Political parties in Scotland
Most political parties in Scotland can be put into two groups: Unionists and Nationalists. Nationalists want Scotland to become an independent country and to stop being part of the United Kingdom whereas Unionists want Scotland to stay in the United Kingdom.
Parties currently represented
The following parties are parties represented at either the British House of Commons and/or the Scottish Parliament.
| Party | UK House of Commons members out of 59 | Scottish Parliament members out of 129 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scottish National Party (SNP) | 45 | 64 | A centre-left party which promotes social democracy and Scottish independence. |
| Scottish Conservative Party | 6 | 31 | A centre-right party which promotes conservatism and strong British unionism. |
| Scottish Labour Party | 1 | 22 | A centre-left party which promotes social democracy, democratic socialism and Scottish unionism. |
| Scottish Liberal Democrats | 4 | 4 | A centrist party which promotes liberalism, federalism and British unionism. |
| Scottish Green Party | 0 | 7 | A left-wing party which promotes green politics and Scottish independence. |
Parties formerly represented in the Scottish Parliament
- Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party - 1 MSP from 2003–2007
- Scottish Socialist Party - 6 MSPs elected in 2003, 4 at the dissolution of parliament in 2007
- Solidarity (dissolved in 2021) - 2 Scottish Socialist MSPs changed parties in 2006 when this party was formed and lost their seats in 2007
Minor parties in Scotland
- Alba Party - A Scottish nationalist party that supports Scottish independence.
- British National Party (BNP) - A far-right UK-wide party which promotes fascism, anti-immigration, right-wing populism, Euroscepticism and Third position economics with many combinations.
- Christian Peoples Alliance - A right-wing Christian party.
- Free Scotland Party - A party in favour of an independent Scotland free from both the United Kingdom and the European Union.
- Scottish Christian Party - A Christian right party that endorses traditional social conservative Christian values.
- Scottish Unionist Party - A centre-right protestant party which promotes abolishing the Scottish parliament.
- Socialist Labour Party - A left-wing UK-wide party that promotes socialism and Trade Unionism.
- UK Independence Party (UKIP) - A right-wing to far-right UK-wide party has conservative and right wing populist policies.