats. See also Alliance for Democracy (UK) English Democrats References 2005 establishments in the United Kingdom 2015 disestablishments in the United Kingdom Political parties disestablished in 2015 Political parties established in 2005 Eurosceptic parties in the United Kingdom Political schisms UK Independence Party breakaway groups Defunct political parties in England English Democrats