2026 Scottish Parliament election

General election held in Scotland on 7 May 2026 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

An election for the Scottish Parliament was held on 7 May 2026 to elect all 129 members of the Scottish Parliament. It was the seventh general election since the devolved parliament was established in 1999. The governing Scottish National Party (SNP) secured a fifth consecutive term as they emerged as the largest party, despite losing six seats and falling seven short of a majority.

Registered4,320,981[1]
TurnoutConstituency – 53.4% Decrease10.1pp
Regional – 53.4% Decrease10.1pp
Quick facts All 129 seats to the Scottish Parliament 65 seats needed for a majority, Registered ...
2026 Scottish Parliament election

 2021
7 May 2026
Next 

All 129 seats to the Scottish Parliament
65 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Registered4,320,981[1]
TurnoutConstituency – 53.4% Decrease10.1pp
Regional – 53.4% Decrease10.1pp
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader John Swinney Anas Sarwar Malcolm Offord
Party SNP Labour Reform
Leader since 6 May 2024 27 February 2021 15 January 2026
Leader's seat Perthshire North Glasgow West Scotland[a]
Last election 64 seats 22[b] seats 0 seats
Seats before 60 20[c] 1
Seats won 58 17[d] 17
Seat change Decrease 6 Decrease 5 Increase 17
Constituency vote 877,077 440,708 361,994
% and swing 38.2% Decrease9.5pp 19.2% Decrease2.4pp 15.8% (New)
Regional vote 625,949 368,785 383,425
% and swing 27.2% Decrease13.1pp 16.0% Decrease1.9pp 16.6% Increase16.4pp

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Leader Ross Greer /
Gillian Mackay
Russell Findlay Alex Cole-Hamilton
Party Green Conservative Liberal Democrats
Leader since 29 August 2025 27 September 2024 20 August 2021
Leader's seat West Scotland /
Central Scotland and Lothians West
West Scotland Edinburgh North Western
Last election 8 seats 31 seats 4 seats
Seats before 7 28 5
Seats won 15 12 10
Seat change Increase 7 Decrease 19 Increase 6
Constituency vote 52,528 271,740 261,458
% and swing 2.3% Increase1.0pp 11.8% Decrease10.1pp 11.4% Increase4.4pp
Regional vote 321,964 271,550 215,624
% and swing 14.0% Increase5.9pp 11.8% Decrease11.7pp 9.4% Increase4.3pp

Results by constituencies and regions

First Minister before election

John Swinney
SNP

First Minister after election

John Swinney
SNP

Close

In the previous election, held five years prior, Nicola Sturgeon led the SNP to a fourth term in government, falling only a seat short of a majority. The party later entered a power-sharing agreement with the Scottish Greens. Sturgeon resigned in 2023 and was succeeded by Humza Yousaf. Yousaf ended the agreement with the Greens and later resigned after the Greens tabled a motion of no confidence vote. Swinney succeeded him amid party turmoil in the SNP. In the 2024 UK general election, Scottish Labour won a landslide and made a resurgence of support - its best result since 2010 in Scotland. Polls in the run-up to the election campaign suggested the SNP would emerge as the largest party for a fifth Holyrood election running, although focus weighed on who would emerge as the second largest, with the rise of Reform UK across the UK.

The SNP won the election with 58 MSPs, falling seven short of a majority. Reform and Labour both won 17 seats, followed by the Greens on 15, the Conservatives on 12 and the Liberal Democrats on 10. It was the worst performance at a Scottish Parliament election for both Labour and Conservatives, with the former's seat share decreasing for the sixth consecutive election. Conversely, the Greens had their best-ever result, going into double figures for the first time and winning their first constituency seats. Reform enjoyed a rise in support, although they were the only party not to win constituency seats.

The key issues dominating the election included the economy; income tax and the cost of living, healthcare, energy, housing and immigration - although the latter is a reserved issues, it remained a topic of debate. The SNP also argued the case for another referendum on Scottish independence. This was the first election contested using the new constituency boundaries implemented following the Second Periodic review. The election was held on the same day as the local elections in England and the Senedd election in Wales, in which Plaid Cymru were victorious. With Sinn Féin also in government in Northern Ireland, this would mark the first time that all three devolved nations were governed by first ministers opposed to the United Kingdom.

Background

Electoral events

2021 Scottish Parliament election

Since the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, Scottish politics has undergone a period of significant leadership transitions and shifting governing arrangements. In that election, the Scottish National Party (SNP) won 64 seats, falling one short of an overall majority. This led Nicola Sturgeon to negotiate the Bute House Agreement with the Scottish Greens, which brought Green MSPs into the government for the first time to secure a pro-independence majority in the chamber.[2]

SNP leadership changes

Sturgeon's final term as First Minister was marked by a renewed push for a second independence referendum, though this was checked by a UK Supreme Court ruling in 2022 stating Holyrood could not legislate for a vote without Westminster's consent. Her government also faced intense debate over the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, which was passed by the Scottish Parliament but was ultimately blocked by the UK government. In February 2023, Sturgeon unexpectedly announced her resignation, citing the personal toll of the office and a desire to make way for new leadership.[3]

Humza Yousaf won the subsequent turbulent leadership contest, becoming Scotland's first ethnic minority First Minister. His tenure was characterised by the ongoing Operation Branchform police investigation into SNP finances and a difficult economic climate. In April 2024, Yousaf unilaterally terminated the Bute House Agreement with the Greens. This move backfired when the Greens withdrew their support for his leadership, and facing an imminent vote of no confidence, Yousaf resigned after thirteen months in office.[4]

John Swinney, a former Deputy First Minister and the former SNP leader while the party was in opposition, was elected unopposed to succeed Yousaf and led a minority government into the elections. His leadership focused on party stabilisation following the 2024 UK general election, which saw Labour win a landslide victory and Scottish Labour replacing the SNP as the largest party in Scotland by Westminster seat count. However, the SNP later recovered in the polls amid the unpopularity of both Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar, with Swinney leading his party into the 2026 elections and promising to deliver independence if re-elected. While the constitutional debate around independence stayed central to Scottish discourse during Swinney's premiership, the immediate path to a second referendum remained stalled by legal and political obstacles.[5]

Conservative leadership changes

In May 2024, the Conservative prime minister Rishi Sunak called the 2024 United Kingdom general election to be held on 4 July, which was won by the Labour Party, with Keir Starmer succeeding Sunak as prime minister the following day. Amid the national election, Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross announced his intention to resign as leader of the Scottish Conservatives upon the election of his successor.[6]

Russell Findlay, who had been considered a frontrunner for the position, announced his candidacy for leader on 22 July.[7] Facing fellow MSPs Murdo Fraser and Meghan Gallacher,[8] Findlay received 52% of MSP endorsements and was elected leader with 61.7% of the first-preference vote among party members.[9] On 27 September he become leader of the largest opposition party in the Scottish Parliament. He formed his Shadow Cabinet on 8 October.[10]

Anas Sarwar's call for Keir Starmer's resignation

On 9 February 2026, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar held a press conference in Glasgow to publicly call for Prime Minister Keir Starmer to resign. Sarwar stated that "the distraction needs to end and the leadership in Downing Street has to change," citing a series of "mistakes" that he believed were undermining Labour's prospects in the upcoming elections. Sarwar described Starmer as "a decent man" and "a friend", but argued that his (that is, Sarwar's) primary loyalty was to Scotland and that the Prime Minister's continued leadership was sabotaging the party's future.[11]

The primary catalyst for this intervention was the fallout from the appointment of Peter Mandelson as British Ambassador to the United States, which had come under intense scrutiny due to Mandelson's past ties to child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Sarwar's move followed the resignations of Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, and director of communications, Tim Allan. Sarwar said he had spoken to Starmer earlier that day to inform him of his decision, stating that the two had "disagreed" on the necessity of his resignation.

In the immediate aftermath, senior Cabinet members including Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy and Chancellor Rachel Reeves rallied behind Starmer, emphasising his mandate and urging party unity. Within Scottish Labour, the move caused significant friction; while Monica Lennon supported Sarwar's "leadership", others such as former Scottish Secretary Ian Murray branded the call a threat to party stability. First Minister John Swinney and Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay characterised the situation as "opportunism" and a "meltdown".[12] Addressing the Parliamentary Labour Party later that evening, Starmer remained defiant, stating he had "won every fight I've ever been in" and refused to walk away.[13]

Easdales donation offer to Scottish Labour

In January 2026, the millionaire Easdale brothers "reportedly pledged a six-figure donation to Scottish Labour".[14] Sarwar said that they did not make any policy demands of Scottish Labour but that they want the SNP out of power.[14]

Alba Party financial and leadership crisis

In February 2026, the Alba Party entered a major financial and organisational crisis which ultimately led to the party being wound down ahead of the election. Party leader Kenny MacAskill warned members that Alba was unlikely to contest the election due to financial irregularities linked to alleged fraud and declining income, while discussions were ongoing with the Electoral Commission regarding compliance and the party’s future registration.[15] The announcement triggered internal divisions within the party, with several National Executive Committee members and candidates disputing the leadership’s handling of the situation and calling for a membership ballot on whether Alba should stand in the election.[16] The dispute escalated publicly in late February and early March, amid reports of resignations, candidate withdrawals and disagreements over access to party membership data. Party officials later stated that Alba was financially insolvent and unable to meet existing debts, while internal factions argued the party could continue if leadership changed and additional funds were raised.

