Scottish Family Party

The Scottish Family Party (SFP) is a socially conservative political party in Scotland.[4] The SFP formed in 2017.[6] It is led by former UKIP member Richard Lucas.[5][10]

Scottish Family Party
AbbreviationSFP
FounderRichard Lucas
LeaderRichard Lucas
ChairmanMichael Willis[1]
FoundedJuly 2017
Registered11 September 2017[2]
Headquarters272 Bath Street
Glasgow
Scotland
G2 4JR
Ideology
Political positionRight-wing[7][10]
ColoursBlue
Scottish Parliament
0 / 129
Local government in Scotland
0 / 1,227
Website
scottishfamily.org

The SFP contested their first seats in the 2019 UK general election, and also fielded candidates at the 2021 Scottish Parliament election and the 2022 Scottish local elections, but has never won any seats.[11][12]

Party ideology and policy

Social issues

When launched, the SFP said its "central goal" was to gain election to the Scottish Parliament and "to fill the void" left behind by the current parties and their abandoning of "Judeo-Christian-inspired values of traditional Western civilisation".[7] According to party leader Richard Lucas, they intend to be the party "to confront the cosy Holyrood consensus, interrupting the monochrome virtue-signalling that currently passes for debate in many areas".[13] It also aims to be a "pro-family, pro-marriage, pro-life, pro-freedom of speech, anti-identity politics, that values the complementary contributions of men and women and recommends schools refocus on education instead of social engineering, radical gender ideology and political moulding".[13] The SFP believes the “Gender Pay Gap” is by and large a reflection of the natural differences between men and women, and no government action is required to address it.[14]

Family

The SFP argues in favour of more autonomy for families whilst also demanding a crackdown on underage sex. Rather than allowing a pastoral and care-centric approach, the party would seek to police children aged 13–15 having sexual relations.[15] The SFP is against "vaguely defined" domestic abuse laws and believes people should be treated equally in this regard no matter what gender. SFP recognises marriage as a "a solemn, lifelong commitment."[16][17] The SFP does not support the use of NHS resources for any fertility-related treatment apart from for a man and woman in a long-term stable relationship.[14]

Education

The SFP believes that education should increase its focus on "traditional focuses" of "discipline, knowledge, formal teaching, and objective testing."[18] They argue against the Curriculum for Excellence as it, "elevates subjective learner experience over teaching, undermining the intellectual authority of teachers, and uses student motivation and enjoyment as the measure of what is worth knowing."[18][17]

Lucas has spoken out against rainbow flags being displayed in schools.[5] The party is opposed to the inclusion of certain content in sex education such as LGBT and pornographic topics.[17] It supports education that includes the promotion of family planning and abstinence from alcohol use.[17]

Controversies

In August 2017, Lucas defended comments that compared same-sex marriage to incest.[7] Additionally, he denied that he had posted a joke about the murder of Jo Cox shortly after her death.[7]

In January 2019, the Aberdeen Altens Hotel cancelled an SFP event after a public backlash in response to the party's views. Members of the public threatened to boycott of the hotel if the meeting was allowed.[19]

In February 2021, the General Teaching Council for Scotland were criticised after allowing Lucas, a registered teacher, keep his job after making homophobic comments about Ruth Davidson in front of school pupils.[20]

The party submitted a complaint concerning a school celebration as part of LGBT History Month in February 2020.[21] HappyFest celebrated LGBT arts (including drag, theatre, poetry, dance, and music) at Dunbar Grammar School, but the SFP claimed that the acts promoted "a philosophy of gender fluidity that is confusing and dangerous to young people" and that "the drag scene is often associated with less than positive values."[21] A spokesperson for the East Lothian Council denied this, stating that they "strongly refute any suggestion that we 'promote a philosophy' that is 'confusing and dangerous to young people'."[21] The Council spokeswoman went on to comment, "HappyFest is organised to raise awareness and challenge prejudice. It's a community event that celebrates creative expression and the arts."[21]

According to The Ferret, Lucas was revealed on 27 July 2020 to have breached electoral law by failing to submit a record of his personal campaign spending after running in the 2019 general election.[22]

The SFP were refused entry to an Edinburgh pub in September 2021 after the owners discovered who they were. When staff from the Outhouse bar in New Town found out that the "academics" who had booked a table at the venue were SFP members, they told them that their political views "do not align with the venue".[23]

On 29 August 2022, the SFP tweeted a picture of Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon outside Auschwitz, with a cartoon-like thought bubble reading: "There should have been a buffer zone around this place." Green MSP Gillian Mackay, a leading campaigner for buffer zones around abortion clinics targeted by anti-abortion protesters, described the meme as "crass, insensitive and shameful". She said: "The Scottish Family Party are a disgraceful and extreme party that has been rejected time and again by the people of Scotland. Even by their standards, this is appalling."[3]

SFP were referenced in the 2022 Hope Not Hate 'State of Hate Report'. Hope Not Hate state that the party spread "an increasing amount of anti-trans and anti-LGBT+ campaign material and content on its social media, arguing that “Transgender Ideology” is damaging and “confusing children”. However, the party also opposes protections for children and argues that parents should be allowed to beat their children, and it opposes the “UN Convention on the Rights of the Child”, saying this undermines the rights of parents. The SFP also opposes hate crime legislation".[24]

