Although the party was first registered with the
Electoral Commission on 31 January 2018, Its founder and current leader, John Mortimer, previously campaigned for
Better Together and established the
British Unionist Party. He also stood in the
Glasgow electoral region in the
2016 Scottish Parliament election, receiving 2,453 votes. Mortimer was critical of the
Scottish Conservatives in comments made to the
Daily Record, stating that they "have been weak opposition to the
SNP on a number of levels." Despite gaining the backing of former
UK Independence Party candidates John Ferguson and Mitch William, Mortimer insisted that the party was not a vehicle for former UKIP voters, although UKIP has endorsed abolishing the Scottish Parliament.
2021 Scottish Parliament election On 31 March 2021, the party announced that they would be contesting each of the eight
electoral regions in the
2021 Scottish Parliament election. They endorsed
tactical voting similar to other
nationalist and unionist parties like
Alba and
All for Unity. In order to deprive the SNP of a majority or a coalition with the
Scottish Greens, they encouraged supporters to give their constituency vote to either the Conservatives,
Labour, or the
Liberal Democrats, and their list vote to Abolish. In the election, the party did not win any seats, achieving 7,262 votes (0.3%).
Subsequent activity John Ferguson was the party's candidate in the August 2025
Barrhead, Liboside and Uplawmoor by-election on
East Renfrewshire Council. He came bottom of the poll with 27 first-preference votes (0.6%). The party is running in one seat in the
2026 Scottish Parliament election. == Policies ==