Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Encyclopedia
The Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party (usually shortened to the Scottish Conservative Party or the Scottish Tories
) is the part of the British Conservative Party
that operates in Scotland
. Like the UK party, it has a centre-right
political philosophy which promotes conservatism
and strong British Unionism
. Its leader in the Scottish Parliament
is Ruth Davidson
MSP
, who has held the post since 2011
It was established in 1965, when the previously separate Unionist Party was merged into the Conservative Party of England and Wales
, to form the basis of the modern UK Conservative Party. The Unionist Party (unionist in the sense of preserving the British Empire), in alliance with a small number of Liberal Unionist and National Liberal
politicians, had always taken the Conservative whip at Westminster and had been the dominant force in Scottish politics from the 1930s to the late 1950s. The last time that the Conservatives won the most seats in Scotland, was in the general election of 1955
. From the early 1960s that role was taken by the Labour Party
and the Scottish Conservatives went into a state of decline, which culminated in the loss of all Scottish Conservative seats in 1997
.
The Scottish Conservatives have yet to see a revival of fortunes following the 1997 wipeout; only one Conservative MP was returned to Westminster for a Scottish constituency at the general elections of 2001
, 2005
and 2010. In the Scottish Parliament
, the Scottish Conservatives currently control 16 of the 129 seats, although 12 of these seats were won through the system of proportional representation
. The party has one of the six Scottish seats in the European Parliament
. In March 2006, the party was thought to have around 16,500 members in Scotland. By mid-2011, party membership fell to 8,500.
led to the reforms of 1965, which brought an end to the Unionist Party as an independent force. It was renamed the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party and constitutionally came under the control of the UK party. These, and further reforms in 1977, saw the Scottish Conservatives being viewed as a regional unit, with its personnel, finance, and political offices under the control of a leadership in London.
These changes had serious implications for the Conservatives' Scottish identity. Set alongside the end of Empire
and the emergence of many independent states it witnessed the rise of the Scottish National Party
(SNP) as sections of the old Unionist vote swung to the SNP along with former Labour
voters who supported Scottish independence
. This may seem paradoxical, but the Unionist Party had benefited greatly from its projection as an independent Scottish party opposing the London-based British Labour Party
. In addition the name "Conservative" was identified with the English party; and there was a strong unionist-nationalist tradition, represented by the likes of John Buchan (who said "I believe every Scotsman should be a Scottish nationalist.") and those who had founded the Scottish Party
(which later merged with the National Party of Scotland
to found the Scottish National Party).
and ecumenicalism rose. The erosion of the Unionist vote accompanied this along with the loss of its working-class
base. Though many Conservatives would still identify with the Kirk, most Church of Scotland
identifiers were not conservatives. As the national and largest Church it had adapted to a more secular post-imperial world by advocating ecumenicalism.
Support from working class Protestants was also eroded. With the Daily Record
newspaper switching from the Unionists to Labour, the Conservatives in the 1960s were mercilessly portrayed as a party of the Anglicised aristocracy
. Combined with the new name, this helped switch previous Unionist voters to the Labour party and the SNP which advanced considerably in the elections of February
and October 1974
.
The associations with the largely working class Orange Order
also became problematic because of this aristocratic connection, but it was the Troubles
in Northern Ireland
that created further problems. On one level, there was the residual perception of a connection that many mainstream Protestant voters associated with the sectarian violence
in Northern Ireland—a perception that is unfair to a large extent since the Scottish Orange Order has dealt more stringently with members associating with Northern Irish paramilitaries than its Irish equivalent. However, the ramifications of this perception also led to the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party downplaying and ignoring past associations, which further widened the gap with the Orange Order. Any links that lingered were ultimately broken when Margaret Thatcher
signed the Anglo-Irish Agreement
. Notably this witnessed the Orange Lodge (amongst other supporters) set up their own Scottish Unionist Party
.
in the 1979 general election
revived the Party's support and returned more MPs, but this was squandered in the two subsequent elections of 1983
and 1987
. These elections witnessed the rise of the SDP-Liberal Alliance
, which ate into traditional Unionist Party support, along with increased support for Labour and SNP in 1987.
At the 1987 General Election
, the Conservatives had their number of Scottish seats lowered from 21 to 10, their worst performance since before World War I. They lost the seats of Aberdeen South
, Angus East
, Argyll and Bute
, Banff and Buchan
, Cunninghame North
, Edinburgh Central
, Edinburgh South
, Fife North East, Moray
, Renfrew West and Inverclyde
and Strathkelvin and Bearsden
.
This anti-Conservative position—reminiscent of the pre-1886 electoral position—has been attributed to Margaret Thatcher's perceived rejection of society
and advocacy of American monetarist policies that were leading to the closure of traditional Scottish industries. This was at odds with the past Scottish Unionist position of "service to others and to the community" and was graphically illustrated by the cool reception she received at the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
when she made her "Sermon on the Mound
".
By then advocating the introduction of the poll tax
a year early in Scotland (where they had minority support) they further exacerbated the image of being anti-Scottish. Ironically the Scottish Conservatives had been amongst the fiercest advocates of introducing the poll tax to replace the system of local government rates
.
The replacement of Margaret Thatcher with John Major
did see a very small increase in their vote in the 1992 election
when they campaigned on a "Save the Union" ticket against a resurgent SNP and took back the Aberdeen South seat. However the marginality of the increase—the SNP's vote increased substantially but success was limited by First Past The Post—combined with Conservative Party divisions, Black Wednesday
, the rise of New Labour, the increased willingness of the electorate to resort to tactical voting
and the Conservatives' uncompromising opposition to any form of devolved
legislative assembly
for Scotland contrived to see the Conservative Party wiped out at the 1997 election
.
, an institution they had opposed vehemently, that gave the Scottish Conservatives a modicum of Parliamentary respectability. However, this was only because of the Parliament's proportional representation
electoral system, and the level of national support they received in 1999 and 2003 hardly moved. Nevertheless, they did manage to pick up three constituency seats in 2003, Edinburgh Pentlands
, Galloway and Upper Nithsdale
and Ayr
.
In subsequent Westminster elections, their vote has been equally sluggish or static. In the 2001 election
, they won a seat from the SNP, but the sitting MP subsequently lost against Labour in the 2005 election
in a redrawn seat (which had a notional Labour majority). However they did gain the Dumfriess-shire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale seat from notional Labour control.
In the 2007 Scottish Parliament elections, the party gained their fourth constituency seat in Roxburgh and Berwickshire
. Following a boundary review before the 2011 Scottish parliament election
, the Conservatives were given 6 constituency seats which they would have won notionally at the 2007 election: Dumfriesshire
, Edinburgh Pentlands
, Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire
, Galloway and West Dumfries
, Eastwood
and Ayr
. The party would have notionally won 14 seats using AMS, giving them 20 seats, which is three more than they actually won in 2007.
