Apparently I hate myself because I decided to go and read the Scottish Family Party’s manifesto today. I will provide no links to their website or their manifesto because I don’t want them to get any traffic from me, but I have uploaded a copy which can be found below.
I was on the second page when I started feeling ill, and I’ve now read the entire document and it is so horrific that I have to tell people about it.
All emphasis in the below quotes is their own. I have not interfered with their words or presentation except to arrange them under different headings.
It’s quite vile when read in whole. They promote a 1950s vision of family being a Judeo-Christian marriage of one biological man, one biological woman, and several children – ideally with the woman staying home to look after the kids and the grandparents, all of whom adhere to Catholic values and never engage in pornography or masturbation, and who would never think of using birth control or having an abortion, or being anything other than cis and hetero.
To put in a way that only Empire larpers will get, this manifesto is a perfect example of the false Virtue of Hatred brought into reality. Anything other than how they think things should be is vile, and they want all the laws that prevent them from doing things as they like removed so they can tell everyone how right they are and how morally reprehensible the rest of us are for not fitting in neat little boxes that have never applied to humanity except under the aegis of puritans.
If you told me these people had Cornflakes for breakfast because they heard it helped prevent masturbation, I’d believe it.
The fact they got 16,000 votes in the last Scottish election astounds me. I hope they lose all their deposits this election.
Homophobia
The commitment of marriage helps ensure that a child benefits from the distinct and complementary parenting of their mother and father, a male and female role model in the family home, and the sense of identity that naturally flows from relatedness.
It is apparent that same-sex relationships cannot fully embody these ideals, so we do not believe that the state should formalise such relationships as marriages.
Scottish Family Party policies, page 2
Unless there is clear evidence to the contrary, it should be assumed that parents care for their children with love and commitment, devoting themselves in a way that the state cannot begin to emulate.
SFP policies, page 5
The proposed ban on so-called conversion therapy in Scotland would criminalise a dad for urging a young son not to wear a dress, or a mum for discouraging a daughter from experimenting with a lesbian relationship. We oppose the ban in its entirety.
SFP policies, page 7
Preference should be given to married couples, husband and wife, in fostering and adoption decisions. The goal is to give children what they need – a father and mother – not to give adults what they want.
SFP policies, page 10
Ideally, children should be brought up by a mum and a dad, providing a male and female role model and complementary qualities.
SFP policies, page 10
Instead, most Scottish schools tirelessly promote a liberal/progressive/leftist agenda, taking every opportunity to present this perspective on issues such as climate change, sexism and feminism, race, inequality, gender, sexuality, internationalism and the like. The extent of this promotion of particular perspectives amounts to indoctrination. Once children’s views have been moulded, a charade of “listening to children” then enables the adults to claim that they are merely following the direction of the children.
If a ‘one size fits all’ education system is prescribed, then it needs to include diverse perspectives and engender open debate on controversial topics. Currently, only one philosophy is presented, to the exclusion of all others.
SFP policies, page 15
We oppose the LGBT Inclusive Education policy that mandates the indoctrination of schoolchildren into a radical ideology of sexuality and gender. Civility and tolerance should be shown to all, and bullying in school and criminal activity targeting LGBT people should be dealt with vigorously. However, promoting a certain philosophy of sex and relationships and denying alternative views is not necessary to combat bullying.
The insertion of LGBT content across the entire curriculum is intended to deprive parents of the option of withdrawing their child from it.
SFP policies, page 17
Transphobia
Teaching children that they can choose their gender is extremely harmful. Steering children and young people towards puberty-blocking drugs and sex reassignment surgery is grossly irresponsible, given that a clear majority of children will naturally outgrow gender confusion. We would ban such “treatments”, but in the meantime parents should be free to overrule interventions by government agents in schools, charities or the NHS when guiding their children on such matters. Parents are best placed to understand their children and have primary responsibility for their care and wellbeing.
The proposed ban on so-called conversion therapy in Scotland would criminalise a dad for urging a young son not to wear a dress, or a mum for discouraging a daughter from experimenting with a lesbian relationship. We oppose the ban in its entirety.
SFP policies, page 7
Ideally, children should be brought up by a mum and a dad, providing a male and female role model and complementary qualities.
SFP policies, page 10
Instead, most Scottish schools tirelessly promote a liberal/progressive/leftist agenda, taking every opportunity to present this perspective on issues such as climate change, sexism and feminism, race, inequality, gender, sexuality, internationalism and the like. The extent of this promotion of particular perspectives amounts to indoctrination. Once children’s views have been moulded, a charade of “listening to children” then enables the adults to claim that they are merely following the direction of the children.
