How did we do? 2026 Scottish Election

Added: 2026-05-16

[00:00:05]So how have we done in the election in 2021? Over the whole of Scotland we got 0.59% and this time we've gone up to 0.74%.

[00:00:15]Now before the election I was thinking how we're going to do. I thought there's basically four options that we could end up with. Number one, our vote share goes down. That would have been very, very disappointing. Number two, stays about the same. Which okay, not great, but we've been facing some challenges which I'll go on to them later. So so we've had some headwinds. So staying the same sort of would have been okay but not great. The next option would be to grow significantly our vote share and that's what's happened. And then the best option of all that was foreseeable this election could be that we'd break through 1% and then you start getting above 1% you start getting just a little bit of mainstream attention.

[00:00:57]But we didn't manage that but we did grow substantially. So it's like three out of four if you like. So what helped us to grow this time in our vote share?

[00:01:07]I think greater awareness and acceptance of the party. The voters people are are very cautious and they won't back something or say they're backing something till they've seen it in operation for a long time. And then more and more people are still hearing about the party. There's still people who would be absolute obvious people to choose to vote for us but haven't heard of us.

[00:01:28]So but so we've reached more people that's enabled our vote share to grow.

[00:01:33]And this election we've had more coverage from Christian and pro-life groups including us in their voting guides etc. etc. We really appreciate that and that makes a big difference in order to people to hear about our policies to see it made really clear to them what they might vote for or not vote for.

[00:01:50]The other thing as well it just makes us seem more respectable. I know it seems ridiculous uh we need to try to seem respectable but I think it does that. I think it just boosts our credibility as well.

[00:02:01]Number three, this helps us, I think we've honed our message. I mean, we get better at what we do. Uh I think that's made a difference in that election this election campaign as well.

[00:02:10]Right, fact What factors were against us compared to 2021? Uh number one, Reform UK. In 2021, we had some policies that were unique to us. So, we were the biggest party represented those views, like the transgender issues, uh hate crime legislation, hate speech legislation, etc. So, they were really our issues in 2021, but then Reform's come along since and they've overlapped with us a little bit on some of these issues. And so, we tended to lose a lot of our support from basically people who are not Christians and weren't pro-life tended to go off to Reform. So, between 23 and 2025, we were losing support to Reform. I think it's over now. People who are going have gone.

[00:02:53]Um so, but we've more than made up for that, which is great.

[00:02:57]And another thing that's been against us, often the cycle with small parties is they start, make a bit of a splash, people think, "I'll give them a try.

[00:03:05]Let's see what happens here." And they vote for them.

[00:03:08]Then if they don't get elected, people can tend to think, "Oh, they tried that last time. Didn't work. Let's forget that. Let's move on to something else. I'll go back to the mainstream parties." So, I think we've seen that uh effect. We've seen it in terms of uh the last 2021. We got a lot of new members through the campaign. That really hasn't happened to the same degree this time. I think we had more money given to us in 2021, not by a huge amount, a little bit more money uh than this time. But in terms of votes, we've gone up. And that's often where small new parties struggle is their vote share goes down second time. Well, we've gone up very significantly. So, that's good.

[00:03:45]Another factor that's been against us a little bit this time compared to 2021 is there was more competition on the regional list, competition that might have attracted voters from us.

[00:03:57]I mean, the Scottish Christian Party stood in a couple of constituencies, stood in Glasgow, um got a few hundred votes, but they would have been votes from us. Uh Highlands and Islands have got more votes, we still beat them by a quite a big margin, but they took away substantial number of votes that may well have come to us instead.

[00:04:15]Right, so why did the Scottish Christian Party do this? I mean, they don't exist as a party, they're not an active party, just a couple of people who pay their deposits and pop up and stand in elections every now and again. Uh why do they do it? To be honest, I I I don't really know.

[00:04:29]Part of the reason I might think, if you look at the leader, Donald Boyd, one of his claims to fame is he was very prominent in campaigning within his denomination for a man who went to his friend's funeral in a Catholic church to be expelled from the church.

[00:04:45]So, kicked out of the church because he went to his friend's funeral in a Catholic church.

[00:04:50]Now, that suggests to me that maybe uh would be quite a a so narrow view of uh Christianity. Does that come into into the Scottish Christian Party as well?

[00:05:02]Oh, very possibly. Maybe they look at the Family Party and think we're a bit too broad, a bit too non-denominational for them, maybe. Let's just put it that way.

[00:05:10]But anyway, so we we we beat them by a mile and hopefully they will uh fade away before too long.

[00:05:16]Right, the Heritage Party stood in the south of Scotland. I mean, they they didn't get many votes at all, but probably quite a few of those votes would have come to us. People who go to the Heritage Heritage Party website might think, "Oh, it looks a bit like the Family Party." But the website doesn't say that they're into every conspiracy theory going and uh a little bit of anti-Semitism in there as well.

[00:05:36]And then Jeremy Balfour, the former Conservative and then independent MSP, uh who's a Christian, he stood in Edinburgh and Lothians East.

