On 17th November 2024 at a Special Conference, members of the Women’s Equality Party voted to dissolve the party. 78% of members voting at the conference supported the proposal, which required a three quarters majority to pass.

From today, alongside the Steering Committee, we will take forward the directive from conference to close the Women’s Equality Party. 

Although we are grateful to members for their backing on our recommendation, this is undeniably a difficult moment. We are all heartbroken to be saying goodbye to our party. We know that we are not alone in that. 

Today’s decision took enormous courage. Choosing to let go of our party when our mission remains so urgent was never going to be easy. But it is precisely because this work is so important that we had to know when to call time.

We no longer have the resources we need to drive through the changes we are fighting for as effectively as we once did. We could have tried to wait out this period of turbulence, but that would have diverted energies urgently needed for activism now. Not one of us joined this groundbreaking party because we were content to wait around for equality. We must now find new ways to deliver it.

A What’s next? session will take place online on Saturday 23rd November, 10:30am-12:00pm and will be open to all members.

We would like to say a huge thank you to members past and present. Thank you to members who came together at conference today to make this decision, it is only right that doing so sat with you. Thank you to members who have been fuelling the fire of our campaigns over the last decade, every inch of progress we won belongs to you. Thank you to our candidates, our councillors, our fellow party officers, our activists and volunteers, without whom this party would never have taken flight in the first place.

Thank you also to our small but mighty staff team, who have worked with diligence and brilliance despite the difficult circumstances and uncertainty we have faced.

Although this is an ending, it is also a beginning.

WE won’t march together again under a Women’s Equality Party banner.

We will march again, and bump into each other in the crowd.

WE won’t contest another election with a Women’s Equality Party candidate.

We will see more of our number elected to office, of that we are certain.

WE won’t spearhead another campaign from our party.

We will all go on to fight and win the next steps forward for women’s rights.

We can’t wait to see the growth that springs up from the movement we have built together over the last decade. We are already thrilled to see our Basingstoke branch striking out as a new entity. They may be first to forge a new path forward, but we know they won’t be the last.

As we said when we first brought this decision to you: the changes we have won will endure. The communities and friendships we have built together will last. The people who we have brought into politics will continue on in this fight. 

This is our legacy. You are our legacy.