The Scottish Unionist Party is a name of two organisations, one now subsumed into the UK Conservative Party, and the other being a recent creation in response to the Conservative Party's support of the Anglo-Irish Agreement. The Conservative Party is the largest political party on the right-of-centre in the United Kingdom. ... The Conservative Party is the largest political party on the right-of-centre in the United Kingdom. ... The Anglo-Irish Agreement was an agreement between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland which aimed to bring an end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland. ...

Scottish Unionist Party (Unionist Party), 1912-1965

The "Scottish Unionist Party", or "Unionist Party" as it was known within Scotland, was the main Tory organisation in Scotland between 1912 and 1965. Describing them as 'Tories' overall as opposed to 'Conservatives' is a consequence of the Scottish Unionists eschewing the use of the name 'Conservative' [1] until 1965. Even today the official website of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party calls them 'Scottish Tories'[2]. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... The Conservative Party is the largest political party on the right-of-centre in the United Kingdom. ...

Independent of, although associated with, the Conservative and Unionist Party in England and Wales, it stood for election, at different periods of its history, in alliance with a small number of Liberal Unionist and National Liberal candidates. Those who successfully became Members of Parliament (MPs) would then take the Tory Whip at Westminster just like the Ulster Unionists did until 1973, or as current Conservative Member of the European Parliament (MEPs) do with the European People's Party in the European Parliament. The Liberal Unionists were a British political party which split away from the Liberals in 1886, and had effectively merged with the Conservatives by the turn of the century, the formal merger being completed in 1912. ... The National Liberal Party, officially known until 1948 as the Liberal National Party, were a political party in the United Kingdom who broke away from the Liberal Party. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to a parliament; in the Westminster system, specifically to the lower house. ... The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP, sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or OUP or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party ) is a moderate unionist political party in Northern Ireland, which formed its government between 1921 and 1972 and was supported by most unionists throughout the Troubles. ... The Conservative Party is the largest political party on the right-of-centre in the United Kingdom. ... A Member of the European Parliament (English abbreviation MEP) is a member of the European Unions directly-elected legislative body, the European Parliament. ... The European Peoples Party is a Christian democrat-conservative political party at European level founded in 1976. ... The European Parliament is the parliamentary body of the European Union (EU), directly elected by EU citizens once every five years. ...

The party did not stand at local government level but instead supported and assisted the Progressives in winning elections against the Labour Party. This relationship broke down when the Tories started fielding candidates as Conservatives in competition to the Progressives. Local governments are administrative offices of an area smaller than a state. ... Progressive Party was a municipal party for the London County Council based around the Liberal Party. ... The Labour Party is the principal centre-left political party in the United Kingdom (see British politics). ...

Origins

The origins of the Scottish Unionist Party lay in the split of the Liberal Party in 1886 and the emergence of the Liberal Unionists. The Union in question was that of the 1801 Irish Union, and not the 1707 Union. The Liberal Party was one of the two major British political parties from the early 19th century until the 1920s, and a third party of varying strength and importance up to 1988, when it merged with the Social Democratic Party (the SDP) to form a new party which would become... Liberal Unionists may refer to: Liberal-Unionists (Canada) Liberal Unionists (United Kingdom) This is a disambiguation page — a list of articles associated with the same title. ... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... The Acts of Union were twin Acts of Parliament passed in 1707 (taking effect on 26 March) by the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland. ...

Prior to this, the only Tory party in Scotland was the Conservative party who had never beaten the dominant Whig and Scottish Liberal party ascendancy since the 1832 Reform Acts were passed. With the emergence of the Liberal Unionists, the Conservatives quickly agreed an electoral pact which produced results that threatened and even overcame the dominance of the Scottish Liberals. The British Reform Act of 1832 (2 & 3 Will. ...

As links between the two became closer, it was eventually agreed to merge the two organisations in 1912 as Scottish Unionist Party or Association. This organisation was effectively the Tory party in Scotland, although some candidates still stood on a Liberal Unionist ticket because of the latent appeal of Liberalism in Scotland. This article discusses liberalism as a major political ideology as it developed and stands currently. ...

