Progressive Party (South Africa)

The party represented the legal opposition to apartheid within South Africa's white minority.

The party rejected race discrimination and advocated equal opportunities for all with a qualified franchise with a common voter's roll.

The first meeting of the Group took place at the home of Helen Suzman, MP for the Transvaal seat of Houghton.

In those years, she singlehandedly did the work of an entire opposition party and would become a well known figure both inside South Africa and abroad.

Following the disappointing result of the election, support for the party amongst white voters had dropped substantially by 1966, and focus instead shifted towards attracting coloured votes.

The Progressive Party won two seats representing coloured voters on the Cape Provincial Council in 1965.

Harry Lawrence, a former Minister and the most senior of the MPs who had left the United Party in 1959, became temporary leader.

In addition to Suzman, re-elected for Houghton, five other members won seats including Colin Eglin.