Movement for Survival was announced in the January 1972 issue of the Ecologist. Although not formally a political party it was the first organisation in the world to publicly organise for political action on ecological grounds. Overwhelmed by the response to the Blueprint for Survival issue the Ecologist team did not have the capacity to effectively set up the organisation and passed the unsorted responses to the PEOPLE group.

Formed in December 1972 PEOPLE existed as an organisation until it name changed to Ecology Party in 1975. PEOPLE merged with (in effect took over) Movement for Survival during 1973 and in 1974 stood candidates in both the general elections.