United Party (South Africa)

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United Party Verenigde Party (Afrikaans)
Abbreviation	UP
Leader	J.B.M. Hertzog J.C. Smuts J.G.N. Strauss De Villiers Graaff
Founded	1934
Dissolved	1977
Preceded by	National Party South African Party
Merged into	New Republic Party
Ideology	Classical liberalism[1] Conservatism Pro-Commonwealth Constitutional monarchism Coloured people's rights
Political position	Centre-right
Politics of South Africa Political parties Elections

The United Party was a South African political party that was the ruling party from its formation in 1934 until 1948. Formed from the parties of Prime Ministers J. B. M. Hertzog and Jan Smuts, the United Party bridged white English-speakers, Afrikaners and Coloureds. It was considered more liberal on race relations than the National Party, which strongly supported the preservation of white supremacy. The United Party lost the 1948 general election to the National Party which subsequently implemented apartheid. The United Party never held power again and dissolved in 1977, with remnants forming the New Republic Party and other smaller groups.