The party was criticised when Richard Lucas publicised plans to protest at a sexual health clinic in Sandyford, Glasgow as of November 2022.[12] During the protest in March 2023, Lucas branded abortion providers at the clinic 'Killers" [25] In October and December 2022, the party held protests at the Scottish Parliament opposing reform to the Gender Recognition Act.[9][26] At the protest, Lucas was interviewed on camera by Simon Crane, the organiser of the far right group Patriotic Alternative Scotland. A Scottish Greens spokesperson said: "Patriotic Alternative is an extreme and hateful group that peddles misinformation and prejudice. The fact that they would want to speak to and promote the Scottish Family Party tells us everything we need to know about both of them."[27]

Electoral history

The SFP fielded two candidates in the 2019 United Kingdom general election: Liam McKechnie in Dunbartonshire East, and Richard Lucas in Ross, Skye & Lochaber. Neither won the contested seat.[28] The party contested the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, fielding 84 candidates.[29][6] They then received 2,734 constituency votes and 16,085 list votes, but won no seats.[30] It also contested the 2022 Scottish local elections,[31] gaining 6,857 first-preference votes but again winning no seats.[32]

Scottish Parliament
Election Regional Total seats +/– Rank Government
Votes  % Seats
2021 16,085 0.59
0 / 56
0 / 129
 Steady 9th Not in parliament

Local elections
Election Local Seats Rank Notes
Votes %
2022 6,857 0.4
0 / 1,227
 Steady 8th

References
  1. Scottish Family Party (23 April 2020). "Challenging feminism and paying the price: Neil Lyndon interview". Retrieved 8 January 2023 – via YouTube.
  2. "View registration". The Electoral Commission.
  3. Herald Scotland Online (29 August 2022). "Scottish Family Party blasted for 'shameful' holocaust 'joke'". The Herald. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  4. "Scottish election 2021: Family Party propose council tax cuts for parents". BBC News. 14 April 2021.
  5. Geddes, Jonathan (14 April 2022). "Political party standing in Lanarkshire accused of 'extremist' right wing views". Daily Record. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  6. "Scottish Family Party to focus on education in council elections". BBC News. 26 April 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  7. Learmonth, Andrew (19 August 2017). "New 'Scottish Family Party' leader defends Jo Cox joke and comparison of same-sex marriage and incest". The National. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  8. "Manifesto". Scottish Family Party.
  9. Garton-Crosbie, Abbi (27 October 2022). "Anti-LGBT protesters at Scottish Parliament drowned out by chants of 'trans joy'". The National. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  10. McMorran, Caroline (7 March 2021). "North west Sutherland man is list candidate for Scottish Family Party in Holyrood election". Northern Times. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  11. "Known candidates for each ballot in the UK Parliament elections". Democracy Club Candidates. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  12. Elliards, Xander (10 November 2022). "'Disgusting': Scottish Family Party plans protest at Sandyford Clinic". The National. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  13. Lucas, Richard (18 August 2017). "Agenda: Confronting the cosy Holyrood consensus". The Herald. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  14. https://scottishfamily.org/downloads/SFP-Manifesto-2021.pdf
  15. "Supporting Families – Family Autonomy". Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  16. "Supporting Families – Family Relationships". Scottish Family Party. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  17. Amery, Rachel (13 April 2021). "Scottish Election 2021: Your guide to the country's smaller political parties". The Courier. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  18. "Reforming Education – Schools". Scottish Family Party. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  19. Paton, Craig (31 January 2019). "Scottish Family Party to go ahead with event despite Aberdeen hotel cancellation". Evening Express. Archived from the original on 31 January 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  20. Correspondent, Mark McLaughlin, Scottish Education. "Head of Robert Gordon's College says Ruth Davidson teacher 'unfit'". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  21. "Council depends HappyFest after anti-LGBT campaigners attack Dunbar Grammar School event". East Lothian Courier. 13 February 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  22. Mann, Jamie (27 July 2020). "Revealed: Scottish Family Party leader breached electoral law". The Ferret. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  23. Stafford, Indigo (3 September 2021). "Edinburgh pub refuses entry to customers from the Scottish Family Party". Edinburgh Live. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  24. "STATE OF HATE 2021 – Backlash, Conspiracies & Confrontation". HOPE not hate. 2021-02-20. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  25. McEwen, Alan (2023-03-03). "Sexual health clinic branded 'killers' by Scots extremist group leader". Daily Record. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  26. Simons, Ned (22 December 2022). "UK Government Could Try And Block Scotland's Gender Recognition Bill". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  27. Mann, Jamie (19 January 2023). "Scottish Family Party leader slammed for far right interview". The Ferret. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  28. "2019 General Election: Scottish Family Party". Bloomberg. 2019. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  29. Brown, Hannah (5 May 2021). "The 20 smaller parties running in the Scottish Election including Abolish the Scottish Parliament Party and Alba". The Scotsman.
  30. https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-9230/CBP-9230.pdf
  31. Crow, Alan (2 May 2022). "Election 2022: Scottish Family Party contests 14 wards across Fife". Fife Today.
  32. "LE22: The Headline Results". Ballot Box Scotland. 7 May 2022.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.