The Scottish Family Party (SFP) is a minor socially conservative political party in Scotland. It was formed in 2017 and is led by former UKIP member and registered teacher Richard Lucas. When launched in 2017, the SFP said its "central goal" was to gain election to the Scottish Parliament and "to fill the void" left behind by the current parties and their abandoning of "Judeo-Christian-inspired values of traditional Western civilisation". According to party leader Richard Lucas, they intend to be the party "to confront the cosy Holyrood consensus, interrupting the monochrome virtue-signalling that currently passes for debate in many areas". It also aims to be "pro-family, pro-marriage, pro-life, pro-freedom of speech, anti-identity politics, that values the complementary contributions of men and women and recommends schools refocus on education instead of social engineering, radical gender ideology and political moulding". The SFP contested their first seats in the 2019 UK general election, and also fielded candidates at the 2021 Scottish Parliament election and the 2022 Scottish local elections, but has never won any seats. In 2026, the party introduced a chatbot to summarise its political views and measures it seeks to implement. The SFP ran candidates in the 2026 Scottish Parliament election, with "stable marriage" being the party's stated priority.
Party ideology and policy
Family policy The SFP believes that 'Strong families make for a strong nation' and has proposals to help families with their finances such as giving cash in lieu of free nursery provision to those families who chose to have one parent not work and look after their children. The party thinks that married couples should be assessed for income tax as a family rather than as individuals, with tax allowances fully transferable between each spouse. The SFP argues in favour of more autonomy for families and demands "an end to the ignoring of underage sex". The party would seek to have illegal underage sexual relations acted against rather than ignored by the police. The SFP is against "vaguely defined" domestic abuse laws and believes people should be treated equally in this regardless of whether they are male or female. SFP recognises marriage as a "a solemn, lifelong commitment", and claims that "civil partnerships for heterosexual couples will further undermine the culture of marriage". The SFP does not support the use of NHS resources for any fertility-related treatment apart from for a man and woman in a long-term stable relationship. The party opposes same-sex marriage and advocates heterosexual marriage as being necessary for stable family life.
Opposition to abortion and assisted suicide
The SFP describes itself as pro-life, opposing both abortion and assisted suicide. The party wants to ban abortion except when the woman's life is in danger. During a protest at a sexual health clinic in Sandyford, Glasgow in March 2023, Lucas branded abortion providers at the clinic "killers". The party has also spread misinformation on the issue of abortion, such as in April 2026 by distributing flyers making an inaccurate claim about foetuses.
Education The SFP believes that education should increase its focus on "traditional focuses" of "discipline, knowledge, formal teaching, and objective testing." They argue against the Curriculum for Excellence as it, "elevates subjective learner experience over teaching, undermining the intellectual authority of teachers, and uses student motivation and enjoyment as the measure of what is worth knowing". Lucas has spoken out against rainbow flags being displayed in schools. The party is opposed to the inclusion of certain content in sex education such as LGBTQ-inclusive and pornographic topics. It supports education that includes the promotion of family planning and abstinence from alcohol use. In February 2020, the SFP submitted a complaint concerning a HappyFest event that celebrated LGBT+ arts (including drag, theatre, poetry, dance, and music) at Dunbar Grammar School in East Lothian, as part of LGBT History Month. The party claimed that the event promoted "a philosophy of gender fluidity that is confusing and dangerous to young people" and that "the drag scene is often associated with less than positive values". A spokesperson rejected the complaints, stating that the event was run "to raise awareness and challenge prejudice."
Other social issues The SFP believes the gender pay gap is by and large a reflection of personal choices and the natural differences between men and women, and no government action is required to address it. In October and December 2022, the party held protests at the Scottish Parliament opposing reform to the Gender Recognition Act.
Energy The party calls targeting net-zero emissions "unrealistic" and "unhelpful". It says that "Scottish oil and gas industries can meet energy needs and contribute to our prosperity for many years to come".
Foreign policy The party says that it is neutral on the EU but respects the result of the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum. The party wants Scotland to leave the European Court of Human Rights.
Controversies
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
