TheUnited Federal Party (UFP) was a political party in theFederation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.

The UFP was formed in November 1957 by a merger of theFederal Party, which had operated at the federal level, and the Southern RhodesianUnited Rhodesia Party.^[1][2] However, after conservative elements gained control of the party, the liberal faction led byGarfield Todd broke away to re-establish the United Rhodesia Party.^[3]

In the1958 general election in Southern Rhodesia the UFP won 17 of the 30 seats, despite receiving fewer votes than theDominion Party, whilst the URP failed to win a seat. In thefederal election in November 1958, the UFP won 46 of the 59 seats.

General elections in Northern Rhodesia in March 1959 saw the UFP win 13 of the 20 elected seats. In theAugust 1961 elections inNyasaland theMalawi Congress Party won 22 seats (including two upper roll seats) and the UFP five (all from the upper roll).

Thenext federal elections in March 1962 were boycotted by all other parties, allowing the UFP to win 54 of the 57 seats. However, that was the end of the UFP's success. In theNorthern Rhodesian general elections in September the UFP won the most seats, but theNorthern Rhodesian African National Congress, which held the balance of power, went back on a secret pact its leaderHarry Nkumbula had made with the UFP and allowed theUnited National Independence Party to form the government.General elections in Southern Rhodesia in December 1962 saw the UFP defeated by the newRhodesian Front; the UFP winning 29 seats to the Front's 35.

In April 1963 the party was split into four; the federal branch was rebranded as theFederal Party and continued to be led byRoy Welensky, whilst the territorial branches became theNational Progressive Party in Northern Rhodesia, theNyasaland Constitutional Party in Nyasaland and theRhodesia National Party in Southern Rhodesia, where it was led byEdgar Whitehead.^[4][5] The federation was dissolved at the end of 1963.