Ethos and appeal

Popular imperialism and imperial unity were the central thread to the Scottish Unionist Party's belief system. Whilst it was the prospect of Irish Home Rule that set the circumstances for the party's creation, it was not the principle of autonomy they opposed, but the belief that it would lead to the break-up of the British Empire. Imperialism is a policy of extending control or authority over foreign entities as a means of acquisition and/or maintenance of empires, either through direct territorial conquest or through indirect methods of exerting control on the politics and/or economy of other countries. ... Devolution or Home rule is the pooling of powers from central government to government at regional or local level. ... Autonomy is the condition of something that does not depend on anything else. ... The British Empire was the worlds first global power and the largest empire in history. ...

This was demonstrated by their acceptance, and even support, of Dominion status for colonies like Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Newfoundland. This seam in the Scottish Unionist Party's belief system was demonstrated when members of the party left to establish the Scottish Party, which eventually merged with the National Party of Scotland to form the Scottish National Party. It also explains what may at first seem a paradoxical statement by John Buchan, who was a Scottish Unionist MP, when he said "I believe every Scotsman should be a Scottish nationalist." [3] This is a page about Dominions of the British Empire/Commonwealth. ... Map of Newfoundland Newfoundland (French: Terre-Neuve; Irish: Talamh an Éisc; Latin: Terra Nova) is a large island off the northeast coast of North America, and the most populous part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. ... The Scottish party was the name of two organisations, one now defunct, and the other now called the Free Scotland Party. ... The National Party of Scotland (NPS) was formed in 1928 after John MacCormick of the Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association (GUSNA) called a meeting of all those favouring the establishment of a party favouring Scottish independence. ... In Scotland, the Scottish National Party (SNP) (Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is a centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish independence. ... John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir (August 26, 1875 - February 11, 1940), was a Scottish novelist and politician who served as Governor General of Canada. ...

Industrialists, bankers, landlords, Peers of the Realm, Kirk ministers, lawyers and media barons formed a solid establishment in the make-up of the party. Policy was often formed with their interests in mind. Whilst the party may have been linked on a Parliamentary level with the Conservative and Unionist Party in England and Wales, it was conscious that it had to appeal to the middle class liberal tradition in Scotland and studiously avoided using the term "Conservative". [4] Industrialist mainly refers to a person who takes a leading or visionary role in the process of building up an industry over a long time. ... For other uses, see Bank (disambiguation). ... A landlord is the owner of a house, apartment, condominium, or land which is rented or leased to an individual or business, who is called the tenant. ... Listen to this article · (info) This audio file was created from the revision dated 2005-06-08, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. ... The Church of Scotland (C of S, also known informally as The Kirk; until the 17th century officially the Kirk of Scotland) is the Christian national church of Scotland. ... Scots law (or Scottish law) is the law of Scotland. ... A media proprietor is a person who controls, either through personal ownership or a dominant position in a public company, a significant part of the mass media. ... The middle class (or middle classes) comprises a social group once defined by exception as an intermediate social class between the nobility and the peasantry. ... Look up liberal on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Liberal may refer to: Politics: Liberalism American liberalism, a political trend in the USA Political progressivism, a political ideology that is for change, often associated with liberal movements Liberty, the condition of being free from control or restrictions Liberal Party, members of...