The 1997 wipe out and subsequent lack of movement has resulted in debate about how the party should change to revive its fortunes. Echoing their pre-1965 position, one suggestion has been to drop the name "Conservative". However, the Strathclyde
Commission ruled out a return to the "Scottish Unionist Party" name because of sensitivity to Northern Irish sectarian connotations. Besides, this would now be impossible under the new Electoral Commission as the small Scottish Unionist Party
is already registered.
The deputy leader of the party, Murdo Fraser
MSP, has suggested that the party become independent, like the pre-1965 Unionist Party, and adopt a relationship with the English Conservatives analogous to the relationship which the Christian Social Union in Bavaria has with the Christian Democratic Union
in Germany. Brian Monteith
, an MSP, who has since left the party, proposed that the Scottish Conservatives support fiscal autonomy for Scotland as a means to appear more "Scottish" than the Labour party who oppose it. A resonance with John Buchan was struck when an ex-MP said the party should support Scottish independence
because it would produce a clearer and more co-operative relationship with England than what he felt was the latent conflicts and resentments devolution would create. Allan Stewart
, former MP for Eastwood, said: "'I've always believed that the English perception of what independence would do to them has always been unnecessarily worried. There is a major issue about defence, but I don't think other issues are a real worry.'" (Herald
, 02/05/2005).
However, it remains to be seen if the Scottish Conservatives will return to a model that reflects the previous Unionist Party. Fiscal autonomy has not been rejected but it still remains unclear if the party will adopt it. As for an independent party or independence, the party leadership and Parliamentarians face a membership who have grown into using the name 'Conservative' and take pride in it, despite the decline it heralded. Many members are also ideologically opposed to any notion of Scottish autonomy
, whether it be for Scotland or their party, even though this was a feature of the party when it had a larger membership. With such obstacles to overcome, the present party may take the route of hoping for a fillip from new Conservative leader David Cameron
, but on the past electoral experiences with Margaret Thatcher and John Major, this has often been followed with poll disasters such as the 1987
and 1997 elections
. However, the decline of the Scottish Conservatives has not been constant—in the 1992 General Election
, the Scottish Conservatives gained a seat in Scotland to become Scotland's second party, with 11 seats north of the border, and the party is currently second in several Scottish seats that could provide a basis for long-term recovery.
's Conservatives were the victors and subsequently formed government through a coalition with the Liberal Democrats
. In Scotland however, not a single seat was gained by the party, and David Mundell
remained the party's only Scottish MP. A committee was then established to analyse the situation, headed by Lord Sanderson
, with Lord Forsyth
also contributing.
The Sanderson Commission outlined the following recommendations:
The commission also stated the need for a leadership election to be held after the Scottish parliamentary election, as no leadership election has thus far been held by the Scottish Conservatives.
In the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, the party campaigned on what it called 'common sense for Scotland', and outlined the requirement for re-introducing university tuition fees and prescription charges, as well as emphasising what the party had helped pass through parliament as a minority force in the last parliament: 1,000 extra police officers, four-year council tax freeze and £60m town regeneration fund. However this proved insufficient, and the party was reduced from 17 seats, to 15, as the SNP
won an un-precedented majority of seats. The Conservatives could take comfort in the knowledge that their losses were slight in comparison to those suffered by Labour and the Liberal Democrats, however Annabel Goldie announced her resignation as party leader soon after the election.
A leadership election
has been scheduled to occur sometime in the Autumn. No MSP has declared their candidacy as of yet, however Murdo Fraser
and Ruth Davidson
have been cited as the main challengers, with Davidson receiving the support of Goldie and allegedly David Cameron. Borders MSP John Lamont
was also cited as a likely challenger, however was reported to have self-destructed his chances due to a controversial statement on Catholic schooling.
On the 4th of November, 2011, Ruth Davidson
was elected as party leader beating original front-runner, Murdo Fraser MSP.
policy of free state
care for the elderly, and their backing of the decision to abandon university tuition fees in Scotland. There is also a difference in approach on tax
, with the Scottish party likely to propose the full 3% reduction in income tax (the so-called Tartan Tax
) in their manifesto
for the Scottish Parliament election in 2007
, while the UK party has committed itself to putting economic stability
ahead of tax cuts.
In August 2006, the leader of the UK Conservative Party, David Cameron
, said that the party should recognise "that the policies of Conservatives in Scotland and Wales will not always be the same as our policies in England" and that the "West Lothian question
must be answered from a Unionist
perspective". A spokesman for the leader said that Cameron would continue to consider adopting a policy of "English votes for English laws", banning Scottish MPs from voting on English-only legislation.
(or Indian Fig) Tree.
to the Scottish Parliament
.
, Edinburgh
. Eight staff are employed at Scottish Conservative Central Office, with a further seven staff employed at the Scottish Parliament in the Press and Research Unit.
.
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
) is the part of the British Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
that operates in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Like the UK party, it has a centre-right
Centre-right
The centre-right or center-right is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political parties, or organizations whose views stretch from the centre to the right on the left-right spectrum, excluding far right stances. Centre-right can also describe a coalition of centrist...
political philosophy which promotes conservatism
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
and strong British Unionism
British unionism
British unionism is a political ideology favouring the continued existence of the United Kingdom as a sovereign state, consisting of four constituent countries, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland....
. Its leader in the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
is Ruth Davidson
Ruth Davidson
Ruth Davidson is a politician, former BBC journalist and the current leader of the Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party...
MSP
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
, who has held the post since 2011
Scottish Conservative Party leadership election, 2011
The 2011 Scottish Conservative Party leadership election was an internal party election to elect a new leader of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, the third largest political party in the devolved Scottish Parliament. Ruth Davidson was declared the winner of the contest on November 4,...
It was established in 1965, when the previously separate Unionist Party was merged into the Conservative Party of England and Wales
England and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
, to form the basis of the modern UK Conservative Party. The Unionist Party (unionist in the sense of preserving the British Empire), in alliance with a small number of Liberal Unionist and National Liberal
National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)
The National Liberal Party, known until 1948 as the Liberal National Party, was a liberal political party in the United Kingdom from 1931 to 1968...
politicians, had always taken the Conservative whip at Westminster and had been the dominant force in Scottish politics from the 1930s to the late 1950s. The last time that the Conservatives won the most seats in Scotland, was in the general election of 1955
United Kingdom general election, 1955
The 1955 United Kingdom general election was held on 26 May 1955, four years after the previous general election. It resulted in a substantially increased majority of 60 for the Conservative government under new leader and prime minister Sir Anthony Eden against Labour Party, now in their 20th year...