If a ‘one size fits all’ education system is prescribed, then it needs to include diverse perspectives and engender open debate on controversial topics. Currently, only one philosophy is presented, to the exclusion of all others.
SFP policies, page 15
We oppose the LGBT Inclusive Education policy that mandates the indoctrination of schoolchildren into a radical ideology of sexuality and gender. Civility and tolerance should be shown to all, and bullying in school and criminal activity targeting LGBT people should be dealt with vigorously. However, promoting a certain philosophy of sex and relationships and denying alternative views is not necessary to combat bullying.
The insertion of LGBT content across the entire curriculum is intended to deprive parents of the option of withdrawing their child from it.
SFP policies, page 17
The philosophy of gender fluidity is dangerous to young people, leading to confusion and unhelpful experimentation. Indoctrination into the fashionable philosophy of gender is not appropriate and will lead more children down a difficult road that could seriously undermine their wellbeing for the rest of their lives. We would prevent schools from presenting the message that gender change is normal, natural and healthy – something to be celebrated. Staff and pupils should never be expected to display or state their pronouns. Schools should not facilitate gender changes for children, including not using new pronouns or names.
The current appalling practice of allowing children to change name and gender at school without parents being informed must stop.
Pupils experiencing gender dysphoria should be supported to seek alignment between their gender identity and their sex.
Schools should not encourage cross-dressing through events such as a “wear a skirt day”. No school should have an LGBT club for children and no school should take children to LGBT Pride events. No drag performances should be allowed in schools.
SFP policies, page 171Given the historical precedents of the wealthy elites doing drag at public schools, the ban on drag performances in schools is quite amusing.
Those experiencing gender identity issues should be offered psychological help to overcome the problem and align their feelings with their biological sex. Transgender “treatments”, pharmaceutical or surgical, should not be available from the NHS. Private clinics could provide such services to adults when the patient is fully aware of the likely long-term outcomes. Even private companies should not be allowed to perform any procedures on or prescribe any drugs relating to gender reassignment to under-18s.
Cosmetic surgery should only be provided to rectify obvious problems, not to meet claimed psychological needs.
SFP policies, page 35
We oppose the Gender Recognition Reform Act reform. Officially changing sex/gender should not be possible merely at the request of an individual.
Even the current system of recognising gender change undermines the right of women to same-sex spaces, makes a mockery of women’s sport, and communicates a harmful understanding of sex and gender.
So, we propose that there should be no provision to change gender legally – we would repeal the 2004 Gender Recognition Act.
SPF policies, page 37
Promotion of Child Abuse
Family Courts should not deny parents fair access to their children without substantiated serious grounds. Claims that a parent is unsuitable must be supported by convincing evidence. Long-term decisions to prevent a parent from seeing their child or to remove a child from the family home should be made by a jury.
Scottish Family Party policies, page 3
There are many ways to be a good parent, and, with few exceptions, parents should be free to raise their children according to their own values.
SFP policies, page 6
Parents who smack their children should not be criminalised. We would seek to repeal the smacking ban legislation. The previous legislation was adequate to protect children.
We expect moves towards criminalising shouting at children to begin soon. This would be another mistake.
SFP policies, page 6
We are extremely concerned by the Scottish Government’s proposals to redefine Child Abuse to include highly subjective criteria such as “make the child feel that their opinions, views or feelings are worthless“, “expose a child to… anger”, “ridicule the child” and “make them feel that they are useless.
SFP policies, page 6
Teachers should never feel that pupils are out of control. Education Scotland’s moves to remove punishments from schools, replacing them with “restorative” processes, is misguided, based on an over-optimistic view of human nature. Boys, in particular, tend to need clear boundaries and defined consequences and flourish when these are provided. We believe that punishing children is necessary, fair, justified and effective.
Replacing punishments with contrived mini-counselling sessions disempowers teachers and leaves children with the (justified) impression that miscreants continually “get away with it”.
SFP policies, page 14
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is commonly used as a pretext for wider ideological campaigning, often undermining the authority of parents. Signing up to this convention has handed power to the UN undemocratically, as they interpret the text as they wish in the future and impose demands on the Scottish Government. We oppose the incorporation of the UNCRC into Scots Law.