The party also built up a significant working-class support by emphasising the connection between Union, Empire and the fate of local industry. Unity across the classes was often cited as one of the party's planks of Unionism. Along with this protectionism, Protestantism played an important part in the party's working class appeal. Although not explicitly articulated by the party, lest it alienate what small but wealthy middle and upper class Catholic support it had, this appeal was projected through the endorsement and promotion of well known Kirk members like John Buchan or prominent Orangemen in areas of west and central Scotland where the Orange Lodge was strong. For example figures like Sir John Gilmour, the intermittent Secretary for Scotland in the 1920s and Home Secretary in the 1930s, was an Orangeman. Whilst some may see this as an anti-Catholic appointment it should be pointed out that it was Gilmour who, as the Secretary for Scotland, repudiated the Church of Scotland's highly controversial report entitled "The Menace of the Irish Race to our Scottish Nationality". This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Protectionism is the economic policy of protecting a nations manufacturing base from the effects of foreign competition by means of very high tariffs on imported goods, restrictive quotas, or other means of reducing importation. ... Protestantism is a movement within Christianity, representing a split from within the Roman Catholic Church during the mid-to-late Renaissance in Europe —a period known as the Protestant Reformation. ... The term upper class refers to a group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. ... The Church of Scotland (C of S, also known informally as The Kirk; until the 17th century officially the Kirk of Scotland) is the Christian national church of Scotland. ... John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir (August 26, 1875 - February 11, 1940), was a Scottish novelist and politician who served as Governor General of Canada. ... Orangemen can refer: Historically, to supporters of King William III of Orange. ... The Orange Order is a Protestant fraternal organisation largely based in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland which also has a worldwide membership. ... John Gilmour (1876-1940) was a British Conservative politician who was the first Secretary of State for Scotland. ... The Secretary for Scotland was the former title of the chief minister in charge of the Scotland Office in the United Kingdom government. ... Sometimes referred to as the Jazz Age or primarily in North America and in Australia as the Roaring Twenties . In Europe it is sometimes refered to as the Golden Twenties. ... The Home Secretary (official full title Secretary of State for the Home Department) is the chief United Kingdom government minister responsible for law and order in England and Wales; his or her remit includes policing, the criminal justice system, the prison service, internal security, and matters of citizenship and immigration. ... // Events and trends The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the global depression. ... The Orange Order is a Protestant fraternal organisation largely based in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland which also has a worldwide membership. ... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... The Catholic Church in Great Britain is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, sometimes known as the Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual government and teaching of the Pope and Catholic Bishops throughout the world. ...

Being an independent Scottish party also drew electoral appeal when set against the threat of a UK Labour party. A crucial aspect to this appeal, particularly in the 1940s and 1950s, was the ability to place an 'alien' identity upon Labour by successfully using the term of 'Socialist' to describe the Labour Party [5]. Combined with the Labour party's nationalisation programme which centralised control of former Scottish-owned businesses and council-run services in London, this distinctively Scottish appeal was further strengthened. This strong Scottish character of the party was even evident in relations with Tory Government Ministers when Lord Glendevon admitted he would be at variance with the Unionist Party for refusing the post of Secretary of State for Scotland because he preferred being at Westminster (Lord Glendevon's Obituary, Scotsman, 22/01/1996). The Labour Party is the principal centre-left political party in the United Kingdom (see British politics). ... // Events and trends World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrination, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atomic bomb. ... // Events and trends This map shows two essential global spheres during the Cold War in 1959. ... Nationalization is the act of taking assets into state ownership. ... The Right Honourable John Adrian Louis Hope, 1st Baron Glendevon (7 April 1912-18 January 1996), was a British Conservative politician. ... The Secretary of State for Scotland (Rùnaire Stàite na h-Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is the chief minister in the government of the United Kingdom with responsibilites for Scotland, at the head of the Scotland Office (formerly The Scottish Office). ... Westminster is a district within the City of Westminster in London. ... The Scotsmans offices in Edinburgh The Scotsman is a Scottish newspaper published in Edinburgh. ...

Furthermore the party used rhetoric which purported to reconcile the two themes of individualism and collectivism to appeal to any voters attracted to Labour. This also projected an image of flexibility and pragmatism when they expressed it as a synthesis of the "two fundamental ideas of human individuality and of service to others and to the community." [6] Individualism is a moral, political, and social philosophy, which emphasizes individual liberty, belief in the primary importance of the individual, and in the virtues of self-reliance and personal independence. Individualism embraces opposition to authority, and to all manner of controls over the individual, especially when exercised by the political... Collectivism, in general, is a term used to describe a theoretical or practical emphasis on the group, as opposed to (and seen by many of its opponents to be at the expense of) the individual. ... ...