. From the early 1960s that role was taken by the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
and the Scottish Conservatives went into a state of decline, which culminated in the loss of all Scottish Conservative seats in 1997
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
.
The Scottish Conservatives have yet to see a revival of fortunes following the 1997 wipeout; only one Conservative MP was returned to Westminster for a Scottish constituency at the general elections of 2001
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
, 2005
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
and 2010. In the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
, the Scottish Conservatives currently control 16 of the 129 seats, although 12 of these seats were won through the system of proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
. The party has one of the six Scottish seats in the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
. In March 2006, the party was thought to have around 16,500 members in Scotland. By mid-2011, party membership fell to 8,500.
Merger
Electoral defeat in the 1959 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1959
This United Kingdom general election was held on 8 October 1959. It marked a third successive victory for the ruling Conservative Party, led by Harold Macmillan...
led to the reforms of 1965, which brought an end to the Unionist Party as an independent force. It was renamed the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party and constitutionally came under the control of the UK party. These, and further reforms in 1977, saw the Scottish Conservatives being viewed as a regional unit, with its personnel, finance, and political offices under the control of a leadership in London.
These changes had serious implications for the Conservatives' Scottish identity. Set alongside the end of Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
and the emergence of many independent states it witnessed the rise of the Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
(SNP) as sections of the old Unionist vote swung to the SNP along with former Labour
Scottish Labour Party
The Scottish Labour Party is the section of the British Labour Party which operates in Scotland....
voters who supported Scottish independence
Scottish independence
Scottish independence is a political ambition of political parties, advocacy groups and individuals for Scotland to secede from the United Kingdom and become an independent sovereign state, separate from England, Wales and Northern Ireland....
. This may seem paradoxical, but the Unionist Party had benefited greatly from its projection as an independent Scottish party opposing the London-based British Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
. In addition the name "Conservative" was identified with the English party; and there was a strong unionist-nationalist tradition, represented by the likes of John Buchan (who said "I believe every Scotsman should be a Scottish nationalist.") and those who had founded the Scottish Party
Scottish Party
The Scottish Party was formed in 1930 by a group of members of the Unionist Party who favoured the establishment of a Dominion Scottish Parliament within the British Empire and Commonwealth...
(which later merged with the National Party of Scotland
National Party of Scotland
The National Party of Scotland was a political party in Scotland and a forerunner of the current Scottish National Party.The NPS was formed in 1928 after John MacCormick of the Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association called a meeting of all those favouring the establishment of a party...
to found the Scottish National Party).
Consequences of merger
As the British Empire came to an end so too did the primacy of Protestant associations as secularismSecularism
Secularism is the principle of separation between government institutions and the persons mandated to represent the State from religious institutions and religious dignitaries...
and ecumenicalism rose. The erosion of the Unionist vote accompanied this along with the loss of its working-class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
base. Though many Conservatives would still identify with the Kirk, most Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
identifiers were not conservatives. As the national and largest Church it had adapted to a more secular post-imperial world by advocating ecumenicalism.
Support from working class Protestants was also eroded. With the Daily Record
Daily Record (Scotland)
The Daily Record is a Scottish tabloid newspaper based in Glasgow. It had been the best-selling daily paper in Scotland for many years with a paid circulation in August 2011 of 307,794 . It is now outsold by its arch-rival the Scottish Sun which in September 2010 had a circulation of 339,586 in...
newspaper switching from the Unionists to Labour, the Conservatives in the 1960s were mercilessly portrayed as a party of the Anglicised aristocracy
Aristocracy
Aristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...
. Combined with the new name, this helped switch previous Unionist voters to the Labour party and the SNP which advanced considerably in the elections of February
United Kingdom general election, February 1974
The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,...
and October 1974
United Kingdom general election, October 1974
The United Kingdom general election of October 1974 took place on 10 October 1974 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. It was the second general election of that year and resulted in the Labour Party led by Harold Wilson, winning by a tiny majority of 3 seats.The election of...
.
The associations with the largely working class Orange Order
Orange Institution
The Orange Institution is a Protestant fraternal organisation based mainly in Northern Ireland and Scotland, though it has lodges throughout the Commonwealth and United States. The Institution was founded in 1796 near the village of Loughgall in County Armagh, Ireland...
also became problematic because of this aristocratic connection, but it was the Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
that created further problems. On one level, there was the residual perception of a connection that many mainstream Protestant voters associated with the sectarian violence
Sectarian violence
Sectarian violence and/or sectarian strife is violence inspired by sectarianism, that is, between different sects of one particular mode of ideology or religion within a nation/community...
in Northern Ireland—a perception that is unfair to a large extent since the Scottish Orange Order has dealt more stringently with members associating with Northern Irish paramilitaries than its Irish equivalent. However, the ramifications of this perception also led to the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party downplaying and ignoring past associations, which further widened the gap with the Orange Order. Any links that lingered were ultimately broken when Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
signed the Anglo-Irish Agreement
Anglo-Irish Agreement
The Anglo-Irish Agreement was an agreement between the United Kingdom and Ireland which aimed to help bring an end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland...
. Notably this witnessed the Orange Lodge (amongst other supporters) set up their own Scottish Unionist Party
Scottish Unionist Party (modern)
The Scottish Unionist Party is a minor political party in Scotland. It is ideologically a Unionist party, supporting the continuation of Scotland as a part of the United Kingdom...
.
The Thatcher-Major years
The election of Margaret ThatcherMargaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
in the 1979 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
revived the Party's support and returned more MPs, but this was squandered in the two subsequent elections of 1983
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
and 1987
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
. These elections witnessed the rise of the SDP-Liberal Alliance
SDP-Liberal Alliance
The SDP–Liberal Alliance was an electoral pact formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Liberal Party in the United Kingdom which was in existence from 1981 to 1988, when the bulk of the two parties merged to form the Social and Liberal Democrats, later referred to as simply the Liberal...
, which ate into traditional Unionist Party support, along with increased support for Labour and SNP in 1987.
At the 1987 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
, the Conservatives had their number of Scottish seats lowered from 21 to 10, their worst performance since before World War I. They lost the seats of Aberdeen South
Aberdeen South (UK Parliament constituency)
Aberdeen South is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and it elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
, Angus East
Angus East (UK Parliament constituency)
Angus East was a Scottish county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 until 1997, when it was replaced largely by Angus with smaller proportions moving to Tayside North, Dundee East and Dundee West...
, Argyll and Bute
Argyll and Bute (UK Parliament constituency)
Argyll and Bute is a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was created for the 1983 general election, merging most of Argyll with some of Bute and Northern Ayrshire...