On 8 March 2026, MacAskill announced that Alba would be wound down due to its financial position, effectively ending the party founded by Alex Salmond in 2021 and confirming it would not participate in the election.[17][18][19]

Other elections

Two further elections affecting Scotland took place between the 2021 and 2026 Scottish Parliament elections:

Composition of the Scottish Parliament before dissolution

More information Affiliation, Members ...
Affiliation Members
Elected
in 2021
Before dissolution Differ­ence
SNP 64 60 Decrease 4
Conservative 31 28 Decrease 3
Labour 22[e] 20[f] Decrease 2
Green 8 7 Decrease 1
Liberal Democrats 4 5 Increase 1
Reform 0 1 Increase 1
Independent 0 7 Increase 7
Presiding Officer 0 1 Increase 1
Total MSPs 129 129 Steady
Government majority –1 –9 Decrease 8
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Date

Under the Scottish Elections (Reform) Act 2020, ordinary general elections to the Scottish Parliament are held on the first Thursday in May five years after the 2021 election, i.e. on 7 May 2026.[20] This Act superseded the Scotland Act 1998, which had set elections in every fourth year.[21] The close of nominations was 1 April.[22] The count began at 9am on 8 May. The reason for holding the count during the day rather than the more usual overnight count was to "support increased public engagement while increasing staff availability and recognising the operational complexities of the Election Countgiven for this is to ensure staff welfare and to reduce the risks relating to accuracy of the count process."[23]

Retiring MSPs

42 MSPs did not seek re-election,[24][25][26] which was a record.[27] Eight of those stepping down were first elected at the formation of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, but only five have had unbroken service. Richard Lochhead briefly resigned his regional seat to contest a Moray by-election in 2006; Rhoda Grant lost her seat in 2003 and returned at the 2007 election; Sarah Boyack lost her seat in the 2016 election and returned in 2019. Of the original MSPs from 1999 with unbroken service, only three contested the 2026 election: Jackie Baillie, Fergus Ewing and John Swinney.[24]

More information MSP, Seat ...
Members of Scottish Parliament not standing for re-election
MSP Seat First elected Party Date announced
John Mason Glasgow Shettleston 2011 Independent (elected as SNP) 25 April 2023[28]
James Dornan Glasgow Cathcart SNP 10 August 2023[29]
Christine Grahame Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale 1999 29 September 2024[30]
Ruth Maguire Cunninghame South 2016 16 November 2024[31]
Elena Whitham Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley 2021 25 November 2024[32]
Humza Yousaf Glasgow Pollok 2011 17 December 2024[33]
Oliver Mundell Dumfriesshire 2016 Conservative 9 January 2025[34]
Richard Lochhead Moray 1999 SNP 26 January 2025[35]
Joe FitzPatrick Dundee City West 2007 28 January 2025[36]
Michelle Thomson Falkirk East 2021 29 January 2025[37]
Audrey Nicoll Aberdeen South and North Kincardine 9 February 2025[38]
Evelyn Tweed Stirling 12 February 2025[39]
Graeme Dey Angus South 2011 19 February 2025[40]
Beatrice Wishart Shetland 2019 Liberal Democrats 20 February 2025[41]
Liz Smith Mid Scotland and Fife 2007 Conservative 25 February 2025[42]
Rona Mackay Strathkelvin and Bearsden 2016 SNP 25 February 2025[43]
Edward Mountain Highlands and Islands Conservative 26 February 2025[44]
Gordon MacDonald Edinburgh Pentlands 2011 SNP 28 February 2025[45]
Annabelle Ewing Cowdenbeath 2 March 2025[46]
Richard Leonard Central Scotland 2016 Labour 4 March 2025[47]
Shona Robison Dundee City East 1999 SNP 5 March 2025[48]
Fiona Hyslop Linlithgow 5 March 2025[48]
Alex Rowley Mid Scotland and Fife 2014 Labour 6 March 2025[49]
Bill Kidd Glasgow Anniesland 2007 SNP 12 March 2025[50]
Nicola Sturgeon Glasgow Southside 1999 12 March 2025[51]
Natalie Don-Innes Renfrewshire North and West 2021 13 March 2025[52]
Mairi Gougeon Angus North and Mearns 2016 14 March 2025[53]
Michael Matheson Falkirk West 1999 16 March 2025[54]
Willie Coffey Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley 2007 17 March 2025[55]
Stephanie Callaghan Uddingston and Bellshill 2021 22 March 2025[56]
Douglas Ross Highlands and Islands 2016 Conservative 25 March 2025[57]
Maurice Golden North East Scotland 7 April 2025[58]
Rhoda Grant Highlands and Islands 1999 Labour 15 May 2025[59]
Sarah Boyack Lothian 1999 16 June 2025[60]
Alison Johnstone Lothian 2011 Presiding Officer[g] 20 June 2025[61]
Kate Forbes Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch 2016 SNP 4 August 2025[62]
Mercedes Villalba North East Scotland 2021 Labour 2 September 2025[63]
Tess White North East Scotland 2021 Conservative 2 September 2025[64]
Kevin Stewart Aberdeen Central 2011 SNP 8 September 2025[65]
Pam Duncan-Glancy Glasgow 2021 Independent (elected as Labour) 21 December 2025[66]
Foysol Choudhury Lothian 2021 9 April 2026[67]
Colin Smyth South Scotland 2016 9 April 2026
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MSPs who lost their seats

More information MSP, Constituency/Region ...
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Parties

Contesting constituency and/or regional ballot

More information Parties, Regions ...
Parties Regions Constituencies Seats at dissolution
Scottish National Party
Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba
8 73
60 / 129(47%)
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Pàrtaidh Tòraidheach na h-Alba
8 73
28 / 129(22%)
Scottish Labour[h]
Pàrtaidh Làbarach na h-Alba
8 73
20 / 129(16%)
Scottish Greens
Pàrtaidh Uaine na h-Alba
8 6
7 / 129(5%)
Scottish Liberal Democrats
Pàrtaidh Libearalach Deamocratach na h-Alba
8 73
5 / 129(4%)
Reform UK Scotland
Pàrtaidh Ath-leasachaidh Alba
8 73
1 / 129(0.8%)
Independents 6 21
8 / 129(6%)[i]
Alliance to Liberate Scotland/Sovereignty[68] 8 14
0 / 129(0%)
Scottish Common Party 3 7
0 / 129(0%)
Independence for Scotland Party
Pàrtaidh Neo-eisimeileachd do dh'Alba
7 3
0 / 129(0%)
Workers Party of Great Britain 5 4
0 / 129(0%)
Advance UK 5 3
0 / 129(0%)
Independent Green Voice 8 0
0 / 129(0%)
Scottish Socialist Party
Pàrtaidh Sòisealach na h-Alba
8 0
0 / 129(0%)
Scottish Family Party 8 0
0 / 129(0%)
Scottish Libertarian Party
Pàrtaidh Libeirtèireach na h-Alba
6 1
0 / 129(0%)
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition[69] 0 6
0 / 129(0%)
UK Independence Party 4 0
0 / 129(0%)
Alliance for Democracy and Freedom[70] 1 3
0 / 129(0%)
Abolish the Scottish Parliament Party 1 2
0 / 129(0%)
Scottish Christian Party 2 0
0 / 129(0%)
Edinburgh and East Lothian People 1 1
0 / 129(0%)
Freedom Alliance 0 1
0 / 129(0%)
Heritage Party 1 0
0 / 129(0%)
Animal Welfare Party 1 0
0 / 129(0%)
Scottish Rural Party 1 0
0 / 129(0%)
Scottish Liberal Party 1 0
0 / 129(0%)
Communist Party of Britain 1 0
0 / 129(0%)
Equality Party 1 0
0 / 129(0%)
Socialist Labour Party 1 0
0 / 129(0%)
Source: BBC
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Other parties

On 21 February 2026, Alba Party leader Kenny MacAskill announced that the party was unlikely to be able to stand candidates due to an internal financial crisis.[71] After this announcement Tommy Sheridan, Angus MacNeil, Christina Hendry and Suzanne Blackley issued a joint statement in which they offered to take over leadership of the Alba Party to ensure it can contest the election but this ultimately never materialised.[72] On 8 March 2026, MacAskill announced that the party would deregister and therefore would be unable to stand in the election.[73]

Your Party originally intended to stand candidates, but it was later reported that they would miss the deadline due to what Scottish representative Niall Christie called "inaction and decisions taken by Your Party at a UK level".[74]