Electoral record and the 1955 Election

Compared to the pre-1886 Conservative Party and the post-1965 Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, the Scottish Unionist Party's electoral record stands out as successful.

With the Liberal Party divided and declining, the Scottish Unionist Party managed to attract previous Liberal voters - sometimes with candidates standing on a Liberal Unionist ticket. The creation of the National Liberals also assisted in widening their electoral base. This article is part of or related to the Liberalism series Categories: Politics stubs | Liberal related stubs | UK political parties | Historical liberal parties ... The National Liberal Party may be: National Liberal Party (Bermuda) - a Bermudian party National Liberal Party (Germany) - a former German party National Liberal Party (Lebanon) - a Lebanese party National Liberal Party (Panama) - a Panamanian party National Liberal Party (Romania) - a Romanian party National Liberal Party (UK) - a former United Kingdom...

Within this context they grew growing support, and the emergence of the Labour party as a threat to middle class interests, resulted in the party achieving a majority of Scottish seats in the 1924 election - 37 seats out of Scotland's 73 constituencies. Suffering a setback in the 1929 election, they managed to reassert this ascendancy in the 1931 election because of a backlash against the Labour Party and the creation of the National Government. The Scottish Unionist Party won 79% of the Scottish seats - 58 out of 73 seats. The following election of 1935 returned fewer MPs but still a majority - 45 MPs. The Labour Party is the principal centre-left political party in the United Kingdom (see British politics). ... The middle class (or middle classes) comprises a social group once defined by exception as an intermediate social class between the nobility and the peasantry. ... The 1924 UK general election was held on 29th October 1924. ... The 1929 UK general election was held on 30th May 1929, and resulted in a hung parliament. ... The UK general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. ... In the United Kingdom the term National Government is in an abstract sense used to refer to a coalition of chimps. ... The UK general election held on 14th November 1935 resulted in a large, though reduced, majority for the National Government now led by Stanley Baldwin. ...

This remained the situation until the 1945 election, when the Labour landslide returned a majority of Labour MPs; the Unionists won 30 of the now 71 constituencies. In the 1950 election, a majority of Labour MPs was returned again but with the Scottish Unionist Party closing the gap by returning 32 MPs. In the subsequent election of 1951, an equal number of Labour and Unionist MPs were returned: 35 each. The United Kingdom General Election of 1945 held on 5 July 1945 but not counted and declared until 26 July 1945 (due to the time it took to transport the votes of those serving overseas) was one of the most significant general elections of the 20th century. ... The United Kingdom general election in 1950 was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. ... The 1951 election was held soon after the UK general election, 1950, which Labour won, but with an unworkable majority. ...

With Church of Scotland membership reaching record levels the 1955 election brought unparalleled success as the party gained 50.1% of the vote and 36 of the 71 seat at Westminster. Often cited as the only party to achieve a majority of the Scottish vote it should be pointed out that 6 MPs were returned under the label of Liberal Unionist or National Liberal. Nevertheless this success was the prelude to a number of events that weakened the appeal of the Scottish Unionist Party and the subsequent Conservative Scottish branch that followed it. The 1955 United Kingdom general election was held on May 26, 1955, four years after the previous general election. ...

Merger with Conservatives

Only one year after the 1955 triumph an event occurred that would signal the unravelling of the singular thread which united the Scottish Unionist Party's support. The humiliation of the 1956 Suez Crisis was seen as a symbolic end of the power and influence of the British Empire. Not only was British power seen to be eclipsed by the USA but the unity of the Empire was in question. Canada's Lester Pearson led the UN calls for a negotiated settlement and even offered Canadian troops as neutral peacekeepers to replace British soldiers. 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Combatants Israel, France, United Kingdom Egypt Commanders Moshe Dayan (CoS of the IDF) General Sir Charles Keightley (C-in-C), Vice-Admiral Pierre Barjot (Deputy) Gamal Abdel Nasser Strength 45,000 British, 34,000 French, 175,000 Israeli 300,000 Egyptians Casualties 200 Israelis, 107 British, 43 French dead or... The British Empire was the worlds first global power and the largest empire in history. ... The Right Honourable Lester Bowles Mike Pearson (April 23, 1897 - December 27, 1972) was the fourteenth Prime Minister of Canada from April 22, 1963, to April 20, 1968, and also a 1957 Nobel Laureate. ... Main articles: League of Nations & History of the United Nations The term United Nations was coined by Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II, to refer to the Allies. ... Peacekeeping is a way to help countries torn by conflict create conditions for sustainable peace. ...