SFP policies, page 37
Promotion of Domestic Abuse
Steps to make the legal process of divorce easier undermine the status of marriage as a solemn, lifelong commitment.
Scottish Family Party policies, page 3
Domestic abuse law should not cover vaguely defined “psychological abuse”. It is too imprecise and open to spurious application. For example, laws relating to making a person “dependent on another person” or “feel … humiliated or degraded” could be interpreted to cover behaviours far short of “abuse” and risk bringing the threat of legal sanction into more superficial relationship conflicts. Such laws are also vulnerable to exploitation for vindictive reasons.
SFP policies, page 7
Even in cases such as rape and incest, the new life is valuable. A child conceived in rape is of equal value to any other child, both before and after they are born.
SFP policies, page 22
Pro-Life
Abortion and abortifacients should not be available to under-16s without parents being informed beforehand.
SFP policies, page 7
The moral arguments and emotional consequences relating to abortion should be discussed, instead of the current presentation of abortion as an obvious solution to unwanted pregnancy.
Natural family planning techniques should be discussed alongside other contraception methods in sex education.
SFP policies, pages 16-17
Life is precious. All human life has intrinsic worth and the measure of a civilised society is how we treat those who are most vulnerable.
We affirm the value of human life in the womb. Abortion as a means of birth control is morally unjustifiable.
Ultimately, we would like to see the law reflect the universal value of human life, but immediate steps could include offering independent counselling to those considering an abortion, reducing the current 24 week limit for abortions and preventing abortion on grounds of disability after 24 weeks.
We would ensure that young people in school are presented with the facts about abortion and the possible emotional consequences when the subject is discussed in schools. No organisation which provides abortions should be entitled to charitable status. We would seek to involve fathers in the decision-making process. Our emphasis on commitment and responsibility in sexual relationships would help reduce demand for abortions
SFP policies, pages 21-22
Even in cases such as rape and incest, the new life is valuable. A child conceived in rape is of equal value to any other child, both before and after they are born.
SFP policies, page 22
We oppose the introduction of assisted suicide and euthanasia (now misleadingly labelled as “assisted dying”). If choosing death is seen as a valid option, this will inevitably lead to vulnerable people experiencing pressure, real or imagined, to end their lives. We want everyone to feel valued and worthy of the highest degree of care throughout their life. Suicide should not be promoted as a valid response to difficulties.
SFP policies, pages 22-23
If Scotland were to attain independence in the near future, we fear that its new written constitution would set in stone many values and principles with which we disagree. For example, abortion “rights” would most likely be written into the constitution. Once something is embedded in the constitution it becomes much more difficult to change. It is no longer a regular political issue decided by majority vote in the parliament, but can only be overturned by what is usually a far more demanding process to change the constitution.
SFP policies, pages 41-42
Women should be stay-at-home mothers
It is unfair that mums who work until soon before birth receive this support while mums who are not working, because they are at home with other children, for example, do not. Some mums receive benefits, but many receive neither maternity pay nor benefits. We would give statutory maternity pay for the full 39 weeks to every mum who is not working or receiving benefits.
SFP policies, page 8
Those without dependent children may need to pay more tax to balance out these changes. This is justified because each generation relies on upcoming generations to pay for their care in retirement. It is fair for those producing these vital new generations to be compensated for their expense in doing so.
SFP policies, page 9
Anti-benefits
We question the wisdom of paying the Educational Maintenance Allowance (about £30 a week) directly to older school pupils from poorer households. It can serve as an induction into the attitude that the government should just give money, even in the absence of pressing need. It also makes the young people more independent of their parents at a stage where parental influence can be an important protective factor. If such a payment is deemed beneficial in encouraging further schooling, it should usually be paid to the parents.
SFP policies, page 9
We oppose the concept of a Citizen’s Income or Universal Basic Income. It would subsidise self-indulgence and laziness while undermining the proper sense of responsibility to provide for oneself and one’s family.
SFP policies, page 34
Pro-wealthy
Inheritance Tax is a tax on already-taxed income and works against the best interests of the family. We propose that the current tax-free allowance available to parents, £650,000 for a married couple, be increased by a further £325,000 for each child within the family. Thus, for example, a family with two children would enjoy a tax-free allowance of £1,300,000.
SFP policies, page 12
Anti-sex education
The “harm reduction” approach to sex education is also harmful. Evidence- based sex and relationships education that includes the presentation of moral perspectives should be implemented instead.
