'Stable marriage' the priority for Scottish Family Party
BBCThe Scottish Family Party has announced its priority as promoting "stable" family life.
Leader Richard Lucas, making his pitch to voters ahead of next week's Holyrood election, said his party had the "unique" policy of supporting heterosexual marriage.
He also argued against abortion in all but "very extreme" cases.
Scots will head to the polls on Thursday 7 May to elect a new parliament.
The Scottish Family Party has contested elections since 2019, but has failed to win a seat in any ballot.
Lucas, a registered teacher who founded the party in 2017 after leaving Ukip, told BBC Scotland News: "We feel promoting family life, stable family life, is an area where there could be huge benefits without massive costs.
"So for us that's an open goal, an area that has to be explored by anyone who wants to see a flourishing society."
The party has faced criticism for its stance on gay marriage, which was legalised in 2014.
Lucas claimed same-sex marriages were "not ideal for children", adding that the state should not be "blessing" them.
The leader said his party opposed assisted death and abortion apart from in "very extreme" cases.
He added: "To us every human life is equally valuable and precious.
"And therefore we want to protect every human life from conception to natural death. So that's what our policies embody."
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