A Better Britain – Unionist Party was formed by activists from the Better Together campaign who opposed the devolution process, and who felt that the mainstream unionist parties had abandoned unionist values in calling for more powers for the Scottish Parliament. It was launched on 31 December 2015, and one of its co-founders, Steven Gordon, conducted an interview with Andrew Neil on the BBC Daily Politics in early January. Candidates of the party have since stood in the 2016 Scottish parliamentary elections and the 2017 Scottish local elections. In January 2019, the party changed its name to The British Unionist Party, in order to further highlight their British Unionist credentials.
Policies
Unionism
The Unionist Party opposes the devolution process, and believes that the new powers granted to the Scottish Parliament on the basis of the Smith Commission go too far. It also opposes any further referendums on Scottish independence, and has called for both the British and Scottish parliaments to work together to pursue closer union. In addition to this, it proposes several pro-UK cultural policies such as flying the Union Flag from council buildings in Scotland, and reversing what it sees as the nationalist re-branding of the Scottish Government by restoring its logo to the Scottish version of the royal coat of arms as used by the Labour–Lib Dem Scottish Executive. The party also calls for the protection of UK institutions in Scotland, and has opposed the absorption of the British Transport Police into Police Scotland, and called for Trident & Faslane Naval Base to be retained at their current location on the Scottish west coast.
Social democracy
The British Unionist Party has stated its opposition to the extent of cuts to public services under the Conservative government., and have specifically opposed any further cuts to the NHS, Royal Mail, the Armed Forces and education. It opposed a universal 1p tax rise in Scotland as proposed by Labour and the Liberal Democrats, but supported calls for the reintroduction of a 50% rate for earnings in the highest income bracket. It has also called for better care for the elderly, including a rise in Winter Fuel Payment rates and a reduction in TV licence fees for those over 65.
The party calls for greater powers for local government, and has criticised the centralising nature of the Scottish Parliament under the Scottish National Party. Notably, it has called for Police Scotland and Fire & Rescue Scotland to be abolished, and for local police, fire and rescue services to be restored. It has also criticised the tax freeze imposed on local councils by the Scottish government, and stated that local councils should have more control over their own spending.
Civil liberties
The British Unionist Party has been particularly critical of several pieces of SNP legislation which it regards as an infringement on civil liberties. It has criticised the Named Person Scheme as a "totalitarian state invasion into family life", and the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act for "criminalising ordinary football fans". It has called for both pieces of legislation to be scrapped.
Electoral performance
The party contested the 2016 Scottish parliamentary elections, standing on the regional ballot for Glasgow region. It won 2,453 votes, failing to win a seat.