Election system, seats, and regions

The total number of Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) elected to the Parliament is 129. The Scottish Parliament uses an additional member system (AMS), designed to produce approximate proportional representation for each region. There are eight regions, each sub-divided into smaller constituencies. There are a total of 73 constituencies. Each constituency elects one MSP by the plurality (first past the post) system of election. Each region elects seven additional MSPs using an additional member system. A modified D'Hondt method, using the constituency results, is used to elect these additional MSPs.[75][76][77]

The Scottish Parliament constituencies have not been coterminous with Scottish Westminster constituencies since the 2005 general election, when the 72 former UK Parliament constituencies were replaced with a new set of 59, generally larger, constituencies (see Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004). The boundaries used for the Scottish Parliament elections were then revised for the 2011 election. The Boundary Commission also recommended changes to the electoral regions used to elect "list" members of the Scottish Parliament,[78] which were also implemented in 2011. The Second Periodic Review of constituency and regional boundaries began in September 2022 and was completed by May 2025.[79][80] The proposals were formally approved in October 2025, establishing the constituencies and regions to form the basis for the 2026 election.[81]

Campaign

According to Professor John Curtice, main campaign issues included the economy, cost of living, health and social care services and immigration.[82] Other issues include energy, housing and Scottish independence.[83] Another issue is Starmer's leadership after Sarwar called for him to resign.[84] On 10 March 2026, BBC Scotland's podcast Scotcast started airing leader interviews with the party leaders in the run-up to the election.[85]

On 19 March, Malcolm Offord and Nigel Farage launched Reform UK's manifesto in Bishopton, Renfrewshire, positioning itself as a challenger to the established parties with a platform centred on tax cuts, immigration control and economic deregulation. A key proposal is to reduce Scottish income tax to levels below those in the rest of the UK, alongside broader commitments to cut public spending and roll back green policies in order to lower energy costs. The party has also emphasised stricter law and order measures, opposition to what it describes as “net zero ideology”, and support for domestic energy production and business growth through reduced regulation.[86] They also unveiled their constituency candidates.[87] The following day, Stuart Niven, the candidate for Dundee City West, was suspended following revelations that he was disqualified as a company director.[88] In the days that followed, four more candidates stood down from standing for Reform UK.[89]

On 21 March, the Scottish Greens announced a commitment to raising the minimum wage for care workers to £15 per hour.[90] Other policies announced by the party include, expanding funded childcare, higher tax on the super rich, big businesses, big banks, as well as casinos and bookies, and a commitment to free bus travel for everyone in Scotland via a bus network under public control.[91]

On 27 March, The National announced that they would be hosting a hustings which would feature representatives of the six main parties to be hosted on 7 April however the Conservatives and Labour declined to appear,[92] and on 6 April, the day before the hustings, Thomas Kerr, the Reform representative pulled out, criticising The National and accusing them of spreading misinformation on his party's stance on corporal punishment in schools.[93] The Holyrood Sources podcast announced that they would host a hustings event with the party leaders on 1 April.[94]

On 31 March, Guy Ingerson was replaced by Maggie Chapman as top candidate in North East Scotland.[95] On 1 April, Scottish Labour candidate for Glasgow Southside Mohammed Ameen was replaced by Rashid Hussain following criminal charges.[96] SNP candidate and leader of the SNP group on North Lanarkshire Council, Tracy Carragher was suspended from the party and dropped as an election candidate.[97]

On 4 April, the Scottish Greens announced a commitment to end all NHS dental charges, ensuring free dental care for all in Scotland.[98] The party also stated that it would expand the role of dental therapists in order to speed up waiting times.[98]

Russell Findlay launched the Scottish Conservatives manifesto in Edinburgh on 7 April with a strong emphasis on the cost of living, positioning the election as a choice between continued public spending under the SNP and lower-tax, “common sense” economic policies. Key proposals included cutting income tax, supporting North Sea oil and gas development, and reducing what the party describes as wasteful government spending. The party has also focused on improving public services such as healthcare and education, alongside a broader agenda centred on economic growth, law and order, and opposition to further tax rises.[99][100]

On 12 April, UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting stated on LBC that the UK Government would never grant the Scottish Parliament the powers to hold a second independence referendum. These comments were criticised by the SNP and Scottish Greens. LBC journalist Gina Davidson stated that Streeting’s comments might have just made the election catch fire and result in SNP supporters to go and turnout to vote.[101] The subject was brought up in the leader’s debate hosted in Paisley that evening where Anas Sarwar was challenged and refused to answer on what mechanism would need to be in place for a second referendum to be granted.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar launched his party’s manifesto in Edinburgh on 13 April, presenting the election as an opportunity to “fix” public services after nearly two decades of SNP government, appealing to the public to give him “five years to fix the SNP’s mess”. The manifesto outlined a programme focused on economic reform and public service investment, including plans to build over 50,000 affordable homes, recruit additional teachers, and reduce business rates. It also proposed tax changes aimed at easing pressure on middle-income earners, reforms to public bodies, and support for sectors such as the arts, alongside a more centrist economic approach that includes openness to new nuclear energy projects.[102][103] On 14 April, the internal pro-LGBT group Scottish Labour Against Bigotry attacked the manifesto as "explicitly transphobic" due to its stated commitment to "single-[biological] sex spaces, in NHS wards, schools, sport and everyday life", and urged the electorate not to vote for the party.[104]

On 14 April, the Scottish Greens launched their manifesto in Glasgow, presenting promises such as taking bus services into public ownership, introducing a universal basic income, and widening access to funded childcare.[105][106]

The SNP launched their manifesto on 16 April in Glasgow with key pledges including capping the price of essential food items, introducing a £2 nationwide bus fare cap, and supporting business through a new “major projects office” and high-growth unit. The party has committed to no income tax increases for most earners while proposing targeted taxes on large corporations, alongside increased investment in healthcare and education. Additional policies include banning smartphones in classrooms and a £10,000 deposit support scheme for first-time buyers, with Scottish independence remaining a central objective.[107]

The Liberal Democrats launched their manifesto on 17 April.

Labour–Reform UK alliance claims

Claims and speculation surrounding a potential alliance between Scottish Labour and Reform UK became a significant point of contention during the campaign period, particularly in exchanges between party leaders and during televised debates.

During the SNP’s campaign launch on 26 March, First Minister John Swinney argued that the absence of an SNP majority could lead to what he described as a “grubby deal” between Anas Sarwar and Reform UK. Swinney framed the prospect as a risk of Labour seeking power through informal arrangements with parties on the right, positioning the SNP as the only safeguard against such an outcome, citing issues within Fife Council as a recent example. Sarwar rejected the claim, stating that Scottish Labour would not enter into any agreements or cooperation with Reform UK, and reiterated that his party’s focus was on winning a mandate to govern in its own right.[108][109]

The issue gained further prominence on 30 March, when debate emerged over Scottish Labour’s electoral strategy following its campaign launch, after reports suggested the party was exploring a pathway to power that could rely on a fragmented parliament and a strong performance by Reform UK on the regional list.[110] Senior Labour figures indicated that gains in key central belt constituencies, combined with vote splitting among unionist parties, could potentially allow the party to form a minority government. However, polling experts, including Professor John Curtice and academic Mark McGeoghegan, expressed strong scepticism, noting that Labour remained significantly behind the SNP in most polls and that the rise of Reform UK was more likely to divide the anti-SNP vote than to assist Labour. Analysts described the scenario as highly unlikely without a substantial and unprecedented shift in voter support.[111][112] Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay refused to rule out that his party would vote to make Sarwar the First Minister in this scenario.[113]

During the Channel 4 News leaders' debate on 14 April, Malcolm Offord claimed that Anas Sarwar had suggested cooperation between Scottish Labour and Reform UK to prevent the SNP from remaining in power. Offord alleged that the conversation took place following the recording of Question Time at Paisley Town Hall in December 2025.[114][115] Sarwar rejected the claim following the debate, describing it as untrue and reiterating that Scottish Labour would not enter into any deals or arrangements with Reform UK.[116]

The dispute continued after the broadcast, with Offord standing by his remarks in subsequent media appearances, while Sarwar described the allegation as a "desperate lie" and repeated that there would be no deals or "backroom stitch-ups".[117] The row was amplified by other parties during the campaign, with the SNP citing the exchange as evidence of a potential post-election alignment, while Labour and other parties dismissed the claims as speculative and politically motivated.[118] Reform UK councillor and candidate Thomas Kerr stated that Sarwar had made similar remarks to him in November 2025, claiming that Labour MP Maureen Burke was present during the exchange, while Offord said an aide had also witnessed his alleged conversation. Reform sources further suggested comparable discussions had taken place in Holyrood in recent months.[119]

On 20 April, the dispute widened further following additional claims and counterclaims involving Graham Simpson and Kerr. Sarwar alleged that Simpson had privately criticised senior Reform figures, claims which Simpson rejected as “completely ridiculous”. Simpson in turn asserted that Sarwar had approached him on three occasions in Holyrood to discuss working together to remove the SNP from power, echoing similar claims made by Offord and Kerr in the preceding days. Sarwar denied these allegations, maintaining that no such discussions had taken place.

