PARTY COLOURS IN NORFOLK
You may think you know the colours used by political parties in the UK. However, it was not until recent times that colours were standardised. Quite often Cities, Towns and Counties had their own party colours
As this report from 1885 points out
"Norfolk seems to have presented in the past quite a kaleidoscopic appearance at election times. Blue and white have been the Liberal colours, while the Tories sported orange and purple. In the country round about, however, every locality seems to have pleased itself in this matter. Pink and purple have represented Conservatives, or purple only.
Whigs have borne orange and blue or green alone or orange and white.
Throughout Norfolk indeed it seems to have been common for parties to vary their colours with each successive election."
Bradford Weekly Telegraph
Saturday 28 November 1885
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At the moving of the election writs in Swaffham in July 1837 the colours were reported as
Whigs - Blue & Green
Tories - Pink & Purple
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Many of the 19th century election reports from Norfolk I have read refer to the colours being
Liberals - Blue & White
Conservatives - Orange (or Pink) & Purple
Whigs - Green
Radicals & Labour - Red
Note also the National Agricultural Labourers' Union colours were also blue
The Chartists are linked to Green as were the Levellers "sea green blades"
Meanwhile in Suffolk, the Liberals were yellow and Conservatives - Blue
RADICAL NORFOLK
Michael Walker