Further to this in 1960 the then Tory Prime Minister Harold Macmillan made his "Winds of Change" speech to the South African Parliament signalling an end to the colonial administration of British Empire possessions and their emergence as independent states. This change in Tory attitudes to the cohesion of the British Empire was illustrated earlier in 1958 with the expulsion of the League of Empire Loyalists from the Tory Conference. 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Sir Robert Walpole, the first Prime Minister A prime minister may be either: chief or leading member of the cabinet of the top-level government in a country having a parliamentary system of government; or the official, in countries with a semi-presidential system of government, appointed to manage the... The Right Honourable Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC (10 February 1894–29 December 1986), nicknamed Supermac and Mac the Knife, was a British Conservative politician and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1957 to 1963. ... The Wind of Change speech was a historically-important address made by British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan to the Parliament of South Africa, on 3 February 1960 in Cape Town. ... In general, the word colonial means of or relating to a colony. In United States history, the term Colonial is used to refer to the period before US independence. ... 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The League of Empire Loyalists was a pressure group campaigning against the dissolution of the British Empire in the 1950s and 1960s. ...

Psychologically these events marked the end of Empire and with it the central thread of popular imperialism and imperial unity which had united the Scottish Unionist Party. The party's vote declined in the 1959 election and 4 MPs were lost. In 1964, after 13 years of Tory Government, 8 more MPs were lost. This United Kingdom general election was held on October 8, 1959, and marked a third successive victory for the ruling Conservative party, led by Harold MacMillan. ... The United Kingdom general election of 1964 result was a very slim majority for the Labour Party, of 4, and led to their first government since 1951. ...

With electoral defeat reforms in 1965 brought an end to the Scottish Unionist Party as an independent force. It was a renamed 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. 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link goes to calendar). ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ...

These changes had serious implications for the Tories Scottish identity. Set alongside the end of Empire and the emergence of several independent states it witnessed the rise of the Scottish National Party as sections of the old Tory vote swung to the SNP along with former Labour nationalist voters. This may seem paradoxical but can be explained for three reasons: the Scottish Unionist Party's projection as an independent Scottish party opposing a UK Labour party; the use of the name "Conservative" which was viewed as an English party; and the Unionist-Nationalist tradition of John Buchan and those who had founded the Scottish Party. In Scotland, the Scottish National Party (SNP) (Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is a centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish independence. ... SNP may refer to: The Scottish National Party A single nucleotide polymorphism This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: England Travel guide to England from Wikitravel English language English law English (people) List of monarchs of England – Kings of England family tree List of English people Angeln (region in northern Germany, presumably the origin of the Angles for whom England is named) UK... John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir (August 26, 1875 - February 11, 1940), was a Scottish novelist and politician who served as Governor General of Canada. ... The Scottish party was the name of two organisations, one now defunct, and the other now called the Free Scotland Party. ...

Consequences of Merger

As the British Empire came to an end so to did the primacy of Protestant associations as secularism and ecumenicalism rose. The erosion of the Tory vote accompanied this along with the loss of its working class base. Though many Tories would still identify with the Kirk, most Church of Scotland identifiers were not conservatives. As the established and largest Church it had adapted to a secular post-imperial world by advocating ecumenicalism.

