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Independence for Scotland Party

Independence for Scotland Party
AbbreviationISP
LeaderColette Walker
Deputy LeaderJulie McAnulty
Founded7 May 2020; 5 years ago (7 May 2020)
RegisteredPP11433
Headquarters22 Monteith Gardens
Clarkston
Glasgow
G76 8NU
IdeologyScottish independence
National affiliationLiberate Scotland (since 2025)
Local government in Scotland
0 / 1,227
Website
www.isp.scot

The Independence for Scotland Party (ISP) (Scottish Gaelic: Pàrtaidh Neo-eisimeileachd do dh'Alba) is a minor political party in Scotland which supports Scottish independence within the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).[1]

History

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The party was founded in 2020[2] and was registered by the Electoral Commission on 7 May 2020.[3]

In November 2020, the party came under fire for quoting then Scottish National Party (SNP) Member of Parliament (MP) Kenny MacAskill's published view on constituency versus list voting.[4] MacAskill issued a statement saying that the advert was made without his consent.[5]

On 8 January 2021, former SNP councillor Roddy McCuish became the first elected representative of the ISP, when he joined the party while on Argyll and Bute Council, having been sitting as an independent since his re-election in 2017. [5]McCuish would later announce that he would stand down at the 2022 election. [6]

The ISP had planned to stand fourteen list candidates in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, one in South Scotland and Glasgow and two in the remaining six regions.[7] However, after the Alba Party announced their formation and decision to compete in the election, they withdrew their candidates.[8]

The ISP contested the 2022 Scottish local elections, running eleven candidates in total.[9] They did not win any seats.[10]

The party leader, Collette Walker, was a candidate in the 2023 Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election. It was her party's first United Kingdom parliamentary election. She finished in ninth place with 0.68% of the vote, and lost her deposit.[11]

At the 2024 general election, ISP stood two candidates: John Hannah (Bathgate and Linlithgow) and Walker (East Renfrewshire).[12][13] The party campaigned on a platform of Abstentionism in the election.[14][15][16] Both Hannah and Walker were unsuccessful in their bid to win a seat, receiving 0.9% and 0.6% of votes respectively .[17][18][19]

For the 2026 Scottish Parliament election, ISP is standing candidates as part of Liberate Scotland. Liberate Scotland is a pro-independence electoral alliance, formed by some of the smaller parties and independents to avoid splitting the nationalist vote.[20][21]

Elections contested

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United Kingdom House of Commons

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Leader Election Candidates General Rank Notes
Votes %
Colette Walker 2024 2 678 0.00 Steady <80th in UK Contested Bathgate and Linlithgow and East Renfrewshire.

References

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  1. ^ Williams, Martin (29 July 2020). "New Scottish independence party explains game plan as logos are officially approved". The Herald.
  2. ^ Webster, Laura (9 May 2020). "Independence for Scotland Party launches ahead of 2021 election". The National. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  3. ^ "View registration – The Electoral Commission". search.electoralcommission.org.uk. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  4. ^ Cochrane, Angus (1 November 2020). "Independence for Scotland Party creates 'fake endorsement' from Kenny MacAskill". The National. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  5. ^ a b O'Toole, Emer (8 January 2021). "Independence for Scotland party welcomes its first elected representative". The National. Archived from the original on 2 February 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  6. ^ "Councillors offer advice as they step down from long-standing roles". The Oban Times. 11 April 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  7. ^ "Regional Candidates May 2021 – Independence for Scotland Party – ISP". Independence for Scotland Party. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  8. ^ Davidson, Gina (29 March 2021). "Scottish Election 2021: New independence party stands down candidates after launch of Alba". The Scotsman. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  9. ^ "Election Candidates May 2022". Independence for Scotland Party. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
  10. ^ "Scottish Council Elections 2022". BBC News. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
  11. ^ "Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election – see the full results". The National. 6 October 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  12. ^ "2024 UK General Election Results for the Independence for Scotland Party". Bloomberg. 6 July 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  13. ^ "Results for the UK general election on 4 July 2024 - Elections contested by Independence for Scotland Party". UK Parliament. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  14. ^ "The Scottish independence party who'll refuse to send MPs to Westminster". The National. 2 July 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  15. ^ "General Election 2024 - For Women Scotland". For Women Scotland. 27 June 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  16. ^ "Vote Colette Walker ISP in Renfrewshire East". Crowdfunder. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  17. ^ "Scotland election results 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  18. ^ "Bathgate and Linlithgow - General election results". BBC News. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  19. ^ "Election result for East Renfrewshire (Constituency)". UK Parliament. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  20. ^ "Liberate Scotland: The Rise of a New Political Force for Independence". Barrhead Boy. 12 June 2025. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  21. ^ "Liberate Scotland - Independence for Scotland Party". Independence for Scotland Party. Retrieved 2 August 2025.
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