Independent Community & Health Concern (formerly Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern), abbr.ICHC, was a political party based in Kidderminster, United Kingdom. The party was founded in 2000, having grown out of the campaign to restore the casualty unit at Kidderminster Hospital. From 2001 to 2019 it contested local elections within the Wyre Forest local government area, which includes Kidderminster, winning the seat in 2001 and 2005. The party was deregistered on 9 November 2023.[4]
Taylor was re-elected as member for Wyre Forest in the 2005 election, albeit with a considerably reduced majority. The party lost its only seat in the 2010 election to the Conservative candidate, Mark Garnier, by a margin of 2,643 votes; the Liberal Democrats did field a candidate in 2010 having not done so in 2001 and 2005, which may have contributed to Taylor's defeat.
ICHC is also active in local government. It is currently the major party in the Progressive Alliance coalition which is currently in control of Wyre Forest District Council after getting 8 seats in the 2019 election. Before the 2004 local elections it held 16 seats on Wyre Forest District Council, making it the largest party, but in those elections it lost half of these seats to the Conservative Party.[7] The 2005 local elections to Worcestershire County Council, held on the same day as the general election, also saw Health Concern perform poorly, losing five of its six seats. However, in the 2006 local elections for the district council, it held its own, making one net gain to take its representation from eight to nine. In the 2007 local elections its representation again increased, from nine to 10 members. The party then gradually lost seats on Wyre Forest District Council, with just 7 seats after the 2014 elections.[2]
After the May 2014 local elections, Health Concern lost two district seats, reducing the overall number to seven, but managed to gain control of Bewdley Town Council, taking seven of the 13 available seats, a gain of three.[8]
The party previously stood candidates for Shropshire Council, and had won seats, however it did not stand any candidates in the 2021 election.[3]
According to the Electoral Commission's register of parties, its leader is Taylor, Peter Young is the nominating officer, Keith Robertson is treasurer, and Gerald Wheeler is campaigns officer. The party does have a formal membership. It had expenditure of about £12,000 and income of about £9,000 in the 2005 calendar year.[citation needed]
*Co-operative Party candidates stand jointly with the Labour Party. ‡5 independent MPs work together in the Independent Alliance, 3 of whom are also in Your Party. †Sinn Féin have elected members and offices at Westminster, but as abstentionists do not take their seats.