SFP policies, page 16
The Scottish Government’s official sex education resources (RSHP.scot) are grossly indecent, endorsing pornography and promoting masturbation, presenting as valid some disturbing and dangerous sexual practices, and endorsing illegal under-age sex.
SFP policies, page 16
It beggars belief that the Scottish Government presents pornography as a valid, normal and natural option for children through sex education in schools. We would fight this evil.
SFP policies, page 31
Anti “white privilege”
Fulfilling the Government’s intentions, many schools teach contentious concepts such as Critical Race Theory and white privilege as fact. This divisive political stance portrays racial groups as being in conflict with one another as they vie for power and prescribes different treatment for people according to their race. In contrast, we believe that children should be taught to treat everyone equally. Racist incidents can be dealt with like any other misbehaviour. Children, like adults, get along best without obsessing over racial differences.
SFP policies, page 18
The Scottish Government’s higher education funding body pressurises institutions to promote the Government’s favoured ideologies, such as Critical Race Theory. This must stop.
SFP policies, page 21
Promotion of alternative education
Independent schools should enjoy charitable status automatically, as educating children to a high standard is an obvious good to society. Independent schools should be free to operate according to their own principles and methods, guided by their traditions, leaders and parents. Instead of enforcing ideals that have had a dubious record in maintained schools, an attitude of sharing best practice should prevail. For example, where independent schools outperform state schools, attempts should be made to replicate the ingredients for success. And vice versa.
Catholic schools should not be squeezed into the mould of other schools by government pressure. They should be free to embody and promote their distinct values and ethos as they wish.
Where parents wish their children to be educated according to their values but feel that mainstream schools are failing to do this or, worse, are attacking these values, the government should be willing to fund alternative schools. These schools would follow standard academic curricula, but the state should not seek to impose its own values. Where such schools already exist on an independent basis, they should be offered full state funding
SFP policies, page 19
We support the right of parents to educate their own children outside school, free from state interference. The state should not routinely seek to communicate with home-educated children in order to ask whether they would prefer to go to school. This would mirror the fact that school children are not routinely asked by the state whether they would prefer home education.
SFP policies, page 20
Anti-higher education
The University sector should be reduced in size. While many pursue semi-academic personal interest degree courses, there are shortages in vital vocations and trades. University course funding should better reflect the needs of the economy and society.
Vocational Further Education and apprenticeships should increasingly be promoted and financed as a positive alternative to university.
SFP policies, page 20
Pro-“free” speech
The proposed ban on so-called conversion therapy in Scotland would criminalise a dad for urging a young son not to wear a dress, or a mum for discouraging a daughter from experimenting with a lesbian relationship. We oppose the ban in its entirety.
SFP policies, page 7
Universities should be centres of open debate and stimulating exposure to diverse arguments, not giant “safe spaces” where views judged to be undesirable are driven underground. The government should make it clear to universities that this is what is expected of them. Universities should expose students to a diverse cross-section of opinions. Academic staff should remain free to reflect their own political, religious and philosophical views in their teaching and other academic work. Concern arises, however, when the views of academic staff overwhelmingly lean in one direction, leading to impressionable young students concluding that this view is the only academically respectable one.
SFP policies, page 21
“Buffer Zones” or “Safe Access Zones” in the vicinity of abortion clinics to outlaw protest, prayer or offers of help, no matter how passive, are unjustified. Rather than protecting women from “harassment”, they are actually an ideological attack on freedom of expression.
SFP policies, page 22
Our fundamental freedoms are under attack. Freedom of speech is being eroded by those unwilling to countenance the existence of decent people who disagree with them. Professional and even legal consequences await those who speak their mind on certain topics. Society progresses by open debate, seeking the truth. So, to prevent injustices against the unorthodox, and to facilitate a flourishing society, we must defend freedom.
Hate speech legislation will lead to increasing censorship and self-censorship. The Police should not be threatening to prosecute those who are “offensive” on social media, for example. No one has the right not to be offended. We oppose all hate speech legislation and would repeal the current “stirring up hatred” offences. We also oppose the “Hate Incident” system under which incidents are recorded with no evidence or investigation at all, leading campaigning groups into an unseemly race to rack up numbers of incidents recorded in order to further their own agenda.
The Equality Act’s section on “harassment” should be repealed. Again, “offence” should not be a matter for the law, nor should such vague concepts as “violating your dignity.” The Equality Act has led to many injustices and serves to enforce a political philosophy by threat of legal consequence.