Election debates and hustings

More information Date, Organisers ...
2026 Scottish Parliament election debates and hustings
Date Organisers Moderator(s)  P  Present[j]    S  Surrogate[k]    NI  Not invited   A  Absent invitee  INV Invited 
SNP Conservatives Labour Greens Lib Dems Reform Venue Ref.
31 March The Scotsman[l] Alistair Grant S
McAllan[m]
S
Fraser[n]
S
Whitfield[o]
S
Harvie[p]
P
Cole-Hamilton
P
Offord
Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh [120]
1 April Holyrood Sources Calum Macdonald[q] P
Swinney
P
Findlay
P
Sarwar
P
Greer
P
Cole-Hamilton
P
Offord
Easter Road Stadium, Edinburgh [94]
2 April Prosper Gina Davidson P
Swinney
P
Findlay
P
Sarwar
P
Greer
P
Cole-Hamilton
P
Offord
Royal Bank of Scotland, Edinburgh [121]
7 April The National Assa Samake-Roman S
Middleton[r]
A[s] A[t] S
Bruce[u]
S
Jardine[v]
A
Kerr
Virtual [123]
12 April BBC Scotland (Debate Night Leader's Special) Stephen Jardine P
Swinney
P
Findlay
P
Sarwar
P
Greer
P
Cole-Hamilton
P
Offord
Paisley Town Hall, Paisley [124]
14 April Channel 4 News Krishnan Guru-Murthy P
Swinney
P
Findlay
P
Sarwar
P
Mackay
P
Cole-Hamilton
P
Offord
Merchant City, Glasgow [125]
23 April BBC (Question Time Election Special) Fiona Bruce S
McAllan[w]
P
Findlay
P
Sarwar
P
Mackay
P
Cole-Hamilton
P
Offord
Beach Ballroom, Aberdeen [126]
28 April STV News Colin Mackay P
Swinney
P
Findlay
P
Sarwar
P
Greer
P
Cole-Hamilton
P
Offord
Signet Library, Edinburgh [127]
29 April BBC Scotland (Debate Night Young Voters Special) Stephen Jardine S
Middleton[x]
S
Gallacher[y]
S
Baillie[z]
P
Mackay
S
Greene[aa]
S
McGuire[ab]
Pacific Quay, Glasgow [128]
3 May The Courier Sean O'Neil P
Swinney
P
Findlay
P
Sarwar
P
Mackay
P
Cole-Hamilton
P
Offord
DC Thomson HQ, Dundee [129]
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Opinion polling

Key

  SNP – Scottish National Party
  Conservative – Scottish Conservatives
  Labour – Scottish Labour
  Lib Dem – Scottish Liberal Democrats
  Green – Scottish Greens
  Alba – Alba Party
  Reform – Reform Party Scotland

Results

More information Party, Constituency ...
PartyConstituencyRegionalTotal
seats
+/–
Votes%SeatsVotes%Seats
Scottish National Party877,07738.1857625,94927.18158−6
Labour[ac]440,70819.183368,78516.011417−5
Reform UK361,99415.760383,42516.651717+17
Greens52,5282.292321,96413.981315+7
Conservative271,74011.834271,55011.79812−19
Liberal Democrats261,45811.387215,6249.36310+6
Independents17,9230.78016,8790.73000
Alliance to Liberate Scotland/Sovereignty4,7680.21019,3180.8400New
Independent Green Voice19,9750.87000
Scottish Family Party17,1360.74000
Independence for Scotland Party10,2460.4400New
Scottish Socialist Party8,3260.3600New
Workers Party1,3210.0603,4020.1500New
Scottish Common Party2,0310.0901,5570.0700New
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition2,7400.12000
Advance UK3280.0102,1450.0900New
Alliance for Democracy and Freedom1,1330.0501,2520.0500New
Socialist Labour Party2,2600.1000New
Animal Welfare Party2,0320.09000
Scottish Libertarian Party560.0001,9090.08000
Scottish Christian Party1,9070.0800New
Liberal Party1,7480.08000
Edinburgh and East Lothian People5240.0201,0730.0500New
Abolish the Scottish Parliament6680.0301,0150.04000
UKIP1,2260.05000
Scottish Rural Party7720.0300New
Communist Party of Britain6720.03000
Heritage Party4710.0200New
Freedom Alliance (UK)2120.01000
Equality Party2760.0100New
Total2,297,209100.00732,302,894100.0056129
Valid votes2,297,20999.572,302,89499.73
Invalid/blank votes10,0000.436,1370.27
Total votes2,307,209100.002,309,031100.00
Registered voters/turnout4,320,98153.404,320,98153.44
Source: Electoral Management Board
Close

Constituencies which changed hands

More information Constituency, Gain ...
Close

Central Scotland and Lothians West

More information Party, Elected candidates ...
2026 Scottish Parliament election: Central Scotland and Lothians West regional list[130]
Party Elected candidates Seats +/− Votes % +/−%
SNP 0 Steady 86,809 30.7 Decrease 14.4
Reform Graham Simpson
Mandy Lindsay
Amanda Bland
3 Increase 3 58,334 20.6 Increase 20.4
Labour Mark Griffin
Jenny Young
2 Decrease 1 57,103 20.2 Decrease 2.6
Green Gillian Mackay 1 Increase 1 34,415 12.2 Increase 5.9
Conservative Meghan Gallacher 1 Decrease 2 19,450 6.9 Decrease 11.8
Close

Glasgow

More information Party, Elected candidates ...
2026 Scottish Parliament election: Glasgow regional list[131]
Party Elected candidates Seats +/− Votes % +/−%
SNP 0 Steady 68,669 27.5 Decrease 16.1
Green Patrick Harvie
Iris Duane
2 Increase 1 58,881 23.6 Increase 11.5
Labour Anas Sarwar
Pauline McNeill
Paul Sweeney
3 Decrease 1 47,795 19.2 Decrease 5.2
Reform Thomas Kerr
Kim Schmulian
2 Increase 2 38,341 15.4 Increase 15.2
Conservative 0 Decrease 2 10,621 4.3 Decrease 7.8
Close

Results by constituency and region

Constituencies

More information Seat, SNP ...
Seat SNP Labour Conservative Greens Lib Dem Reform UK Other
Aberdeen Central Jack Middleton
11,974
Jenny Laing
5,002
Stewart Whyte
3,688
Yi-pei Chou Turvey
2,563
James Wyllie
3,936
Aberdeen Deeside and North Kincardine Stephen Flynn
11,788
Matthew Lee
2,805
Liam Kerr
10,544
Mel Sullivan
2,880
Duncan Massey
6,113
Iris Alexandra Leask (Ind, 431)
Aberdeen Donside Jackie Dunbar
11,760
Lynn Thomson
3,907
Hannah Powell
4,496
Michael Turvey
2,823
Claudia Leith
7,029
Stephen Bowie (AtLS/Sovereignty, 481)
Aberdeenshire East Gillian Martin
11,624
Janine Langler
1,487
Douglas Lumsden
10,681
David Evans
3,999
John Crawley
7,008
Aberdeenshire West Fatima Joji
10,113
Kate Blake
1,569
Alexander Burnett
15,897
Jeff Goodhall
3,995
Jo Hart
5,467
Airdrie Neil Gray
10,711
Suzanne Macleod
6,201
Euan Blockley
1,145
Ed Thornley
660
Graham Simpson
5,821
  • Brendan O’Donnell (Ind, 505)
  • John Jo Leckie (ASP, 441)
Almond Valley Angela Constance
16,944
Jordan Stokoe
8,035
Damian Doran-Timson
2,501
Caron Lindsay
2,307
Malcolm Jones
6,831
Angus North and Mearns Dawn Black
11,308
Simon Watson
1,676
Tracey Smith
8,058
Martyn Knights
2,647
Laurie Carnie
4,844
David Allen Neil (Ind, 468)
Angus South Lloyd Melville
13,289
Heather Doran
3,344
Angus MacMillan Douglas
6,681
Isobel Knights
2,488
Bill Reid
5,583
Argyll and Bute Jenni Minto
11,019
Callum George
1,740
Peter Wallace
1,703
Alan Reid
8,468
Amanda Hampsey
3,678
  • Tommy Macpherson (Ind, 769)
  • Mick Rice (Ind, 179)
Ayr Siobhian Brown
12,848
Brian McGinley
6,394
Sharon Dowey
8,448
Desmond Buchanan
1,427
Andrew Russell
5,355
  • Denise Sommerville (Ind, 742)
  • Muhammad Tufail (Scottish Common, 78)
Banffshire and Buchan Coast Karen Adam

