British Unionist Party
British Unionist Party | |
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Political position | Syncretic |
Colours | Blue, white and red |
Scottish Parliament | 0 / 129
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Local government in Scotland | 1 / 1,227
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Website | |
www | |
The British Unionist Party (BUP) is a
At the 2022 local elections, the BUP gained its first ever elected representative when John Jo Leckie was elected as a councillor in the North Lanarkshire ward of Fortissat.
History
A Better Britain – Unionist Party was formed by activists from the
In January 2019, the party changed its name to the British Unionist Party, in order to further highlight their British Unionist credentials.[8] The party was also registered as the British Union & Sovereignty Party until February 2020.[9]
They took one seat in Fortissat in North Lanarkshire from the Scottish Conservatives in the 2022 local elections.[10]
Policies
Unionism
The BUP opposes the devolution process, and believes that the new powers granted to the Scottish Parliament on the basis of the
Social democracy
The BUP has stated its opposition to the extent of cuts to public services under the Conservative government,[6] and has specifically opposed any further cuts to the NHS, Royal Mail (before it was fully privatised), the Armed Forces and education.[13] It opposed a universal 1p tax rise in Scotland as proposed by Labour and the Liberal Democrats, but supported calls for the reintroduction of a 50% rate for earnings in the highest income bracket. It has also called for better care for the elderly, including a rise in Winter Fuel Payment rates and a reduction in TV licence fees for those over 65.[13]
More powers for local government
The party calls for greater powers for local government, and has criticised the centralising nature of the Scottish Parliament under the Scottish National Party (SNP). Notably, it has called for Police Scotland and Fire & Rescue Scotland to be abolished, and for local police, fire and rescue services to be restored. It has also criticised the tax freeze imposed on local councils by the Scottish government, and stated that local councils should have more control over their own spending.[14]
Civil liberties
The party has been particularly critical of several pieces of SNP legislation which it regards as an infringement on civil liberties. It has criticised the Named Person Scheme as a "totalitarian state invasion into family life", and the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act for "criminalising ordinary football fans". It has called for both pieces of legislation to be scrapped.[14]
Electoral performance
The party contested the 2016 Scottish parliamentary elections, standing on the regional ballot for Glasgow region. It won 2,453 votes (1.0%), failing to win a seat. However it won a council seat in North Lanarkshire at the 2022 Scottish local elections, with John Jo Leckie being one of four successful candidates in the Fortissat ward.[15] This was the party's first ever representation at any level in Scottish politics.[10]
See also
References
- ^ "View registration - The Electoral Commission". Electoral Commission.
- ^ "View registration - The Electoral Commission". Electoral Commission.
- ^ "'Better Together' party to contest Holyrood 2016 election". The Scotsman. 5 January 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
- ^ "Understanding the UK: A Unionist Philosophy". 11 March 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
- ^ "Manifesto". Retrieved 28 August 2017.
- ^ a b Ross, Jamie (4 January 2016). "Better Together Activists Form New Unionist Party To Fight Scottish Election". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
- ^ Daily Politics [@daily_politics] (January 8, 2016). "Steven Gordon talking to @afneil..." (Tweet). Retrieved 28 August 2017 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Union and Constitution".
- ^ "2020 Party registration decisions" (PDF). Electoral Commission.
- ^ ISSN 2057-231X. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ "Home Rule by the Back Door? The Dangers of the Smith Proposals". 4 March 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
- ^ "2016 Manifesto Section 1. Real Unionism". Retrieved 28 August 2017.
- ^ a b c "2016 Manifesto Section 2. Protecting British Institutions in Scotland". Retrieved 28 August 2017.
- ^ a b "2016 Manifesto Section 3. Local Power & Civil Liberties". British Unionist Party. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
- ISSN 2057-231X. Archived from the originalon 10 May 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2022.