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List of political parties in Scotland facts for kids

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This article tells you about the main political parties in Scotland. These are groups of people who share similar ideas about how Scotland should be run.

Understanding Scotland's Main Political Parties

Scotland has several important political parties. Each party has different ideas about how the country should be governed. They aim to win seats in the Scottish Parliament and the Parliament of the United Kingdom (UK Parliament) to make their ideas happen.

The Scottish National Party (SNP) is the biggest political party in Scotland. They mainly want Scotland to become an independent country. They also support giving Scotland more power within the UK. The SNP is generally a centre-left party. This means they support ideas like social democracy (where the government helps people with things like healthcare and education), getting rid of nuclear weapons, and having closer ties with the European Union. The party was started in 1934. In 2011, under the leadership of Alex Salmond, they won most of the seats in the Scottish Parliament. They currently form the Scottish government and are led by Scotland's First Minister, Humza Yousaf. They have 64 Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) and 45 Members of the UK Parliament (MPs).

The Scottish Conservatives are the Scottish part of the UK-wide Conservative Party. They were formed in 1965. This party is generally centre-right. They support traditional ideas and want Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom. In the 1997 election, they didn't win any seats in Scotland's UK Parliament. However, they won 18 seats in the Scottish Parliament in 1999 because of how votes are counted there. Their best result in the 21st century was in 2017 when they won 13 seats in the UK Parliament. They currently have 31 MSPs and 6 MPs. Their leader in the Scottish Parliament is Douglas Ross.

Scottish Labour is the Scottish part of the UK-wide Labour Party. From 1964 to 2007, they were the most successful party in Scottish elections. Like the wider UK Labour Party, they are a centre-left party. They also want Scotland to stay part of the United Kingdom. In 1997, the UK Labour Party held a vote (a referendum) on giving Scotland its own parliament, which most people supported. From 1999 to 2007, they shared power in the Scottish Parliament with the Liberal Democrats. They currently have one MP and 22 MSPs. Since 2021, they have been led by Anas Sarwar MSP.

The Scottish Liberal Democrats are the Scottish part of the UK-wide Liberal Democrats party. This party is generally in the centre or centre-left. They support social liberal ideas, which means they believe in individual freedoms and social justice. They also want Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom. The British Liberal Democrats were formed in 1988 when two older parties joined together. After they formed a government with the Conservatives in the UK in 2010, their support dropped. They currently have four MSPs and four MPs. Their leader is Alex Cole-Hamilton.

The Scottish Greens are a party that sits between the centre-left and the left-wing. They focus on green politics, which means they care a lot about protecting the environment. They also support Scottish independence and ideas like equality and radical democracy (where people have more direct power). They have close links with Green parties in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The Scottish Greens won their first seat in the Scottish Parliament in 1999. They currently have 7 MSPs but have never won any seats in the UK Parliament.

Reform UK Scotland is the Scottish part of the UK-wide Reform UK party. This party is generally right-wing and wants the UK to be completely separate from the European Union (this is called Euroscepticism). They gained their first elected representative in Scotland in January 2021 when Michelle Ballantyne, who used to be a Conservative MSP, joined them. However, she lost her seat in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, so the party currently has no elected representatives in Scotland.

The Alba Party is a party that supports Scottish independence. It was formed in February 2021 and is led by former First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond. Soon after it started, two MPs from the SNP joined the Alba Party. This made Alba the fourth largest Scottish party in the UK Parliament for a short time. However, the party did not win any seats in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.

Parties with Elected Representatives

Parties in the Scottish Parliament or UK Parliament

Six parties in Scotland currently have elected representatives in either the Scottish Parliament or the UK Parliament. All of them, except the Scottish Greens and the Alba Party, have members in both parliaments. Also, all parties except the Alba Party have elected members in local councils across Scotland.