10,374

Brooke Ritchie
1,049
James Adams
6,348
Leslie Tarr
1,162
Conrad Ritchie
10,010
N. D. R. McLennan (Ind, 555)
Bathgate Pauline Stafford
13,594
Jenny Young
8,007
Peter Heggie
2,091
Stephen Harte
1,937
David McLennan
7,511
Gus Ferguson (BUP, 227)
Caithness, Sutherland and Ross Maree Todd
9,574
Eva Kestner
894
Donald MacKenzie
1,117
David Green
14,666
Steven Welsh
3,900
Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley Katie Hagmann
9,610
Carol Mochan
6,671
Tracey Clark
3,680
Karen Utting
1,187
Andrew Scott
6,988
Sean Davis (Ind, 412)
Alison Hewett (Ind, 413)
Clackmannanshire and Dunblane Keith Brown
12,222
Suzanne Grahame
7,958
Alexander Stewart
3,592
Sally Pattle
1,841
Mike Collier
5,181
  • Eva Comrie (AtLS, 1,228)
  • Luca Scacchi (Ind, 345)
Clydebank and Milngavie Marie McNair
12,126
Callum McNally
7,929
Alix Mathieson
1,820
Ben Langmead
4,419
Andy White
4,510
Claire Gallagher (Scottish Common, 647)
Clydesdale Màiri McAllan
13,006
Lynsey Hamilton
8,618
Julie Pirone
4,344
Richard Brodie
1,957
Daniel Clarke
7,898
Coatbridge and Chryston Fulton MacGregor
14,458
Kieron Higgins
7,682
Andy Bruce
1,109
Daniel Mancini
1,048
Mandy Lindsay
5,145
Cowdenbeath David Barratt
11,994
Fiona Sword
6,307
Darren Watt
2,201
James Calder
1,547
Mark Davies
4,708
Laurie Moffat (AtLS/Sovereignty, 304)
Cumbernauld and Kilsyth Jamie Hepburn
13,787
James McPhilemy
6,472
Keith Allan
1,129
William Brian Howieson
949
Steve Grant
4,580
Alan McManus (AtLS/Sovereignty, 226)
Cunninghame North Kenneth Gibson
11,814
Matthew McGowan
6,022
Ronnie Stalker
4,904
Christine Murdoch
1,592
Mike Mann
5,404
Ian Gibson (ADF, 411)
Cunninghame South Patricia Gibson
11,375
Katy Clark
7,208
Maurice Corry
2,222
Emma Farthing-Sykes
1,442
Matthew McLean
7,049
Dumbarton Sophie Traynor
10,961
Jackie Baillie
12,747
Gary Mulvaney
1,368
Elaine Ford
1,196
David Smith
5,040
  • Andrew Muir (Ind, 355)
  • Lynda Hannah McEwan (TUSC, 356)
Dumfriesshire Stephen Thompson
10,262
Linda Dorward
3,364
Craig Hoy
11,370
Iain McDonald
1,660
David Kirkwood
5,783
Paul Adkins (Common, 200)
Dundee City East Stephen Gethins
12,969
Cheryl-Ann Cruickshank
4,792
Jack Cruickshanks
1,999
Tanvir Ahmad
2,086
Mark Simpson
4,135
  • Peter Ashby (WPB, 209)
  • Donald McLeod (TUSC, 361)
Dundee City West Heather Anderson
12,722
Michael Marra
6,365
Abigail Brooks
881
Daniel Coleman
1,980
Arthur Keith
3,315[ad]
Jim McFarlane (TUSC, 649)
Dunfermline Shirley-Anne Somerville
14,206
Joe Long
8,769
Thomas Heald
2,209
Lauren Buchanan-Quigley
3,849
Otto Inglis
5,093
East Kilbride Collette Stevenson
14,339
Joe Fagan
9,395
Brian Whittle
2,251
Leigh Butler
1,424
Tim Kelly
5,683
Kristofer Keane (Ind, 716)
East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs Paul McLennan
11,677
Martin Whitfield
11,259
Miles Briggs
4,719
Tim McKay
2,802
Nigel Douglas
4,611
Morgwn Carter Davies (Ind, 597)
Eastwood Kirsten Oswald
12,722
Kayleigh Quinn
8,368
Jackson Carlaw
11,990
Euan Davidson
1,748
John Mooney
3,453
Edinburgh Central Angus Robertson
7,702
James Dalgleish
8,098
Jo Mowat
2,262
Lorna Slater
12,680
Charles Dundas
2,168
Gary Neill
1,876
  • Tam Laird (Libertarian, 56)
  • Craig John Murray (AtLS, 150)
  • Bonnie Prince Bob (Ind, 176)
  • Chris Creighton (Ind, 32)
  • Robert Neil Pownall (Ind, 41)
Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh and Tranent Kate Campbell
14,083
Katherine Sangster
9,097
Tim Jones
1,819
Alan Grant
2,057
Angela Ross
4,120
Joe Smith (AtLS, 305)[133]
Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith Ben Macpherson 13,630 Oliver Thomas
7,894
Haris Young
1,297
Kate Nevens
10,559
Liss Owen
1,895
David Lees
2,746
Edinburgh North Western Lyn Jardine
9,943
Irshad Ahmed
1,879
Rachel Cairns
1,749
Alex Cole-Hamilton
22,959
Davie Thomson
3,342
David Henry (WPB, 268)
Edinburgh Northern Euan Hyslop
10,479
Eleanor Ryan-Saha
3,744
Christopher Cowdy
1,900
Kayleigh Kinross-O'Neill
5,289
Sanne Dijkstra-Downie
12,972
Andrew McLaughlin
2,867
Abu Meron (SWP, 258)
Edinburgh South Western Simita Kumar
11,727
Catriona Munro
8,438
Sue Webber
4,636
Andy Williamson
3,672
Cameron Rose
3,936
Edinburgh Southern Deidre Brock
12,000
Daniel Johnson
16,963
Marie-Clair Munro
3,421
Jane Alliston Pickard
3,334
Charles Turner
3,317
Mar Wilkinson (EELP, 524)
Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire John Redpath
8,206
Kaymarie Hughes
1,577
Rachael Hamilton
13,483
Ray Georgeson
2,358
Jamie Langan
3,569
  • Terry Howson (AtLS, 165)
  • James Anderson (Ind, 740)
Falkirk East and Linlithgow Martyn Day
14,465
Siobhan Paterson
9,030
Lewis Stein
2,861
Paul McGarry
2,501
Amanda Bland
7,906
Ian Wallace El-Paget (Ind, 759)
Falkirk West Gary Bouse