, Banff and Buchan
Banff and Buchan (UK Parliament constituency)
Banff and Buchan is a constituency of the British House of Commons, located in the north-east of Scotland within the Aberdeenshire council area...
, Cunninghame North
Cunninghame North (UK Parliament constituency)
Cunninghame North was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 until 2005, when it was largely replaced by North Ayrshire and Arran...
, Edinburgh Central
Edinburgh Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh Central was a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 2005. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
, Edinburgh South
Edinburgh South (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh South is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, first used in the general election of 1885. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
, Fife North East, Moray
Moray (UK Parliament constituency)
-Sources:* * * * * * -See also:...
, Renfrew West and Inverclyde
Renfrew West and Inverclyde (UK Parliament constituency)
Renfrewshire West and Inverclyde was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 to 1997.The constituency was created out of, and merged back into, the West Renfrewshire constituency.-Members of Parliament:...
and Strathkelvin and Bearsden
Strathkelvin and Bearsden (UK Parliament constituency)
Strathkelvin and Bearsden was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983...
.
This anti-Conservative position—reminiscent of the pre-1886 electoral position—has been attributed to Margaret Thatcher's perceived rejection of society
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
and advocacy of American monetarist policies that were leading to the closure of traditional Scottish industries. This was at odds with the past Scottish Unionist position of "service to others and to the community" and was graphically illustrated by the cool reception she received at the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the sovereign and highest court of the Church of Scotland, and is thus the Church's governing body[1] An Introduction to Practice and Procedure in the Church of Scotland, A Gordon McGillivray, 2nd Edition .-Church courts:As a Presbyterian church,...
when she made her "Sermon on the Mound
Sermon on the Mound
The Sermon on the Mound is the name given by the Scottish press to an address made by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland on 21 May 1988...
".
By then advocating the introduction of the poll tax
Poll tax
A poll tax is a tax of a portioned, fixed amount per individual in accordance with the census . When a corvée is commuted for cash payment, in effect it becomes a poll tax...
a year early in Scotland (where they had minority support) they further exacerbated the image of being anti-Scottish. Ironically the Scottish Conservatives had been amongst the fiercest advocates of introducing the poll tax to replace the system of local government rates
Rates (tax)
Rates are a type of property tax system in the United Kingdom, and in places with systems deriving from the British one, the proceeds of which are used to fund local government...
.
The replacement of Margaret Thatcher with John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
did see a very small increase in their vote in the 1992 election
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
when they campaigned on a "Save the Union" ticket against a resurgent SNP and took back the Aberdeen South seat. However the marginality of the increase—the SNP's vote increased substantially but success was limited by First Past The Post—combined with Conservative Party divisions, Black Wednesday
Black Wednesday
In politics and economics, Black Wednesday refers to the events of 16 September 1992 when the British Conservative government was forced to withdraw the pound sterling from the European Exchange Rate Mechanism after they were unable to keep it above its agreed lower limit...
, the rise of New Labour, the increased willingness of the electorate to resort to tactical voting
Tactical voting
In voting systems, tactical voting occurs, in elections with more than two viable candidates, when a voter supports a candidate other than his or her sincere preference in order to prevent an undesirable outcome.It has been shown by the Gibbard-Satterthwaite theorem that any voting method which is...
and the Conservatives' uncompromising opposition to any form of devolved
Devolution
Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to government at a subnational level, such as a regional, local, or state level. Devolution can be mainly financial, e.g. giving areas a budget which was formerly administered by central government...
legislative assembly
Scottish Assembly
The Scottish Assembly was a proposed legislature for Scotland that would have devolved a set list of powers from the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
for Scotland contrived to see the Conservative Party wiped out at the 1997 election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
.
Devolution and pre-1965 considerations
It was the establishment of a Scottish ParliamentScottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
, an institution they had opposed vehemently, that gave the Scottish Conservatives a modicum of Parliamentary respectability. However, this was only because of the Parliament's proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
electoral system, and the level of national support they received in 1999 and 2003 hardly moved. Nevertheless, they did manage to pick up three constituency seats in 2003, Edinburgh Pentlands
Edinburgh Pentlands (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh Pentlands is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
, Galloway and Upper Nithsdale
Galloway and Upper Nithsdale (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Galloway and Upper Nithsdale was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election....
and Ayr
Ayr (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Ayr is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
.
In subsequent Westminster elections, their vote has been equally sluggish or static. In the 2001 election
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
, they won a seat from the SNP, but the sitting MP subsequently lost against Labour in the 2005 election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
in a redrawn seat (which had a notional Labour majority). However they did gain the Dumfriess-shire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale seat from notional Labour control.
In the 2007 Scottish Parliament elections, the party gained their fourth constituency seat in Roxburgh and Berwickshire
Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Roxburgh and Berwickshire was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament until 2011. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
. Following a boundary review before the 2011 Scottish parliament election
Scottish Parliament election, 2011
The 2011 Scottish Parliament general election was held on Thursday, 5 May 2011 to elect 129 members to the Scottish Parliament.The election delivered the first majority government since the opening of Holyrood, a remarkable feat as the mixed member proportional representation system is used to...
, the Conservatives were given 6 constituency seats which they would have won notionally at the 2007 election: Dumfriesshire
Dumfriesshire (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Dumfriesshire is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
, Edinburgh Pentlands
Edinburgh Pentlands (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh Pentlands is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
, Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire
Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It will elect one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
, Galloway and West Dumfries
Galloway and West Dumfries (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Galloway and West Dumfries is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
, Eastwood
Eastwood (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Eastwood is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the first past the post method of election...
and Ayr
Ayr (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Ayr is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
. The party would have notionally won 14 seats using AMS, giving them 20 seats, which is three more than they actually won in 2007.
The 1997 wipe out and subsequent lack of movement has resulted in debate about how the party should change to revive its fortunes. Echoing their pre-1965 position, one suggestion has been to drop the name "Conservative". However, the Strathclyde
Thomas Galbraith, 2nd Baron Strathclyde
Thomas Galloway Dunlop du Roy de Blicquy Galbraith, 2nd Baron Strathclyde, PC , is a British politician. He is currently the Leader of the House of Lords and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster as well as being the leader of the Conservative Party in the House of Lords...
Commission ruled out a return to the "Scottish Unionist Party" name because of sensitivity to Northern Irish sectarian connotations. Besides, this would now be impossible under the new Electoral Commission as the small Scottish Unionist Party
Scottish Unionist Party (modern)
The Scottish Unionist Party is a minor political party in Scotland. It is ideologically a Unionist party, supporting the continuation of Scotland as a part of the United Kingdom...
is already registered.