Support from working class Protestants also eroded. With the Daily Record newspaper switching from the Tories to Labour the Tories in the 1960's the party 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. Categories: Stub | British newspapers ... Events and trends The 1960s was a turbulent decade of change around the world. ... Anglicized refers to foreign words, often surnames, that are changed from a foreign language into English. ... -1... The UK general election of February 1974 was held on February 28, 1974. ... The UK general election of October 1974 took place on October 10, 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 which created further problems. On the 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 Tory 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. The Orange Order, also known as the Orangemen, is a Protestant fraternal organisation largely based in the province of Ulster, Ireland and in western Scotland but which has a worldwide membership. ... Aristocracy is a form of government in which rulership is in the hands of an upper class known as aristocrats. ... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... official_languages = Englishde facto5| Dieu et mon droit (Royal motto) (French for God and my right)3 Northern Irelands location within the UK Official languages English, Irish, Ulster Scots Capital and largest city Belfast First Minister Office suspended Area  - Total Ranked 4th 13,843 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked... Sectarianism is an adherence to a particular sect or party or denomination, it also usually involves a rejection of those not a member of ones sect. ... Northern Ireland is an administrative region and one of four parts of the United Kingdom. ... The Right Honourable Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (born 13 October 1925), is a British politician. ... The Anglo-Irish Agreement was an agreement between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland which aimed to bring an end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland. ... The Orange Order is a Protestant fraternal organisation largely based in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland which also has a worldwide membership. ... The Scottish Unionist Party is a name of two organisations, one now subsumed into the UK Conservative Party, and the other being a recent creation in response to the Conservatives support of the Anglo-Irish Agreement. ...

The Thatcher-Major Years

Contrary to perceived wisdom the election of Margaret Thatcher in 1979 actually revived the regional 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 Scottish Unionist Party support along with increased support for Labour and SNP in 1987. The UK general election, 1979 was held on May 3, 1979 and is regarded as a pivotal point in 20th century British politics. ... United Kingdom general election, 1983 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The UK general election, 1987 was held on June 11, 1987 and was the third victory in a row for Margaret Thatcher and the Conservatives. ... The SDP-Liberal Alliance was an electoral alliance of the Social Democratic Party and the Liberal Party in the UK that ran 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 Democrats. ...

This anti-Tory 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 which 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". ... The term general assembly can refer to The largest unit of organisation in the polity of a (national) Presbyterian church, containing several synods or presbyteries. ... The Church of Scotland (C of S, also known informally as The Kirk; until the 17th century officially the Kirk of Scotland) is the Christian national church of Scotland. ... The Sermon on the Mound is the name given by the British press to an address made by Margaret Thatcher to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1988. ...

Even although it is said the Scottish party was not enthusiastic for her policies it was confined by its status as a regional unit. 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. Despite this oft-repeated assertion that Margaret Thatcher was solely to blame for the marginalisation of the Scottish Tories it is actually a myth. The fact is she cumulatively lost less votes for the party than all other Conservative leaders with Edward Heath presiding over the most dramatic cumulative decrease. A poll tax, head tax, soul tax, or capitation is a tax of a uniform, fixed amount per individual (as opposed to a percentage of income). ... The Right Honourable Sir Edward Richard George Heath, KG , MBE (July 9, 1916 – July 17, 2005), soldier and politician, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1974 and leader of the Conservative Party from 1965 to 1975. ...

The replacement of Margaret Thatcher with John Major did see a very small increase in their vote in 1992 when they campaigned on a "Save the Union" ticket against a resurgent SNP. However the marginality of the increase - the SNP's vote increased substantially but success was limited by First Past The Post - combined with Tory party divisions, Black Wednesday, the rise of New Labour, and their uncompromising opposition to any form of National legislative assembly for Scotland contrived to see the Tory party wiped out at the 1997 election. The Right Honourable Sir John Major, KG, CH (born 29 March 1943) is a twat who served in the Cabinets of Margaret Thatcher as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Foreign Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer before succeeding Thatcher as Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom... The UK general election, 1992 was held on April 9, 1992, and was the fourth victory in a row for the Conservatives. ... The plurality voting system, also known as first past the post, is a voting system used to elect a single winner in a given election. ... In British politics and economics, Black Wednesday (or White Wednesday in euro-sceptic parlance) refers to September 16, 1992 when the government was forced to withdraw the Pound from the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM) by currency speculators—most notably George Soros who earned over USD$1 billion in doing... New Labour is an alternative name of the British political Labour Party. ... This article is about the term as used within the Commonwealth of Nations; there is also an Legislative Assembly in Oregon and there used to be a Legislative Assembly in France during the French Revolution. ... The UK general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997. ...