14,896

Paul Godzik
7,859
Neil Benny
2,297
Lucy Smith
2,037
Richard Fairley
8,160
Stuart James McArthur (Ind, 865)
Fife North East John Beare
7,876
Elizabeth Carr-Ellis
818
Edward Sheasby
936
Willie Rennie
21,350
William Docherty
2,524
Galloway and West Dumfries Emma Harper
9,903
Jack McConnel
2,544
Finlay Carson
11,502
Tracey Warman
1,380
Senga Beresford
4,674
Glasgow Anniesland Colm Merrick
13,281
Eunis Jassemi
9,162
Sandesh Gulhane
1,404
James Speirs
1,688
Sean O'Hagan
4,839
Glasgow Baillieston and Shettleston David Linden
12,075
Pauline McNeill
5,885
John Murray
1,006
Amy Carman
1,082
Thomas Kerr
6,972
Glasgow Cathcart and Pollok Zen Ghani
14,270
Anas Sarwar
9,107
Kyle Park
1,325
Peter McLaughlin
1,407
Kim Schmulian
5,320
Glasgow Central Alison Thewliss
15,085
Vonnie Sandlan
5,094
Naveed Asghar
835
Paul Kennedy
1,262
Paul Bennie
3,988
Glasgow Easterhouse and Springburn Ivan McKee
11,926
Paul Sweeney
6,772
Josephine Macleod
706
Nicholas Moohan
788
Audrey Dempsey
5,309
Kenneth Nwosu (Scottish Common, 301)
Glasgow Kelvin and Maryhill Bob Doris
11,174
James Adams
7,531
Danny Bowman
1,309
Iris Duane
9,003
Daniel Khan-O'Malley
1,374
Aimee Alexander
3,592
Thomas Adkins (Scottish Common, 130)
Glasgow Southside Kaukab Stewart
10,947
Rashid Hussain
7,300
Ross Hutton
1,383
Holly Bruce
14,048
Rachel Park
1,143
Gordon Millar
3,019
  • Kamran Butt (Scottish Common, 512)
  • Abdullah Aroo Waqqar (Ind, 147)
Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse Alex Kerr
11,825
Davy Russell
9,120
Alexandra Herdman
1,617
Michael Weatherhead
1,156
John McNamee
7,193
  • David Ballantine (ADF, 348)
Inverclyde Stuart McMillan
14,193
Francesca Brennan
8,876
Ted Runciman
1,351
Jamie Greene
1,954
Malcolm Offord
5,649
Inverness and Nairn Emma Roddick
11,162
Shaun Fraser
1,723
Ruraidh Stewart
1,372
Neil Alexander
10,735
Fred Campbell
3,791
Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley Alan Brown
11,919
Ewan McPhee
7,458
James Adams
2,780
Michael Gregori
1,169
Anne Millar
5,441
Garry McClay (AtLS, 407)
Kirkcaldy David Torrance
12,230
Claire Baker
7,483
Heather Greig
1,445
Fraser Graham
1,607
Julie MacDougall
5,484
Mid Fife and Glenrothes Jenny Gilruth
12,461
Afifa Khanam
3,970
Niamh Heald
1,414
Ed Scotcher
3,047
Sacha Haworth
4,827
Midlothian North Colin Beattie
11,250
Caitlin Stott
8,754
Phil Doggart
2,032
Jenny Butler
2,387
Pal Chidambaram
4,506
Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale Calum Kerr
14,091
Daniel Coleman
4,614
Keith Cockburn
6,930
Duncan Dunlop
4,649
Carolyn Grant
4,199
Moray Laura Mitchell
12,646
David Blair
2,340
Tim Eagle
9,963
Morven-May MacCallum
2,064
Max Bannerman
5,540
Allan Duffy (AtLS, 210)
Motherwell and Wishaw Clare Adamson
11,962
Ayeshah Khan
6,447
Bob Burgess
1,638
Jenni Lang
979
Duncan Macmillan
5,692
  • Dominic James Alderson (Ind, 328)
  • Greig Duncan McArthur (AtLS, 298)
Na h-Eileanan an Iar Alasdair Allan
4,511
Donald MacKinnon
4,665
George MacPherson
594
Jamie Dobson
812
Malcolm McTaggart
1,625
Orkney Islands Robert Leslie
1,661
Mike Macleod
199
Jamie Halcro Johnston
358
Liam McArthur
7,221
John Coupland
844
Paisley George Adam
13,164
Neil Bibby
10,136
Satbir Gill
940
James Kenyon
1,073
Alec Leishman
4,620
  • Mark Turnbull (Freedom Alliance, 212)
  • Sinead Daly (TUSC, 297)
  • William Wallace (Ind, 458)
Perthshire North John Swinney
16,414
Angela Bailey
2,240
Murdo Fraser
10,171
Claire McLaren
2,741
Kenneth Morton
4,620
Perthshire South and Kinross-shire Jim Fairlie
14,707
Luke Thomson
2,599
Roz McCall
9,646
Amanda Clark
4,329
Helen McDade
5,128
Renfrewshire North and Cardonald Michelle Campbell
14,300
Mike McKirdy
9,424
Jack Hall
1,929
Grant Toghill
1,642
Moira Ramage
7,083
Jim Halfpenny (TUSC)
Renfrewshire West and Levern Valley Tom Arthur
13,819
Paul O'Kane
10,548
Farooq Choudhry
2,016
Ross Stalker
1,610
Jamie McGuire
5,844
Ken Thomson (ADF, 374)
Rutherglen and Cambuslang Clare Haughey
14,969
Monica Lennon
9,125
Annie Wells
1,321
Patrick Logue
1,833
Allan Lyons
6,168
Chris Sermanni (TUSC, 467)
Shetland Islands Hannah Mary Goodlad
5,453
John Erskine
169
Douglas Barnett
137
Alex Armitage
949
Emma Macdonald
3,936
Vic Currie
725
Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch Eilidh Munro
14,273
Isla McCay
1,751
Helen Crawford
2,731
Andrew Baxter
15,223
Jon Whitton
4,669
Laùra Hänsler (AtLS, 506)
Stirling Alyn Smith
13,608
Kainde Manji
5,124
Stephen Kerr
6,166
Jill Reilly
2,324
Rachael Wright
4,908
Matthew Riley (Ind)
Strathkelvin and Bearsden Denis Johnston
13,125
Colette McDiarmid
4,678
Pam Gosal
2,122
Adam Harley
15,697
Faten Hameed
4,154
Uddingston and Bellshill Steven Bonnar
11,966
Mark Griffin
8,832
Meghan Gallacher
1,750
Ben Munnoch
1,094
George Hobbins
5,646
Close

Regions

Votes

More information Seat, SNP ...
Seat SNP Labour Conservative Greens Lib Dems Reform UK Other Total
Central Scotland and Lothians West 86,80957,10319,45034,41512,83058,33413,814282,755
Edinburgh and Lothians East 69,65558,69629,22367,87742,93733,34117,855319,594
Glasgow 68,66947,79510,62158,8819,82638,34115,330249,463
Highlands and
Islands
54,01114,63220,33421,93547,43728,27614,512201,137
Mid Scotland
and Fife
81,01841,05637,15536,28634,36345,63210,508286,018
North East
Scotland
88,08429,14462,17430,02825,98059,82312,616307,849
South Scotland 86,44652,31460,72631,17017,99961,34612,561322,562
West Scotland 91,25768,04531,86741,37224,85258,33218,418334,143
Close

Vote percentages

More information Seat, SNP ...
Seat SNP Labour Conservative Greens Lib Dems Reform UK Other Total
Central Scotland and Lothians West 30.720.26.912.24.520.64.9282,755
Edinburgh and Lothians East 21.818.49.121.213.410.45.6319,594
Glasgow 27.519.24.323.63.915.46.1249,463
Highlands and Islands 26.97.310.110.923.614.17.2201,137
Mid Scotland and Fife 28.314.413.012.712.016.03.7286,018
North East Scotland 28.69.520.29.88.419.44.1307,849
South Scotland 26.016.218.89.75.619.03.9322,562
West Scotland 27.320.49.512.47.417.55.5334,143
Close