The deputy leader of the party, Murdo Fraser
Murdo Fraser
Murdo Fraser is a Scottish politician and the current Deputy leader of the Scottish Conservative Party in the Scottish Parliament. He has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Mid Scotland and Fife region since 2001....
MSP, has suggested that the party become independent, like the pre-1965 Unionist Party, and adopt a relationship with the English Conservatives analogous to the relationship which the Christian Social Union in Bavaria has with the Christian Democratic Union
Christian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
in Germany. Brian Monteith
Brian Monteith
Brian Monteith is a Scottish public relations consultant, politician and commentator, who was a Conservative Member of the Scottish Parliament between 1999 and 2007.-Education:...
, an MSP, who has since left the party, proposed that the Scottish Conservatives support fiscal autonomy for Scotland as a means to appear more "Scottish" than the Labour party who oppose it. A resonance with John Buchan was struck when an ex-MP said the party should support Scottish independence
Scottish independence
Scottish independence is a political ambition of political parties, advocacy groups and individuals for Scotland to secede from the United Kingdom and become an independent sovereign state, separate from England, Wales and Northern Ireland....
because it would produce a clearer and more co-operative relationship with England than what he felt was the latent conflicts and resentments devolution would create. Allan Stewart
Allan Stewart (politician)
Allan Stewart , is a former Scottish Conservative politician.Educated at Bell Baxter High School, St. Andrews University and Harvard University, where he obtained a first class degree, he was a lecturer in Political Economy at St. Andrews before unsuccessfully standing for the Dundee East...
, former MP for Eastwood, said: "'I've always believed that the English perception of what independence would do to them has always been unnecessarily worried. There is a major issue about defence, but I don't think other issues are a real worry.'" (Herald
The Herald (Glasgow)
The Herald is a broadsheet newspaper published Monday to Saturday in Glasgow, and available throughout Scotland. As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 47,226, giving it a lead over Scotland's other 'quality' national daily, The Scotsman, published in Edinburgh.The 1889 to 1906 editions...
, 02/05/2005).
However, it remains to be seen if the Scottish Conservatives will return to a model that reflects the previous Unionist Party. Fiscal autonomy has not been rejected but it still remains unclear if the party will adopt it. As for an independent party or independence, the party leadership and Parliamentarians face a membership who have grown into using the name 'Conservative' and take pride in it, despite the decline it heralded. Many members are also ideologically opposed to any notion of Scottish autonomy
Autonomy
Autonomy is a concept found in moral, political and bioethical philosophy. Within these contexts, it is the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, un-coerced decision...
, whether it be for Scotland or their party, even though this was a feature of the party when it had a larger membership. With such obstacles to overcome, the present party may take the route of hoping for a fillip from new Conservative leader David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
, but on the past electoral experiences with Margaret Thatcher and John Major, this has often been followed with poll disasters such as the 1987
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
and 1997 elections
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
. However, the decline of the Scottish Conservatives has not been constant—in the 1992 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
, the Scottish Conservatives gained a seat in Scotland to become Scotland's second party, with 11 seats north of the border, and the party is currently second in several Scottish seats that could provide a basis for long-term recovery.
Following the 2010 General Election
In the 2010 UK General Election, David CameronDavid Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
's Conservatives were the victors and subsequently formed government through a coalition with the Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
. In Scotland however, not a single seat was gained by the party, and David Mundell
David Mundell
David Gordon Mundell is a British Conservative politician and, since 2005, he has been the only Conservative Member of Parliament representing a Scottish Westminster constituency...
remained the party's only Scottish MP. A committee was then established to analyse the situation, headed by Lord Sanderson
Charles Sanderson, Baron Sanderson of Bowden
Russell Sanderson, Baron Sanderson of Bowden is a British Conservative Party politician and a life peer in the House of Lords....
, with Lord Forsyth
Michael Forsyth, Baron Forsyth of Drumlean
Michael Bruce Forsyth, Baron Forsyth of Drumlean PC, Kt is a British financier and politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Stirling from 1983 to 1997 and served in the cabinet of John Major as Secretary of State for Scotland from 1995 to 1997...
also contributing.
The Sanderson Commission outlined the following recommendations:
- Elect a Scottish leader to have overall responsibility for the Party’s performance in Scotland.
- Replace the weak leadership and governance framework with a streamlined, transparent and accountable structure.
- Create regional campaign centres staffed by campaign professionals.
- Increase support and resources for the local association network.
- Develop a clear vision for Scotland, distinct to the Scottish Conservatives.
- Engage the whole Party and wider Scotland in policy development - and recruit a chief policy adviser.
- Introduce balloted motions and open debate at Party conference.
- Overhaul candidate selection and development - and reform the current ranking process for Regional List MSPs.
- Establish a process to identify and develop future Party leaders.
- Contest every local government seat throughout Scotland.
- Launch a new fundraising and membership drive across Scotland.
- Provide an annual grant to Conservative Future ScotlandConservative Future ScotlandConservative Future Scotland is the youth wing of the Scottish Conservative Party.The organisation formed in early 2005 by the merger of the Scottish Young Conservatives and the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Students group, a process which had happened with its sister organisation in the...
to help develop the Party’s youth wing.
The commission also stated the need for a leadership election to be held after the Scottish parliamentary election, as no leadership election has thus far been held by the Scottish Conservatives.
In the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, the party campaigned on what it called 'common sense for Scotland', and outlined the requirement for re-introducing university tuition fees and prescription charges, as well as emphasising what the party had helped pass through parliament as a minority force in the last parliament: 1,000 extra police officers, four-year council tax freeze and £60m town regeneration fund. However this proved insufficient, and the party was reduced from 17 seats, to 15, as the SNP
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
won an un-precedented majority of seats. The Conservatives could take comfort in the knowledge that their losses were slight in comparison to those suffered by Labour and the Liberal Democrats, however Annabel Goldie announced her resignation as party leader soon after the election.
A leadership election
Scottish Conservative Party leadership election, 2011
The 2011 Scottish Conservative Party leadership election was an internal party election to elect a new leader of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, the third largest political party in the devolved Scottish Parliament. Ruth Davidson was declared the winner of the contest on November 4,...
has been scheduled to occur sometime in the Autumn. No MSP has declared their candidacy as of yet, however Murdo Fraser
Murdo Fraser
Murdo Fraser is a Scottish politician and the current Deputy leader of the Scottish Conservative Party in the Scottish Parliament. He has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Mid Scotland and Fife region since 2001....
and Ruth Davidson
Ruth Davidson
Ruth Davidson is a politician, former BBC journalist and the current leader of the Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party...
have been cited as the main challengers, with Davidson receiving the support of Goldie and allegedly David Cameron. Borders MSP John Lamont
John Lamont (Scottish politician)
John Lamont is a Scottish Conservative Party politician, and Member of the Scottish Parliament for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire. He won the predecessor constituency of Roxburgh and Berwickshire in May 2007 and won the newly constituted seat with an increased majority...
was also cited as a likely challenger, however was reported to have self-destructed his chances due to a controversial statement on Catholic schooling.