[00:05:47]Why he stood, I'm really not sure. He He never had any remote chance of getting elected. I don't know if he thought he did, but he had no chance of getting elected.

[00:05:55]But I think quite a few Christians voted for him because he's a Christian. You know that way of thinking. If someone's a Christian, then they must be standing up for the same things I believe in.

[00:06:04]Whereas that is often not true.

[00:06:06]Now, with Jeremy Balfour, I think his record of speaking out and standing up on issues is very, very weak while he was an MSP. Uh conversion therapy ban, LGBT inclusive education. I watched him in these discussions and he really didn't say what needed saying at all.

[00:06:23]Um I could have really tried to make that clearer before the election and really said, "Look, this is not someone who stands up for Christian values, so don't vote for him just cuz he's a Christian."

[00:06:33]But I fear if I'd have gone too hard on that, Christians would have tended to think, "Oh, you know, you're not being very nice. You're attacking another Christian. You shouldn't do that." or whatever. So, it's quite frustrating.

[00:06:45]So, it it like restricts us in putting forward our argument why people should vote for us, not for him. But we know if we do put forward that argument, a lot of Christians in particular would somehow think we're we're not being very nice, even though that's just what you do in a democracy. And you explain why people shouldn't vote for one and should vote for another.

[00:07:03]So, people who voted for Jeremy Balfour, for example, I I I would say to you, "Okay, so he hasn't got in. He was never going to get in.

[00:07:10]He's obviously never going to have a chance in the future. This was his best chance having just stood down as an MSP.

[00:07:17]And so, what what's your vote achieve?

[00:07:18]What's it building towards? It's not building towards anything. Whereas a vote for the Family Party is a vote building up something that's going to grow into the future, a long-term project.

[00:07:31]Right, the fourth thing that was a little bit against us in this campaign, I think it was the assisted suicide vote, which obviously we didn't want assisted suicide to pass. But if it had have passed, that might have been quite a boost for our campaign.

[00:07:44]A lot of people might have thought, "All right, we've tried voting for these mainstream parties. Look where it has got us.

[00:07:50]Let's try something different. I'll vote for the Family Party." Whereas a lot of people's mindset was maybe a little bit more, "We voted for the mainstream parties, but hey, we managed to sort it out in the end and just about rescue it and they didn't vote for assisted suicide.

[00:08:03]So, let's just do the same again and vote for mainstream parties again." So, I think that was a significant effect as well in the election campaign. I don't know how big of an effect, but I think it was significant.

[00:08:15]But I would say, looking at the statistics, roughly speaking, I reckon our vote among active pro-life Christians, our sort of core constituency, probably maybe doubled in this election. That is great. If we had a fully proportional, in other words, a fully fair electoral system, we'd be worth one MSP in the Scottish Parliament, which is quite something, isn't it? I mean, starting from nothing and working up to the point where we deserve, in terms of our support, we deserve to have an MSP in the Scottish Parliament.

[00:08:46]So, I think this time we've made a start of a breakthrough into the wider Christian pro-life voting community. And I think we're just at the start of that.

[00:08:56]We're just getting a toehold. We're just getting a mention here and there. And as I say, we're becoming respectable, if you like, among Christians. I mean, it's ridiculous to think that we ever haven't been, but I think that is happening and there's a lot more potential there.

[00:09:12]Also, I think what's going to happen over the course of this Parliament is that the narrative of, "We're going to get involved in the mainstream parties and we'll have people in the mainstream parties will speak out on these values." That narrative has already crashed and it's going to burn over this coming Parliament.

[00:09:28]I mean, there's as far as I know, I would say that there's not a single pro-life MSP.

[00:09:34]Zero.

[00:09:35]That's based on what they say. I I know what on in their secret thoughts, but in terms of what they say, none.

[00:09:41]Um so, this is this parliament is going to be pretty grim, and there are going to be some very concerning developments.

[00:09:48]So, I think that will help that steer more people towards the Family Party.

[00:09:54]The other massive thing we're we're faced by is the idea that you've you've wasting your vote. So many people say, you see it on online quite a lot as well. I would vote for you, but I've decided tactically I need to vote for some other party.

[00:10:08]That's been going on for decades. Where is it getting us? Well, it isn't really producing representation of the views that need representing in the parliament.

[00:10:18]The other point as well, as you'll have heard me say lots and lots of times, I think there's a conscience red line to support a pro-choice party, but I won't uh repeat myself on that.

[00:10:28]I think trends in public opinion are in our favor.

[00:10:31]Um if you look at statistics, particularly among young people, so in the future, that's something I think we will capitalize on increasingly.

[00:10:39]But already, the Family Party, I think, is a very significant voice in Scottish political debate. I think we inform people, challenge people, and we awaken people to what is happening and what's going to come along the line in the Scottish parliament. So, and sooner or later, we will have members of the Scottish parliament as well.

[00:11:00]So, do join us on our mission. There's a link below. Thanks for your vote, and thanks for your support.