Progressive Constitutionalist Party (Malta)

The Progressive Constitutionalist Party (PCP) was a political party in Malta between 1953 and 1971.

Progressive Constitutional Party Maltese: Partit Progressiv Kostituzzjonali (Maltese name never used)
Leader	Mabel Strickland
Founded	1953
Dissolved	1971
Split from	Constitutional Party
Newspaper	Times of Malta (de facto)
Ideology	British Monarchism Pro-Dominion status Anti-Communism
Religion	Roman Catholicism

History

The PCP was established in 1953 by Mabel Strickland, owner of the Times of Malta and daughter of Gerald Strickland, the founder of the Constitutional Party.^[1] It was a split from the Constitutional Party, which Strickland had left in protest against its support for the Labour Party's policy of integration with the United Kingdom.^[1]

The party failed to win a seat in elections in 1953 and 1955, but won a single seat in the 1962 elections. However, it lost its seat in the post-independence 1966 elections. After failing to win a seat in the 1971 elections it subsequently disappeared.^[2]

Ideology

The party promoted loyalty to the Catholic church and the British Crown, but advocated dominion status for Malta to avoid any cultural assimilation or secularisation that integration with the United Kingdom would bring.^[2] It also held a strict anti-communist line.^[1]

Electoral history

Election	Leader	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Rank	Status
1953	Mabel Strickland	5,128	4.33%	0 / 40	New	4th	Extra-Parliamentary
1955		3,649	3.02%	0 / 40	0	3rd
1962		7,290	4.84%	1 / 40	1	5th	"Umbrella" Coalition PN-PDN-PĦN-PCP
1966		2,009	1.4%	0 / 40	1	4th	Extra-Parliamentary
1971		1,756	1.04%	0 / 40	0	3rd
Party dissolved