On the 4th of November, 2011, Ruth Davidson
Ruth Davidson
Ruth Davidson is a politician, former BBC journalist and the current leader of the Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party...
was elected as party leader beating original front-runner, Murdo Fraser MSP.
Policy platform
The Scottish Conservatives have adopted several policy positions which differ from their colleagues in the rest of the United Kingdom, for example support for the Scottish ExecutiveScottish Executive
The Scottish Government is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was established in 1999 as the Scottish Executive, from the extant Scottish Office, and the term Scottish Executive remains its legal name under the Scotland Act 1998...
policy of free state
Sovereign state
A sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...
care for the elderly, and their backing of the decision to abandon university tuition fees in Scotland. There is also a difference in approach on tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
, with the Scottish party likely to propose the full 3% reduction in income tax (the so-called Tartan Tax
Tartan tax
The Scottish Variable Rate is a mechanism which enables the Scottish Government to vary the basic rate of UK income tax by up to 3p in the pound...
) in their manifesto
Manifesto
A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. Manifestos relating to religious belief are generally referred to as creeds. Manifestos may also be life stance-related.-Etymology:...
for the Scottish Parliament election in 2007
Scottish Parliament election, 2007
The 2007 Scottish Parliament election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the Scottish Parliament. It was the third general election to the devolved Scottish Parliament since it was created in 1999...
, while the UK party has committed itself to putting economic stability
Economic stability
Economic stability refers to an absence of excessive fluctuations in the macroeconomy. An economy with fairly constant output growth and low and stable inflation would be considered economically stable. An economy with frequent large recessions, a pronounced business cycle, very high or variable...
ahead of tax cuts.
In August 2006, the leader of the UK Conservative Party, David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
, said that the party should recognise "that the policies of Conservatives in Scotland and Wales will not always be the same as our policies in England" and that the "West Lothian question
West Lothian question
The West Lothian question refers to issues concerning the ability of Members of Parliament from constituencies in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to vote on matters that only affect people living in England...
must be answered from a Unionist
Unionists (Scotland)
Unionism in Scotland is the belief in that Scotland should remain in the United Kingdom in its present structure as one of the countries of the United Kingdom. There are many strands of political Unionism in Scotland, as well as sympathisers with Unionism in Northern Ireland...
perspective". A spokesman for the leader said that Cameron would continue to consider adopting a policy of "English votes for English laws", banning Scottish MPs from voting on English-only legislation.
Scottish Parliament Elections
| Year | Vote percentage (constituency) | Vote percentage (list) | Seats won |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 Scottish Parliament election, 1999 The Scottish Parliament election, 1999 was the first general election of the Scottish Parliament, with voting taking place on 6 May 1999 to elect 129 members... |
15.6% | 15.3% | 18 |
| 2003 Scottish Parliament election, 2003 The Scottish Parliament election, 2003, was the second general election of the Scottish Parliament. It was held on 1 May 2003 and it brought no change in terms of control of the Scottish Executive... |
16.6% | 15.5% | 18 |
| 2007 Scottish Parliament election, 2007 The 2007 Scottish Parliament election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the Scottish Parliament. It was the third general election to the devolved Scottish Parliament since it was created in 1999... |
16.6% | 13.9% | 17 |
| 2011 Scottish Parliament election, 2011 The 2011 Scottish Parliament general election was held on Thursday, 5 May 2011 to elect 129 members to the Scottish Parliament.The election delivered the first majority government since the opening of Holyrood, a remarkable feat as the mixed member proportional representation system is used to... |
13.9% | 12.4% | 15 |
UK General Elections
| Year | Percentage of vote in Scotland | Seats won |
|---|---|---|
| 1929 United Kingdom general election, 1929 -Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***... |
22/74 | |
| 1931 United Kingdom general election, 1931 The United Kingdom general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. It was also the last election, and the only one under universal suffrage, where one party received an absolute majority of the votes cast.The 1931 general election was the... |
50/74 | |
| 1935 United Kingdom general election, 1935 The United Kingdom general election held on 14 November 1935 resulted in a large, though reduced, majority for the National Government now led by Conservative Stanley Baldwin. The greatest number of MPs, as before, were Conservative, while the National Liberal vote held steady... |
35/72 | |
| 1945 United Kingdom general election, 1945 The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to... |
30/72 | |
| 1950 United Kingdom general election, 1950 The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five... |
44.8% | 31/70 |
| 1951 United Kingdom general election, 1951 The 1951 United Kingdom general election was held eighteen months after the 1950 general election, which the Labour Party had won with a slim majority of just five seats... |
48.6% | 35/72 |
| 1955 United Kingdom general election, 1955 The 1955 United Kingdom general election was held on 26 May 1955, four years after the previous general election. It resulted in a substantially increased majority of 60 for the Conservative government under new leader and prime minister Sir Anthony Eden against Labour Party, now in their 20th year... |
50.1% | 36/72 |
| 1959 United Kingdom general election, 1959 This United Kingdom general election was held on 8 October 1959. It marked a third successive victory for the ruling Conservative Party, led by Harold Macmillan... |
47.3% | 31/72 |
| 1964 United Kingdom general election, 1964 The United Kingdom general election of 1964 was held on 15 October 1964, more than five years after the preceding election, and thirteen years after the Conservative Party had retaken power... |
40.6% | 24/72 |
| 1966 United Kingdom general election, 1966 The 1966 United Kingdom general election on 31 March 1966 was called by sitting Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Wilson's decision to call an election turned on the fact that his government, elected a mere 17 months previously in 1964 had an unworkably small majority of only 4 MPs... |
37.7% | 20/72 |
| 1970 United Kingdom general election, 1970 The United Kingdom general election of 1970 was held on 18 June 1970, and resulted in a surprise victory for the Conservative Party under leader Edward Heath, who defeated the Labour Party under Harold Wilson. The election also saw the Liberal Party and its new leader Jeremy Thorpe lose half their... |
38.0% | 23/72 |
| 1974 (Feb) United Kingdom general election, February 1974 The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,... |
32.9% | 21/72 |
| 1974 (Oct) United Kingdom general election, October 1974 The United Kingdom general election of October 1974 took place on 10 October 1974 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. It was the second general election of that year and resulted in the Labour Party led by Harold Wilson, winning by a tiny majority of 3 seats.The election of... |
24.7% | 16/72 |
| 1979 United Kingdom general election, 1979 The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats... |
31.4% | 22/72 |
| 1983 United Kingdom general election, 1983 The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945... |
28.4% | 21/72 |
| 1987 United Kingdom general election, 1987 The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd... |
24.0% | 10/72 |
| 1992 United Kingdom general election, 1992 The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil... |
25.8% | 11/72 |
| 1997 United Kingdom general election, 1997 The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general... |
