Scottish Enterprise Party
Encyclopedia
The Scottish Enterprise Party (SEP) was a Scottish centre-right
party supportive of Scottish independence
. It was formed in July 2004 to provide an alternative for centrist and right-of-centre voters who support independence.
The party opposed Scottish membership of the European Union
and any prospective membership of the euro
; it supported the principle of a constitutional monarchy
and elections conducted through the Single Transferable Vote
.
The SEP took the constitutional view that, unlike in England
where sovereignty traditionally resides with Parliament
, in Scotland sovereignty constitutionally resides with the people
, as set out in the Declaration of Arbroath
.
The party fielded 3 candidates in the 2007 Scottish Parliamentary elections, obtaining a total of 1,025 votes.
The organisation was later renamed as the Scottish Democratic Alliance
(SDA). The policies remained basically the same. The SDA was registered with the Electoral Commission
in June 2009, and the SEP was simultaneously wound up.
Centre-right
The centre-right or center-right is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political parties, or organizations whose views stretch from the centre to the right on the left-right spectrum, excluding far right stances. Centre-right can also describe a coalition of centrist...
party supportive of Scottish independence
Scottish independence
Scottish independence is a political ambition of political parties, advocacy groups and individuals for Scotland to secede from the United Kingdom and become an independent sovereign state, separate from England, Wales and Northern Ireland....
. It was formed in July 2004 to provide an alternative for centrist and right-of-centre voters who support independence.
The party opposed Scottish membership of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and any prospective membership of the euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
; it supported the principle of a constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
and elections conducted through the Single Transferable Vote
Single transferable vote
The single transferable vote is a voting system designed to achieve proportional representation through preferential voting. Under STV, an elector's vote is initially allocated to his or her most preferred candidate, and then, after candidates have been either elected or eliminated, any surplus or...
.
The SEP took the constitutional view that, unlike in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
where sovereignty traditionally resides with Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
, in Scotland sovereignty constitutionally resides with the people
Common People
"Common People" is a song by English alternative rock band Pulp. It was released as a single in 1995, reaching number two on the UK singles chart. It also appears on the band's 1995 album Different Class. The song is about those who were perceived by the songwriter as wanting to be "like common...
, as set out in the Declaration of Arbroath
Declaration of Arbroath
The Declaration of Arbroath is a declaration of Scottish independence, made in 1320. It is in the form of a letter submitted to Pope John XXII, dated 6 April 1320, intended to confirm Scotland's status as an independent, sovereign state and defending Scotland's right to use military action when...
.
The party fielded 3 candidates in the 2007 Scottish Parliamentary elections, obtaining a total of 1,025 votes.
The organisation was later renamed as the Scottish Democratic Alliance
Scottish Democratic Alliance
The Scottish Democratic Alliance was formed in 2009 as the successor to the Scottish Enterprise Party and is a Pro-Scottish independence party. As of yet they have not stood in any elections so are currently operating as a think tank on Scottish Current Affairs....
(SDA). The policies remained basically the same. The SDA was registered with the Electoral Commission
Electoral Commission (United Kingdom)
The Electoral Commission is an independent body set up by the UK Parliament. It regulates party and election finance and sets standards for well-run elections...
in June 2009, and the SEP was simultaneously wound up.