Scottish and British Politics (and the Scottish election in May)

On 5 May 2016, Scotland will be holding its Parliament elections to choose its 129 members. The leader of the party with the most members elected to the Scottish Parliaments (referred to as SMPs) gets to become First Minister (basically, the Scottish Prime Minister, which is the closest equivalent to our US President.)

While there is, of course, the British Parliament located in London (which held it's elections last May) and is led by the Tory (Conservative) Party -- and Conservative leader David Cameron is the current Prime Minister -- Scotland has its own Parliament located in Edinburgh. It was first in operation for centuries in Scotland. But it ceased functioning in 1707 when Scotland and England joined as a Union. It was revived in 1999 to handle specifically Scottish matters (much like our states have there own legislatures). It is often referred to as Holyrood, which is actually the name for the palace across the street. (BTW, we will be visiting Parliament during our program.)

The debating chamber of the new Scottish Parliament.

For the past 5 years, the Scottish National Party (SNP) has held the majority (a majority which led to the 2014 referendum to decide whether Scotland should break away from England -- it only just failed.). They seem to be poised to increase their control. By the time we get to Scotland there may be a second referendum on the calendar. Also, on 23 June, the UK (include Scotland) will be voting on whether or not to break away from the European Union (EU). {More on that in a later post]. So it is an exciting period for Scottish and British politics.

Unlike the US, they are not a two-party system. While traditionally, the Labour and the Tories have been the majority, there were always other parties. And today, the Labour are slowly fading away, especially in Scotland, traditionally a Labour stronghold.

The parties are below in order of power, with their leaders. As will notice, women have been the driving political force in Scottish politics for the past few years.

Scottish National Party (SNP) 

Currently, the majority party of Scotland (even though they lost the recent Scottish Independence vote). Their platform is ultimately independence from England and the UK. Yet they want to stay in the EU. They have been the driving force behind devolution (the gradual rise of self-governing, such as the return of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 after an absence of 392 years). In line with much of Scotland, their political leanings are center-left and social democracy.  Its leader (in Scotland and elsewhere) is Nicola Sturgeon, who is the current First Minister of Scotland.

Scottish First Minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon

Labour Party

The UK's Labour Party (which was in control of the UK from the mid-1990s till 2010 with two Prime Ministers: Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, both of whom are Scottish). This is the British equivalent of the Democratic Party (sort of). The party's platform is Social Democracy and leans Center-Left.

Until recently, the Scottish branch of the Labour Party has historically been the dominant Scottish political party. Their current leader is Kezia Dugdale

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale.

 Conservative Party

The British equivalent to the Republican Party, with its conservative, right-center political leanings (although still more liberal than our conservatives). They regained control of the British Parliament in 2010 (which it previously controlled throughout the 1980s and early 1990s). Along with Labour, they are one of the two major UK political parties. Their current leader is David Cameron, who is also the current Prime Minister.

Current Prime Minister David Cameron

While never a huge influence in modern, left-leaning Scotland (their last major victory was 1955), the Scottish Conservative Party's conservative platform of maintaining membership with the United Kingdom has been gaining considerable political ground as of late. With the defeat of Scottish independence, there stature in Scotland has risen as of late, and are looking to win big in May. Their leader is Ruth Davidson.

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson

Liberal Democrats

They were created in 1988 through a merger of the Social Democratic Part (SDP) and the Liberal Party (the UK's main opponents to the Conservatives until the 1920s). They are a more liberal version of the centrist Labour Party. Their current leader in Scotland is Willie Rennie.

Scottish leading LibDem Willie Rennie

The Green Party

This party is actually three independent but linked parties (following a split in 1990)  One in Scotland, one in Ireland, and one in England and Wales. Center-left in their leanings, they support pacifism, green (environmental) issues.

The Scottish Green Party has about the same % of support as the Scottish Liberal Democratic Party. Their leader is Patrick Harvie.

Scottish Green leader Patrick Harvie