17.5% | 0/72 |
| 2001 United Kingdom general election, 2001 The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats... |
15.6% | 1/72 |
| 2005 United Kingdom general election, 2005 The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160.... |
15.8% | 1/59 |
| 2010 | 16.7% | 1/59 |
European Parliament Elections
| Year | Percentage of vote in Scotland | Seats won |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 33.7% | 5/8 |
| 1984 European Parliament election, 1984 (UK) The European Parliament Election, 1984 was the second European election to be held in the United Kingdom. It was held on 14 June. The electoral system was First Past the Post in England, Scotland and Wales and Single Transferable Vote in Northern Ireland. The turnout was again the lowest in Europe... |
25.8% | 2/8 |
| 1989 European Parliament election, 1989 (UK) The European Parliament Election, 1989 was the third European election to be held in the United Kingdom. It was held on 15 June. The electoral system was First Past the Post in England, Scotland and Wales and Single Transferable Vote in Northern Ireland. The turnout was again the lowest in Europe... |
20.9% | 0/8 |
| 1994 European Parliament election, 1994 (UK) The European Parliament Election, 1994 was the fourth European election to be held in the United Kingdom. It was held on 9 June, though, as usual, the ballots were not counted until the evening of 12 June. The electoral system was, for the final European election, First Past the Post in England,... |
14.5% | 0/8 |
| 1999 European Parliament election, 1999 (UK) The European Parliament Election, 1999 was the UK part of the European Parliament election 1999. It was held on 10 June. It was the first European election to be held in the United Kingdom using a system of proportional representation. The European Parliamentary Elections Act 1999 introduced the... |
19.8% | 2/8 |
| 2004 European Parliament election, 2004 (UK) The European Parliament election, 2004 was the UK part of the European Parliament election, 2004. It was held on 10 June. It was the first European election to be held in the United Kingdom using postal-only voting in four areas. It coincided with local and London elections.The Conservative Party... |
17.8% | 2/7 |
| 2009 European Parliament election, 2009 (United Kingdom) The European Parliament election was the United Kingdom's component of the 2009 European Parliament election, the voting for which was held on Thursday 4 June 2009, coinciding with the 2009 local elections in England. Most of the results of the election were announced on Sunday 7 June, after... |
16.8% | 1/6 |
Logo
The party logo, trumpeting the party's green credentials and modern approach to multiculturalism, is a sketched outline of a BanyanBanyan
A banyan is a fig that starts its life as an epiphyte when its seeds germinate in the cracks and crevices on a host tree...
(or Indian Fig) Tree.
Conservative front bench
The front bench formulates the party's policy on issues devolvedDevolution
Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to government at a subnational level, such as a regional, local, or state level. Devolution can be mainly financial, e.g. giving areas a budget which was formerly administered by central government...
to the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
.
| Member of the Scottish Parliament Member of the Scottish Parliament Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:... | Constituency or Region Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions were first used in 1999, in the first general election of the Scottish Parliament , created by the Scotland Act 1998.... | First elected | Current Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruth Davidson Ruth Davidson Ruth Davidson is a politician, former BBC journalist and the current leader of the Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party... |
Glasgow Glasgow (Scottish Parliament electoral region) Glasgow is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament , which were created in 1999. Nine of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament... |
2011 Scottish Parliament election, 2011 The 2011 Scottish Parliament general election was held on Thursday, 5 May 2011 to elect 129 members to the Scottish Parliament.The election delivered the first majority government since the opening of Holyrood, a remarkable feat as the mixed member proportional representation system is used to... |
Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party |
| Jackson Carlaw Jackson Carlaw Jackson Carlaw is a Conservative politician and a Member of the Scottish Parliament. He was defeated as a candidate for Eastwood in the 2003, 2007, and 2011 Scottish Parliament elections... |
West Scotland West Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region) West of Scotland is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament. Ten of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament... |
2003 | Deputy Leader and Health & Wellbeing Spokesman |
| David McLetchie David McLetchie David McLetchie is a Scottish politician, currently a Scottish Conservative and Unionist Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Lothian electoral region... |
Lothians Lothians (Scottish Parliament electoral region) The Lothians was one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament from 1999 to 2011. Nine of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament... |
1999 Scottish Parliament election, 1999 The Scottish Parliament election, 1999 was the first general election of the Scottish Parliament, with voting taking place on 6 May 1999 to elect 129 members... |
Justice Speokesman |
| Alex Fergusson | Galloway & West Dumfries Galloway and West Dumfries (Scottish Parliament constituency) Galloway and West Dumfries is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election... |
2003 | Rural Affairs and the Environment Spokesman |
| Annabel Goldie Annabel Goldie Annabel MacNicoll Goldie is a Scottish Conservative Member of the Scottish Parliament for the West of Scotland Region. She was the Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party in the Scottish Parliament from 2005 until 2011.... |
West Scotland West Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region) West of Scotland is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament. Ten of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament... |
2011 | Culture and Communities Spokesperspon |
| John Lamont John Lamont (Scottish politician) John Lamont is a Scottish Conservative Party politician, and Member of the Scottish Parliament for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire. He won the predecessor constituency of Roxburgh and Berwickshire in May 2007 and won the newly constituted seat with an increased majority... |
Ettrick, Roxburgh & Berwickshire Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Scottish Parliament constituency) Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It will elect one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election... |
2007 | Chief Whip |
| Liz Smith Elizabeth Smith (Scottish politician) Elizabeth Smith is a Scottish Conservative Party politician, and Member of the Scottish Parliament for Mid Scotland and Fife... |
Mid Scotland & Fife Mid Scotland and Fife (Scottish Parliament electoral region) Mid Scotland and Fife is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament which were created in 1999. Nine of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament... |
2007 | Education and Lifelong Learning Spokesman |
| Gavin Brown Gavin Brown (politician) Gavin Brown is a Conservative politician, and Member of the Scottish Parliament for Lothian since 2007 .He contested Edinburgh South at the 2005 UK general election, where he came third... |
Lothian Lothian (Scottish Parliament electoral region) Lothian is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament. Nine of the parliament's 73first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament... |
2007 | Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth Spokesman |
| Mary Scanlon Mary Scanlon Mary Scanlon is a Conservative politician, and Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Highlands and Islands region from 1999 to 2006 and since 2007.... |
Highlands & Islands Highlands and Islands (Scottish Parliament electoral region) The Highlands and Islands is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament which were created in 1999. Eight of the parliament's first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament .The... |