Members

  = elected in constituency vote

More information Seat, No. ...
Seat No. SNP Labour[134] Conservative Greens Lib Dems[135] Reform UK[136] Liberate
Scotland
[137][138]
Scottish
Family
SSP Other
Central Scotland and
Lothians West
[139]
1 Pauline StaffordMark GriffinMeghan GallacherGillian MackayPaul McGarryGraham SimpsonGreig McArthurDavid RichardsonCollette Bradley
2 Neil GrayJenny YoungLewis SteinClaire WilliamsLucy SmithMandy LindsayAlan McManusLeo LanahanLewis Clark
3 Toni GiuglianoKeiron HigginsNeil BennyCameron GlasgowCaron LindsayAmanda BlandDavid BairdNorma McLachlan DiffinConor Gilbey
4 Clare AdamsonSiobhan PatersonKeith AllanAnne McCrossanStephen HarteRichard FairleyGraham FraserAilish Lanahan
5 Callum CoxJames McPhilemyAndrew BruceBrian HowiesonDavid McLennanSteve Arnott
6 Steven BonnarSuzanne MacleodPeter HeggieDaniel ManciniDuncan MacMillan
7 Stacey DevineAyeshah KhanDamian Doran-TimsonJenni LangSteven Grant
8 Jordan StockoeBob BurgessMalcolm Jones
9 Euan BlockleyGeorge Hobbins
Edinburgh and
Lothians East
[140]
1 Tommy Sheppard Irshad AhmedMiles BriggsLorna SlaterSanne Dijkstra-DownieAngela RossCraig MurrayPhilip HoldenColin Fox
2 Deidre BrockKatherine SangsterSue WebberKate NevensJane PickardPal ChidambaramJoe SmithNeil DeepnarainNatalie Reid
3 Simita KumarDaniel JohnsonMarie-Clair MunroQ ManivannanCharles DundasNigel DouglasHugh KerrMairi LucasAlly Maxwell
4 Angus RobertsonCatriona MunroChristopher CowdyKayleigh Kinross-O'NeillLewis YounieDavid LeesJim DalyHelen Maceachen
5 Paul McLennanMartin WhitfieldJo MowatChas BoothJenny ButlerCharles TurnerAnna CarroPeter James Cox
6 Colin BeattieCaitlin StottTim JonesAdam Al-KhatebLiss OwenAndrew McLaughlin
7 Kelly ParryJames DalgleishRachel CairnsJo PhillipsAlan GrantGary Neill
8 Lyn JardineEleanor Ryan-SahaHaris YoungMridul WadhwaDavid Thomson
9 Oliver ThomasDan HeapCameron Rose
10 Astri JS Kvassnes
11 Alex Staniforth
12 Mariusz Cebulski
Glasgow[141]
1 Alison ThewlissAnas SarwarAnnie WellsPatrick HarvieDaniel Khan-O'MalleyThomas KerrTommy SheridanAndrew John BradieLiam McLaughlan
2 Ivan McKeePauline McNeillSandesh GulhaneHolly BrucePaul KennedyKim SchmulianDhruva KumarJohn Paul McArthurOlivia Murphy
3 Kaukab StewartPaul SweeneyRoss HuttonIris DuaneJames SpiersAudrey DempseyGail SheridanMichael James O'HaraBill Bonnar
4 David LindenMonica LennonKyle ParkRana Moro HamedRachel ParkAllan LyonsHilda McMahonAgnes Gallagher
5 Graham CampbellJames AdamsJohn MurrayKit RenardPeter McLaughlinPaul Bennie
6 Colm MerrickVonnie SandlanJosephine MacLeodIsabele RuffellAmy CarmanAimee Alexander
7 Declan BlenchEunis JassemiDaniel BowmanVerity WoolleySean O'Hagan
8 Zen GhaniGordon Millar
9 Annette Christie
10 Abdul Bostani
11 Adekemi Giwa
12 Qasim Hanif
Highlands and
Islands
[142]
1 Maree ToddIsla McCayTim EagleAriane BurgessMorven-May MacCallumVic CurrieBrian NugentKenny StoneWillie Hamilton
2 Robert LeslieDonald MacKinnonJamie Halcro JohnstonKristopher LeaskAlan ReidMax BannermanAndrew McDonaldAllan MaceachenBrenda Nicholson
3 Emma RoddickEva KestnerHelen CrawfordKate WillisDeclan GallacherAmanda HampseyKenneth MacKenzieRachel Michelle Gibson
4 Hannah Mary GoodladJohn ErskineRuairidh StewartDraeyk Van der HornAngela MacLeanFred CampbellLaùra HänslerEva Morrice
5 Eilidh MunroMike MacLeodGeorge MacphersonAlex ArmitageDenis RixsonMalcolm McTaggartAllan DuffyHarriet Woolmore
6 Jérémie FernandesCallum GeorgePeter WallaceAnne ThomasGuy GrieveJon WhittonFlora Badger
7 Shaun FraserDonald MacKenzieJulie ChristieFiona BennettJohn Coupland
8 David BlairDouglas Barnett
Mid Scotland
and Fife
[143]
1 John SwinneyClaire BakerMurdo FraserMark RuskellClaire McLarenHelen McDadeEva ComrieRichard Crewe LucasPaolo Caserta
2 Shirley-Anne SomervilleJoe LongStephen KerrMags HallSally PatileJulie MacDougallLaurie MoffatDaniel Gerard SmithJack Reekie
3 Fiona LawFiona SwordRoz McCallCaitlin RipleyEdward ScotcherRachael WrightJock PenmanAlan Henry Brown
4 Alyn SmithKainde ManjiAlexander StewartRyan BlackadderAmanda ClarkMark DaviesDonal HurleyMarc Surtees
5 Jim FairlieSuzanne GrahamEdward SheasbyMarie StadlterLauren Buchanan-QuigleyMike CollierFrank Armstrong
6 David TorranceAngela BaileyThomas HealdClare AndrewsJane Ann ListonKenneth Morton
7 Susan McGillElizabeth Carr-EllisDarren WattAndrew AdamFraser GrahamOtto Inglis
8 John BeareAfifa KhanamHeather GreigPaul Vallot
9 David MitchellLuke ThomsonNiamh Heald
North East
Scotland
[144]
1 Stephen FlynnMichael MarraLiam KerrMaggie ChapmanYi-pei Chou TurveyDuncan MasseyStephen BowieEuan MorriceRoss Kenny
2 Gillian MartinHeather DoranDouglas LumsdenEsme HoustonMichael TurveyMark SimpsonKonrad RekasSusan EttleBrian Stewart
3 Fatima JojiLynn ThomsonAlexander BurnettWilliam LinegarTanvir AhmedClaudia LeithBrett MorrisonDave Bestwick
4 Christian AllardCheryl-Ann CruickshankJames AdamsSylvia HardieJeff GoodhallJo HartRonald HardieJoana Moore
5 Dawn BlackSimon WatsonStewart WhyteCharlotte HorneMel SullivanConrad RitchieMark David Mair
6 Miranda RadleyKate BlakeHannah PowellRemi SalvanMartyn KnightsJohn Crawley
7 Michael HutchisonMatthew LeeTracey SmithFahd AsifDavid EvansLaurie Carnie
8 Janine LanglerJack CruickshanksGordon MillerArthur Keith
9 Brooke RitchieAbi BrooksWilliam Reid
South Scotland[145]
1 Màiri McAllanCarol MochanRachael HamiltonLaura MoodieDuncan DunlopJamie LanganTerry HowsonGareth KirkMark Sands
  • IGV (Maxwell Dunbar)
  • ADF (David Ballantine, Glen Maney)
  • Common (Paul Adkins, Muhammad Tufail)
  • Heritage (David Griffiths, Gisele Skinner, Elspeth Griffiths, Charles McEwan)
  • Libertarian (Daniel Fraser)
  • UKIP (Janice Mackay, Laurie Steele, Robert Bilcliff, Gail Bilcliff, Colin Sullivan)
  • Sean Davis (Independent)
  • Denise Sommerville (Independent)
2 Alan BrownJoe FaganCraig HoyAnn McGuinnessRoy GeorgesonDavid KirkwoodGarry McClayHamish Goldie-ScotZoe Greenan
3 Emma HarperLinda DorwardFinlay CarsonDominic AshmoleAisha MirSenga BeresfordYvonne LazenburyLaura ShellAlex Creel
4 Siobhian BrownEwan MacPheeSharon DoweyNeil MacKinnonRichard BrodieTim KellyMaureen JohnstoneJosh‑Lee Witherspoon
5 Katie HagmannLynsey HamiltonBrian WhittleBarbara HarvieCharlotte OlcayCarolyn GrantMarjorie Thomson
6 John RedpathDaniel ColemanKeith CockburnCameron GarrettMichael GregoriDaniel Clarke
7 Collette StevensonKaymarie HughesJulie PironeTim ClanceyTracey WarmanJohn Mcnamee
8 Stephen ThompsonDavy RussellJames AdamsTom KerrAndrew Russell
9 Alex KerrBrian McGinleyTracey ClarkKorin VallanceAndrew Scott
10 Allan DoransJack McConnelAnne Millar
11 Kirsty Campbell
12 Ross Clark
West Scotland[146]
1 Stuart McMillanJackie BaillieRussell FindlayRoss GreerAdam HarleyMalcolm OffordGordon RossLiam McKechnieVeronica Edgely
  • ADF (Ken Thomson, Ian Gibson)
  • ISP (Colette Walker)
  • IGV (Ian Inkster)
  • Common (Claire Gallagher)
  • Libertarian (Alan William Findlay, Cameron Alexander Milne)
  • SLP (James McDaid, Louise McDaid, Bobby Cochrane, Bryan McLardy, David Jacobsen)
  • Liberal (Allan Steele, Andrew MacGregor)
  • UKIP (Ben Walker, Mike Pursglove, Gillian Ammoun)
  • Paul Mack (Independent)
  • Paddy McCarthy (Independent)
  • William Wallace (Independent)
2 Kirsten OswaldNeil BibbyJackson CarlawCara McKeeJamie GreeneDavid SmithSimon McLeanLuke ReidJonathan Judge
3 Michelle CampbellKaty ClarkPam GosalKaren SharkeyChristine MurdochMoira RamageKen McNeilMatt LynchColin Edgely
4 Patricia GibsonPaul O'KaneAlix MathiesonPaula BakerGrant ToghillMike MannIan VallancePaul Gallacher
5 Kenneth GibsonFrancesca BrennanGary MulvaneyRoss CollinsEmma Farthing-SykesMatthew McLeanEammon Gallagher
6 Tom ArthurKayleigh QuinnMaurice CorryRoss StalkerAndrew White
7 Sophie TraynorMike McKirdyJack HallElaine Ford
8 Denis JohnstonColette McDiarmidRonnie Stalker
9 Michael GibbonsMatthew McGowanFarooq Choudhry
10 Andrew SteelTed Runciman
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Aftermath and analysis

The SNP won a fifth successive Scottish Parliament election.[147] Labour and Reform tied for second place.[148] The Scottish Greens won elected their first constituency MSPs[149] and also elected the first transgender members to the Scottish Parliament.[150] A number of high profile MSPs were unseated including Angus Robertson, Jackson Carlaw, Kaukab Stewart, Fergus Ewing, Ash Regan and Monica Lennon.[151] Following the election, Jackie Baillie and John Swinney were the only remaining MSPs who had served in the parliament continuously since the 1999 election.[152] Kenny Gibson and Pauline McNeill, who were also first elected in 1999, had each been absent for one parliamentary session.[153]

John Swinney had the opportunity to form a new government,[154] and was subsequently re-elected as First Minister by the Scottish Parliament on 20 May 2026. He named a new cabinet, the second Swinney government, continuing to lead a minority government.[155][156]

Reform UK's leader Malcolm Offord lost out in Inverclyde but was elected on the party list.[157] John Swinney ruled out holding any talks with the party.[158]

Despite the poor result for his party, Anas Sarwar told reporters that he would remain the leader of Scottish Labour.[159]

On 12 June 2026, the French government agency Viginum reported that an Israeli private influence firm was involved in election interference, including targeting John Swinney.[160]

Election of the Presiding Officer and Deputy Presiding Officers

Presiding Officer

More information Candidate, First round ...
Candidate First round Second round Third round
  Kenneth Gibson checkY
46 / 129
48 / 129
74 / 129
  Clare Haughey
42 / 129
44 / 129
54 / 129
  Liam McArthur
34 / 129
36 / 129
Eliminated
  Stuart McMillan
6 / 129
Eliminated
  Abstentions
1 / 129
2 / 129
1 / 129
Source: BBC
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Deputy Presiding Officers

More information Candidate, First round ...
Candidate First round Second round Third round Fourth round Fifth round
  Clare Adamson checkY
46 / 129
58 / 129
68 / 129
Elected
  Katy Clark checkY
6 / 129
Eliminated
44 / 129
68 / 129
  Miles Briggs
38 / 129
37 / 129
41 / 129
50 / 129
55 / 129
  Claire Baker
16 / 129
22 / 129
18 / 129
30 / 129
Eliminated
  Stuart McMillan
17 / 129
10 / 129
Eliminated Disqualified[ae]
  Abstentions
6 / 129
2 / 129
2 / 129
5 / 129
6 / 129
Source: BBC
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Election of the First Minister

