A CANDIDATE for Robert Kilroy-Silk's Veritas party admitted: We'll never make much headway.
Helen Martinek, who stood in Colne Valley at the General Election, spoke out after the former TV chat show host said he was standing down immediately as leader.
Mr Kilroy-Silk said it was impossible for a new political party to make a significant impact, adding there was not enough cash to run Veritas.
"I would be misleading the members of the party and the public if I pretended that we could make progress.
"I'm not prepared to do that. We must face up to the truth," he said.
Mrs Martinek, 52, who lives in Birchencliffe and is the party's constitutional affairs spokeswoman, said: "He has a point."
She polled 543 votes in the Colne Valley election contest in May.
She came next to bottom in the seven-candidate poll, just above the Monster Raving Loony Party.
Mrs Martinek said: "The whole idea of parties is changing.
"People want to get involved but are disillusioned and don't want to get involved with the old political set-up.
"We are in a transition stage and something new is coming - but I don't know what," she added.
She refused to be drawn on the future for Veritas, which will be led by acting chairman Patrick Eston until a leadership vote in the autumn.
The result will be announced on September 18.
Mr Kilroy-Silk launched Veritas - Latin for truth - in February after quitting the UK Independence Party, after a failed attempt to take over the leadership.
Mrs Martinek was one of 65 Parliamentary candidates who stood for Veritas in May.
At the Cheadle by-election this month the party's candidate came fourth out of five, with 218 votes.
At the General Election Veritas promised to withdraw Britain from the European Union, tighten immigration and asylum controls, pursue a zero tolerance approach to crime, work towards a "flat tax", and "defend the British way of life".
