Tuesday March 17th 2026
Scottish Parliament
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
Christians in Scotland are losing faith with traditional party politics, the latest research seems to suggest.
A newly-published study reveals that Scottish Christians are no longer being drawn to one particular political party ahead of national elections in May.
The ‘Faith and Public Life in Scotland’ study suggests support is now spread across a wider field, with a large rise in undecided respondents and no single party dominating the picture.
The latest findings point to a marked drop in support for the Scottish National Party in particular – from 35 per cent to 12 per cent.
Reform is now supported by the greatest number of Christians but still only stands at 15 per cent.
The survey published by Logos Scotland has highlighted a significant shift since 2024 in the political outlook of Christians in Scotland, with ‘Don’t Know’ now the most common response when participants were asked which party they would support.
Faith In Public Life 2026 findings
Based on surveys undertaken in late 2025, the 2026 Faith and Public Life in Scotland report found that 42% of respondents did not know which party they would back, compared with 16% in the 2024 phase of the study.
Among those naming a party, 15% supported Reform, while support for the SNP had fallen sharply to 12% from 35% in the earlier survey.
The Conservatives stood at 9% and Labour at 8%.
The Scottish Family Party and Liberal Democrats had each seen their support rise to 6%, pointing to a more open and competitive field beyond the larger parties.
Logos said the findings did not necessarily indicate disengagement, but rather suggested a more fluid and unsettled political mood among respondents.
The report also noted variation within sub-groups.
Modest but visible shares of Baptist and Free Church respondents backed the Scottish Family Party (SFP), and in the youngest age band shown in the political-affiliation section, those aged 25 to 34, the SFP polled 9%, above its overall survey share.
The findings come as no surprise to Berwickshire-based Hamish Goldie-Scot, SFP list candidate for the South of Scotland in the upcoming Scottish Parliament elections
He said: “Though we are not a Christian party, many of our members are Christians, or members of other faiths, who recognise the importance of marriage and the value of life.
“For such people, it is becoming increasingly difficult in good conscience to vote for parties that – in terms of party policy – have at best become equivocal about, and at worse appear to oppose, such values.
“As for the reported rise in support among younger voters, I appreciate that the sample size was small, but this also reflects what we hear on the doorstep.”
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