1999 Scottish Parliament election, 1999 The Scottish Parliament election, 1999 was the first general election of the Scottish Parliament, with voting taking place on 6 May 1999 to elect 129 members... |
Energy, Enterprise and Tourism Spokesman |
| Murdo Fraser Murdo Fraser Murdo Fraser is a Scottish politician and the current Deputy leader of the Scottish Conservative Party in the Scottish Parliament. He has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Mid Scotland and Fife region since 2001.... |
Mid Scotland & Fife Mid Scotland and Fife (Scottish Parliament electoral region) Mid Scotland and Fife is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament which were created in 1999. Nine of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament... |
2001 | Backbench MSP |
| Jamie McGrigor Jamie McGrigor Sir James Angus Rhoderick McGrigor, 6th Baronet is a Conservative politician, and Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Highlands and Islands Region since 1999.-Political career:... |
Highlands & Island Highlands and Islands (Scottish Parliament electoral region) The Highlands and Islands is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament which were created in 1999. Eight of the parliament's first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament .The... |
1999 Scottish Parliament election, 1999 The Scottish Parliament election, 1999 was the first general election of the Scottish Parliament, with voting taking place on 6 May 1999 to elect 129 members... |
Environment and Climate Change Spokesman |
| Alex Johnstone Alex Johnstone Alex Johnstone is a Scottish Conservative & Unionist politician, and Member of the Scottish Parliament for the North East Scotland Region since 1999. He fought the West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine constituency in the 2005 General Election, finishing second... |
North East Scotland North East Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region) North East Scotland is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament which were created in 1999. Nine of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament... |
1999 Scottish Parliament election, 1999 The Scottish Parliament election, 1999 was the first general election of the Scottish Parliament, with voting taking place on 6 May 1999 to elect 129 members... |
Infrastructure, Capital Investment, Transport and Housing Spokesman |
| Nanette Milne Nanette Milne Dr. Nanette Milne is a Scottish Conservative Party politician who has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament for the North East Scotland Region since 2003.- Background :... |
North East Scotland North East Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region) North East Scotland is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament which were created in 1999. Nine of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament... |
2003 Scottish Parliament election, 2003 The Scottish Parliament election, 2003, was the second general election of the Scottish Parliament. It was held on 1 May 2003 and it brought no change in terms of control of the Scottish Executive... |
Public Health, Sport and Commonwealth Games Spokesman |
| John Scott John Scott (Scottish politician) John Scott is a Scottish farmer and politician, and is a Conservative Member of the Scottish Parliament for Ayr.Born in Girvan, he has been MSP for Ayr since winning it in a by-election in 2000. He was returned in the 2003 parliamentary election and again, with an increased majority, in the 2007... |
Ayr Ayr (Scottish Parliament constituency) Ayr is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election... |
2000 Ayr by-election, 2000 The Ayr by-election on March 16, 2000 was the first by-election for the Scottish Parliament that had been established the year previously. It was caused by the resignation of Ian Welsh who had been elected at the Scottish Parliamentary Election, 1999... |
Backbench MSP |
| Margaret Mitchell Margaret Mitchell (Scottish politician) Janet Margaret Mitchell is a Scottish Conservative politician, and has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament for Central Scotland since 2003.-Early life:... |
Central Scotland Central Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region) Central Scotland is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament which were created in 1999. Ten of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament... |
2003 | Local Government and Planning Spokesperson |
Conservative leaders in the Scottish Parliament
- David McLetchieDavid McLetchieDavid McLetchie is a Scottish politician, currently a Scottish Conservative and Unionist Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Lothian electoral region...
: 1999–2005 - Annabel GoldieAnnabel GoldieAnnabel MacNicoll Goldie is a Scottish Conservative Member of the Scottish Parliament for the West of Scotland Region. She was the Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party in the Scottish Parliament from 2005 until 2011....
: 2005–2011 - Ruth DavidsonRuth DavidsonRuth Davidson is a politician, former BBC journalist and the current leader of the Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party...
: 2011-
Secretariat
Mark McInnes is the Director of the party, based at its headquarters at Scottish Conservative Central Office, 83 Princes StreetPrinces Street
Princes Street is one of the major thoroughfares in central Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, and its main shopping street. It is the southernmost street of Edinburgh's New Town, stretching around 1 mile from Lothian Road in the west to Leith Street in the east. The street is mostly closed to private...
, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. Eight staff are employed at Scottish Conservative Central Office, with a further seven staff employed at the Scottish Parliament in the Press and Research Unit.
Conference
The party holds an annual spring conference. The next conference is to be held at the Perth Concert Hall, in Perth, ScotlandPerth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
.
See also
- Scottish Unionist Party
- Conservative Future ScotlandConservative Future ScotlandConservative Future Scotland is the youth wing of the Scottish Conservative Party.The organisation formed in early 2005 by the merger of the Scottish Young Conservatives and the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Students group, a process which had happened with its sister organisation in the...
- Elections in ScotlandElections in ScotlandScotland has elections to several bodies: the Scottish Parliament, the United Kingdom Parliament, the European Parliament, local councils and community councils.-Scottish Parliament:...
Further reading
- The Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party: ‘the lesser spotted Tory’? (PDF file), Dr David Seawright, School of Politics and International Studies, University of LeedsUniversity of LeedsThe University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
, Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Political Studies AssociationPolitical Studies AssociationThe Political Studies Association of the United Kingdom is an association of political scientists that exists to develop and promote the study of politics in the United Kingdom...
, University of AberdeenUniversity of AberdeenThe University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
, 5–7 April 2002 - The Decline of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party 1950–1992: Religion, Ideology or Economics?, David Seawright and John CurticeJohn CurticeJohn Curtice is an academic who is currently Professor of Politics at the University of Strathclyde. He is particularly interested in electoral behaviour, researching political and social attitudes, and is an acknowledged expert on the call for Scottish independence.- External links :*...
, Centre for Research into Elections and Social Trends, University of OxfordUniversity of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, Working Paper Number 33, February 1995
External links
- Official website
- scottishtorymeps.org.uk
- Scottish Conservative Party at The ScotsmanThe ScotsmanThe Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
- ASPECT: Access to Scottish Parliamentary Election Candidate Materials, University of StrathclydeUniversity of StrathclydeThe University of Strathclyde , Glasgow, Scotland, is Glasgow's second university by age, founded in 1796, and receiving its Royal Charter in 1964 as the UK's first technological university...