Party Founded Political Position Main Ideas Leader Scottish Parliament
(MSPs)
UK Parliament
(Scottish MPs)
Local Councils
(Councillors)
Members
Scottish National Party 1934 Centre-left Scottish independence
Social democracy
Pro-European
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Humza Yousaf, 2021 (cropped)
Humza Yousaf
Humza Yousaf
63 / 129
43 / 59
453 / 1,227
74,889
Scottish Conservatives 1965 Centre-right Conservatism
British unionism
Official Portrait of Douglas Ross MSP
Douglas Ross
Douglas Ross
31 / 129
7 / 59
214 / 1,227
Unknown
Scottish Labour 1994 Centre-left Social democracy
British unionism
Anas Sarwar MSP
Anas Sarwar
Anas Sarwar
22 / 129
2 / 59
282 / 1,227
16,467
Scottish Greens 1990 Centre-left
to Left-wing
Green politics
Scottish independence
Pro-European
Patrick Harvie 2021
Patrick Harvie

Lorna Slater 2021
Lorna Slater
Patrick Harvie and
Lorna Slater
(co-leadership)
7 / 129
0 / 59
35 / 1,227
7,646
Scottish Liberal Democrats 1988 Centre to
Centre-left
Liberalism
Social liberalism
British unionism
Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP
Alex Cole-Hamilton
Alex Cole-Hamilton
4 / 129
4 / 59
87 / 1,227
4,185
Alba Party 2021 N/A Scottish independence
Gender-critical
Pro-EFTA
Alex Salmond, First Minister of Scotland (cropped)
Alex Salmond
Alex Salmond
1 / 129
2 / 59
0 / 1,227
7,500

Parties with Local Council Representatives Only

Some parties in Scotland only have elected representatives in local councils, not in the Scottish Parliament or the UK Parliament.

Party Founded Main Ideas Leader Council Area Councillors
British Unionist Party 2015 British unionism, Scottish unionism John Mortimer North Lanarkshire 1
Rubbish Party 2017 Local issues, Environmentalism Sally Cogley East Ayrshire 1
West Dunbartonshire Community Party 2016 Socialism Louise Robertson West Dunbartonshire 1

Other Registered Parties in Scotland

Notable Parties Without Elected Representatives

There are many other registered political parties in Scotland that do not currently have any elected representatives. Some of these parties only operate in Scotland, while others are active across the whole United Kingdom.

Party Founded Main Ideas Leader
Abolish the Scottish Parliament Party 2020 Wants to get rid of the Scottish Parliament, Scottish unionism John Mortimer
Animal Welfare Party 2006 Animal welfare Vanessa Hudson
British National Party 1982 British nationalism, Euroscepticism Adam Walker
Christian Party 2004 Christian right, British unionism, Euroscepticism Jeff Green
Christian Peoples Alliance 1999 Christian democracy, Euroscepticism Sidney Cordle
Communist Party of Britain 1988 Communism Robert Griffiths
Independence for Scotland Party 2020 Scottish independence, Pacifism Colette Walker
Independent Green Voice 2003 Scottish unionism, British unionism, Euroscepticism Alistair McConnachie
Liberal Party 1989 British liberalism, Euroscepticism Steve Radford
National Front 1967 British nationalism Tony Martin
Official Monster Raving Loony Party 1983 Political satire Alan Hope
Reclaim Party 2020 Right-wing populism, Against COVID-19 lockdowns Laurence Fox
Reform UK 2018 Right-wing populism, Euroscepticism, Against COVID-19 lockdowns Richard Tice
Scottish Family Party 2017 Christian right, Social conservatism, Euroscepticism Richard Lucas
Scottish Libertarian Party 2012 Libertarianism, Euroscepticism, Scottish independence Tam Laird
Scottish Socialist Party 1998 Democratic socialism, Scottish independence Colin Fox and Róisín McLaren
Scottish Unionist Party 1986 Scottish unionism, Against the Scottish Parliament Jonathan Stanley
Social Democratic Party 1990 Social democracy, Euroscepticism William Clouston
Socialist Labour Party 1996 Socialism, Euroscepticism Arthur Scargill
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition 2010 Socialism, Supports trade unions Dave Nellist
UK Independence Party 1993 Euroscepticism, British nationalism Neil Hamilton
Volt UK 2020 Social liberalism, Progressivism, Pro-Europeanism Alex Haida
Women's Equality Party 2015 Feminism, Pro-Europeanism Mandu Reid
Workers Party of Britain 2019 Socialism, Euroscepticism, British unionism George Galloway

Past Political Parties in Scotland

Notable Historical Parties

Many political parties have existed in Scotland throughout history. Here are some of the notable ones:

Notable Deregistered Parties

These are parties that were once registered but are no longer active:

See also

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