Devolution and pre-1965 considerations

Ironically it was the establishment of a Scottish Parliament that gave the Scottish Tories a modicum of Parliamentary respectability - an institution they had opposed vehemently. 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 because of a fall in the Labour and SNP vote. The Scottish Parliament (Pàrlamaid na h-Alba in Gaelic, Scots Pairlament in Scots) is the national unicameral legislature of Scotland. ... Proportional representation (PR) is an election system which ensures a proportionally representative result of a democratic election, x% of votes should be represented by x% in the democratic institutions, parliament or congress. ... The Scottish parliamentary election, 1999 was the first general election of the Scottish Parliament, with voting taking place on May 6, 1999. ... The Scottish parliamentary election, 2003, was the second general election of the Scottish Parliament. ...

In subsequent Westminster elections their vote has been equally sluggish or static. In 2001 they won a seat from the SNP but the sitting MP subsequently lost against Labour in 2005 in a redrawn seat (which had a notional Labour majority) whilst another candidate won a neighbouring seat from notional Labour control. The UK general election, 2001 was held on 7 June 2001 and was dubbed the quiet landslide by the media. ... The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 and won by the Labour Party, led by Tony Blair. ...

The 1997 wipe out and subsequent lack of movement has witnessed 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 Lord Strathclyde Commission ruled out a return to the Scottish Unionist Party because of sensitivity to Northern Irish sectarian connotations. Besides this would now be impossible under the new Electoral Commission as a Scottish Unionist Party is already registered. Categories: People stubs | 1960 births | Members of the Privy Council | Peers ... The Scottish Unionist Party is a name of two organisations, one now subsumed into the UK Conservative Party, and the other being a recent creation in response to the Conservatives support of the Anglo-Irish Agreement. ...

One MSP has suggested that the party become independent like the pre-1965 Scottish Unionist Party and adopt a relationship with the English Conservatives like the Christian Social Union in Bavaria [7]. Another 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 [8]. A resonance with John Buchan was struck when an ex-MP said the party should support 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). The Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU – ) is a conservative Germany. ... Brian Monteith, born on January 8, 1958 is an Independent Member of the Scottish Parliament. ... John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir (August 26, 1875 - February 11, 1940), was a Scottish novelist and politician who served as Governor General of Canada. ... It has been suggested that Devolved government be merged into this article or section. ... The Lighthouse, Charles Mackintoshs Glasgow Herald building The Herald is a broadsheet newspaper published Monday to Saturday in Glasgow, Scotland. ...

However it remains to be seen if the Scottish Conservatives will return to a model that reflects the previous Scottish 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 although 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 filip 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 1987 and 1997. Rt Hon. ... The UK general election, 1987 was held on June 11, 1987 and was the third victory in a row for Margaret Thatcher and the Conservatives. ... The UK general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997. ...

External links

• Official Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party website
• "The Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party" by Dr David Seawright
• "Baldwin and Scotland: More than Englishness" by Gabrielle Ward-Smith
• "British Statewide Parties and Multilevel Politics" by Hopkin & Bradbury
• Number of Scottish MPs by Party 1868 - present

Scottish Unionist Party (SUP), 1980s-present

The "Scottish Unionist Party" (SUP) is a small political party operating in Scotland. It was formed in the mid 1980s by members of the Scottish Orange Order dislillusioned with the then Conservative government for signing the Anglo-Irish Agreement. Traditionally supportive of the Conservatives, these Orangemen felt that the signing of the treaty was a betrayal of Protestants and decided to form their own party instead. A political party is a political organization that subscribes to a certain ideology and seeks to attain political power within a government. ... ... The 1980s decade refers to the years from 1980 to 1989, inclusive. ... The Orange Order, also known as the Orangemen, is a Protestant fraternal organisation largely based in the province of Ulster, Ireland and in western Scotland but which has a worldwide membership. ... The Conservative Party is the largest political party on the right-of-centre in the United Kingdom. ... The Anglo-Irish Agreement was an agreement between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland which aimed to bring an end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ...