Professional regulatory agencies should not seek to enforce the government’s philosophy and silence dissent. Employers should respect the right of employees to express diverse opinions.
SFP policies, page 23
So, we oppose any law to ban so-called conversion therapy. A person wishing to move away from or subdue homosexual attraction should be free to seek assistance from someone who agrees with their goal. Similarly, a person wishing to move away from any unconventional gender identity should be free to seek support that accords with their personal philosophy. Any person should be free to share their opinion and advice on matters of sexuality and gender with anyone else, unless in a context where any communication of personal values would be inappropriate. We do not want to see parents and religious leaders, for example, convicted for explaining their views and urging and helping people to live in accordance with them.
SFP policies, page 24
Anti-gender equality
Men and women, on average, tend to have different priorities and interests. This diversity is positive and creative, not a problem to eliminate. We do not want to squeeze the sexes into uniformity, but to support men and women as they fulfil their own vision for their own lives.
Gender imbalances in many areas of study and lines of work are not a problem to solve, but a natural manifestation of men and women freely following their own inclinations and ambitions.
Compared to women, men tend to work longer hours, are more willing to sacrifice job security for career advancement, do more dangerous jobs, and take fewer career breaks. Women often want to devote themselves more to family life. The “gender pay gap” is by and large a reflection of the natural differences between men and women, and no government action is required to address it.
We do not support gender quotas in business, education or politics and would seek to repeal legislation that already discriminates in this way.
So-called “equal pay” claims, where women claim to have been underpaid for doing different work than men, are unjust. Councils should not have to dissipate their limited resources following these unjust claims. Similarly, businesses should be secure from such opportunistic attacks.
We would cut taxpayer funding for campaigning groups such as Engender, Close the Gap and Equate.
SFP policies, page 26
Anti-sex work
Prostitution harms prostitutes, clients and their families, leads to coercion to meet demand and trivialises sex, eroding the proper respect with which sexual intimacy should be regarded. Buying sex should be criminalised. This deterrence would decrease the demand for sexual services and therefore reduce the number of people abused or damaged through prostitution. It would also protect potential clients from the harm to their own wellbeing and that of their family that can result from the use of prostitutes. Some prostitutes enter into this work through their own uncoerced choice and freely choose to continue in it, however many others are forced into it through human trafficking, debt and drug addiction. This is a great social evil that requires to be addressed by legislation. It is illogical to make it illegal to buy something that is legal to sell, so selling sex should also be criminalised. While punishments might be appropriate in some cases, help to move women on from prostitution would be available.
SFP policies, page 31
Anti-funding
We are not convinced that taxpayers’ money should be given to organisations such as Young Scot, Children and Young People’s Commissioner, Equality Network, Scottish Trans Alliance, Creative Scotland, Scottish Human Rights Commission, Equality and Human Rights Commission (Scotland), Amnesty International (Scotland), White Ribbon, Engender, Crew, Alcohol Focus Scotland, Stonewall, Friends of the Earth, National Parents Forum of Scotland, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, LGBT Youth Scotland, Obesity Action Scotland, Interfaith Scotland, One Scotland, Score Scotland, Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights, Scottish Alliance of Regional Equality Councils, CEMVO, BEMIS, Steve Retson Project, Children in Scotland,
SFP policies, page 34
Amina (Muslim Women’s Resource Centre, which exists to turn women away from traditional Islamic values), Fast Forward, Starcatchers,Together (Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights) and the Scottish Book Trust. Do we need both Cycling Scotland and Sustrans?
Anti-rights
There are invaluable principles embodied in Human Rights declarations. However, they can be open to spurious and unforeseen interpretations. Rights intended to enshrine protected choices can be interpreted as entitlements. Rights also often give scope for judicial activism, thus undermining democracy. We would be alert to these problems and seek to address them.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is commonly used as a pretext for wider ideological campaigning, often undermining the authority of parents. Signing up to this convention has handed power to the UN undemocratically, as they interpret the text as they wish in the future and impose demands on the Scottish Government. We oppose the incorporation of the UNCRC into Scots Law.
SFP policies, page 37
Pro-fracking
It is wasteful in economic terms and damaging to the environment to import fracked gas from the USA into processing plants such as Grangemouth whilst our own reserves of fracked gas stretch across the Central Region of Scotland and are left untouched.
SFP policies, page 39
Their full manifesto
This is a direct copy of the file available to download from their website. You can check if you want, but I don’t want to give them any traffic so I won’t be linking to them.