The SUP is an ideologically unionist party which opposes the idea of Scottish independence from the rest of the United Kingdom. It has contested a number of elections, including both the 1999 and 2003 Scottish Parliament elections. In the latter the SUP contested only the Glasgow, Central Scotland and West of Scotland Additional Members System electoral regions, polling fairly poorly. It also contested only six local council wards in 2003, all located in the west central belt where the traditional "Orange vote" resides. In one Glasgow city centre seat they achieved a respectable second place comfortably beating the other parties. Unionists, in Scotland, are those who support the union between Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom. ... Walter Thomas Monningtons 1925 painting called Parliamentary Union of England and Scotland 1707 hangs in the Palace of Westminster depicting the official presentation of the law that formed the United Kingdom of Great Britain. ... The Scottish parliamentary election, 1999 was the first general election of the Scottish Parliament, with voting taking place on May 6, 1999. ... The Scottish parliamentary election, 2003, was the second general election of the Scottish Parliament. ... The Scottish Parliament (Pàrlamaid na h-Alba in Gaelic, Scots Pairlament in Scots) is the national unicameral legislature of Scotland. ... Glasgow is one of the eight electoral regions for elections to the Scottish Parliament from which 7 of the parliaments 56 Additional Members System (AMS) MSPs are elected. ... ... West of Scotland is one of the eight electoral areas for the Scottish Parliament through which 7 of the 56 Additional Members System MSPs are elected. ... The Additional Member System (AMS) is a voting system where some representatives are elected from geographic constituencies and others are elected under proportional representation from party lists. ... The United Kingdom is made up of four parts - England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. ... A ward is an electoral district used in local politics, most notably in England, Scotland, and Wales, as well as Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and many cities in the United States and the federal district of Washington, DC. Wards are usually named after neighbourhoods... Glasgow (or Glaschu in Gaelic) is Scotlands largest city and unitary council, situated on the River Clyde in the countrys west central lowlands. ...

The SUP also stood for two seats at the 2001 General Election, in Glasgow Springburn and Airdrie and Shotts; the party managed to retain its deposit in the former and almost do so in the latter. This was not so surprising in Springburn where there was no Conservative candidate (being the Speaker's seat), but in Airdrie and Shotts, despite the presence of a Conservative they still managed to poll well. The UK general election, 2001 was held on 7 June 2001 and was dubbed the quiet landslide by the media. ... Glasgow Springburn was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Airdrie and Shotts is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Deposit may refer to: Finance A deposit is a specific sum of money taken and held on account, by a bank as a service provided for its clients. ... In the United Kingdom, the Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, and is seen historically as the First Commoner of the Land. ...

The SUP campaigns against what it believes are anti-Protestant government policies and opposed moves to try and change the Act of Settlement 1701 which disallows the British monarch from marrying a Catholic. The party is strongly critical of mainstream parties for what it views as a failure to safeguard the Act of Union 1707; this criticism extends even to the Conservatives, who they believe are not being 'unionist' enough. Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... The Electress Sophia The Act of Settlement (12 & 13 Wm 3 c. ... This article describes the British monarchy from the perspective of the United Kingdom. ... The Acts of Union were twin Acts of Parliament passed in 1707 (taking effect on 26 March) by the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland. ... Unionists, in Scotland, are those who support the union between Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom. ...

The name is based on that of Ulster unionists. It is potentially confusing since the Conservatives have traditionally used the title "Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party". Ulster (Irish: Cúige Uladh, IPA: ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland. ... In the context of Irish politics, Unionists are people in Northern Ireland, who wish to see the continuation of the Act of Union 1800, as amended by the Government of Ireland Act 1920, under which Northern Ireland, created in that latter Act, remains part of the United Kingdom of Great...

External links

• Official SUP website