More information Candidate, First round ...
Candidate First round Second round Third round
  John Swinney checkY
57 / 129
57 / 129
56 / 129
  Anas Sarwar
17 / 129
17 / 129
17 / 129
  Malcolm Offord
17 / 129
17 / 129
17 / 129
  Gillian Mackay
15 / 129
13 / 129
15 / 129
  Russell Findlay
12 / 129
11 / 129
Eliminated
  Alex Cole-Hamilton
10 / 129
Eliminated
  Abstentions
1 / 129
14 / 129
24 / 129
Source: BBC
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Voter demographics

YouGov

Following the election, YouGov published a demographic breakdown of the election results.[161]

More information Category, SNP ...
Breakdown of constituency vote in Scotland into affiliates (%) by demographic[162]
Category SNP Lab Ref Con LD Grn Others Margin
All 39 19 15 11 11 2 2 20
Gender
Female 39 17 12 13 14 2 2 22
Male 40 20 17 10 9 2 2 20
Age
16–29 45 21 9 6 11 7 1 24
30–39 48 16 12 7 9 5 3 32
40–49 43 19 11 9 13 1 4 24
50–59 37 18 20 10 11 1 2 17
60–69 35 20 19 14 9 0 2 15
70+ 30 19 16 19 14 0 1 11
Women by age
16–34 49 15 4 9 16 5 2 33
35–49 46 17 11 11 11 2 2 29
50–64 36 15 17 13 14 2 3 19
65+ 29 21 14 19 14 0 3 8
Men by age
16–34 43 24 14 4 5 9 1 19
35–49 43 20 13 7 12 1 4 23
50–64 41 19 22 10 6 0 2 19
65+ 32 20 21 16 10 0 1 11
Socio-economic Classification
Higher 37 24 10 13 12 2 2 13
Intermediate 36 16 18 13 14 1 2 18
Routine 42 15 20 11 8 1 2 22
Highest educational level
Low 38 18 22 9 10 0 3 16
Medium 38 18 15 13 11 2 2 20
High 42 21 9 11 12 2 2 21
Work status
Working 43 18 15 10 10 2 2 25
Student 43 23 6 5 13 7 3 20
Retired 31 21 17 17 13 0 2 10
Not working 47 15 14 8 11 2 2 32
Household earnings
Under £25,000 39 16 16 12 13 2 2 23
£25,000–39,999 45 17 15 10 8 1 3 28
£40,000–69,999 39 22 15 9 9 3 2 17
£70,000+ 36 21 12 14 15 1 1 15
Household tenure
Own outright 32 21 17 16 11 1 2 11
Mortgage 42 18 12 11 12 2 3 24
Private rent 39 17 10 6 15 11 2 22
Social rent 46 15 21 5 10 0 4 25
Family or friends 49 17 13 10 9 1 1 32
By affiliation of constituency vote in 2021 Scottish Parliament election
Conservative 3 14 34 40 7 1 2 6
Labour 10 59 15 7 6 2 2 44
Lib Dem 7 12 10 3 67 0 1 55
SNP 77 6 6 3 5 1 2 71
By affiliation of regional vote in 2021 Scottish Parliament election
Conservative 1 17 34 35 10 0 2 1
Labour 12 57 11 9 9 1 1 45
Lib Dem 7 19 4 7 63 0 1 44
SNP 76 8 7 3 5 0 2 68
Green 64 10 3 1 9 9 4 54
By affiliation of vote in 2024 United Kingdom general election
Conservative 4 10 28 55 3 0 1 27
Labour 19 50 12 8 8 2 1 31
Lib Dem 10 8 5 6 68 3 1 58
SNP 88 2 3 1 2 2 2 85
Reform UK 2 4 80 6 5 0 4 74
Green 64 8 2 0 8 18 0 62
By affiliation of regional vote in 2026 Scottish Parliament election
Conservative 1 13 5 75 6 0 0 62
Labour 4 83 0 5 7 0 0 76
Lib Dem 9 10 1 5 73 2 1 63
SNP 94 2 0 0 3 1 0 91
Green 73 6 0 0 9 11 1 62
Reform UK 1 6 81 6 3 0 1 75
By affiliation of vote in 2014 Scottish independence referendum
Yes 65 9 12 4 6 1 3 53
No 14 29 19 20 16 1 1 9
By affiliation of vote in 2016 EU membership referendum
Remain 45 21 7 11 12 2 2 24
Leave 22 14 34 17 10 0 2 12
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More information Category, SNP ...
Breakdown of regional vote in Scotland into affiliates (%) by demographic[162]
Category SNP Ref Lab Grn Con LD Others Margin
All 27 17 16 14 12 9 5 10
Gender
Female 29 14 15 13 12 13 4 14
Male 25 19 17 15 11 7 6 6
Age
16–29 19 9 16 36 6 11 3 17
30–39 33 12 16 19 8 7 5 14
40–49 28 16 16 15 8 12 6 12
50–59 28 21 16 8 10 7 8 7
60–69 29 21 16 6 16 7 5 8
70+ 26 17 16 6 20 12 3 6
Women by age
16–34 25 5 13 35 9 9 3 10
35–49 35 12 15 12 10 12 4 20
50–64 31 19 14 7 12 12 5 12
65+ 27 16 17 5 19 13 3 8
Men by age
16–34 18 14 19 31 3 10 5 12
35–49 26 17 17 16 7 10 6 9
50–64 30 24 18 8 11 3 7 6
65+ 24 21 15 6 21 7 5 3
Socio-economic Classification
Higher 26 12 20 14 15 9 4 6
Intermediate 29 19 13 9 12 12 6 10
Routine 31 22 14 11 11 7 4 9
Highest educational level
Low 31 25 14 6 10 8 5 6
Medium 26 17 15 14 14 9 4 9
High 26 11 18 19 10 10 6 7
Work status
Working 30 17 16 14 9 8 6 13
Student 14 6 15 38 5 14 7 23
Retired 26 19 16 5 20 10 3 6
Not working 30 16 13 20 8 10 3 10
Household earnings
Under £25,000 31 17 14 14 11 9 4 14
£25,000–39,999 33 17 14 14 10 8 4 16
£40,000–69,999 28 16 17 15 11 7 6 11
£70,000+ 24 14 19 15 13 11 4 5
Household tenure
Own outright 25 18 17 7 18 9 6 7
Mortgage 29 15 16 14 11 10 5 13
Private rent 21 11 14 29 6 13 6 8
Social rent 38 24 12 9 4 8 5 14
Family or friends 21 15 14 31 9 10 1 10
By affiliation of constituency vote in 2021 Scottish Parliament election
Conservative 2 38 9 0 42 6 3 4
Labour 7 17 50 6 9 5 6 33
Lib Dem 6 11 14 8 10 50 2 36
SNP 56 6 6 18 2 5 6 38
By affiliation of regional vote in 2021 Scottish Parliament election
Conservative 1 40 8 0 41 8 2 1
Labour 8 12 55 5 6 9 4 43
Lib Dem 7 7 18 3 10 50 5 32
SNP 62 8 7 12 3 4 4 50
Green 22 3 8 53 1 4 9 31
By affiliation of vote in 2024 United Kingdom general election
Conservative 3 30 7 0 54 2 3 24
Labour 14 13 42 8 10 9 4 28
Lib Dem 9 8 12 7 9 52 2 40
SNP 65 4 2 19 1 2 7 46
Reform UK 0 90 1 0 3 2 3 87
Green 11 3 5 80 0 0 1 69
By affiliation of constituency vote in 2026 Scottish Parliament election
Conservative 1 9 7 0 76 4 3 67
Labour 3 5 70 5 8 5 3 62
Lib Dem 6 5 10 11 6 60 2 49
SNP 65 0 2 26 0 2 4 39
Reform UK 0 93 0 0 4 1 1 89
By affiliation of vote in 2014 Scottish independence referendum
Yes 47 13 8 15 4 6 7 32
No 11 23 24 5 22 13 3 1
By affiliation of vote in 2016 EU membership referendum
Remain 32 7 18 14 12 11 6 14
Leave 19 40 11 3 16 7 3 21
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See also

Notes

  1. Not an incumbent but stood for this region and won
  2. Includes 11 MSPs sponsored by the Co-operative Party, who are designated Labour and Co-operative.
  3. Includes 10 MSPs sponsored by the Co-operative Party, who are designated Labour and Co-operative.
  4. Includes 6 MSPs sponsored by the Co-operative Party, who are designated Labour and Co-operative.
  5. Includes 11 MSPs sponsored by the Co-operative Party, who are designated Labour and Co-operative.
  6. Includes 10 MSPs sponsored by the Co-operative Party, who are designated Labour and Co-operative.
  7. Originally elected as Scottish Green MSP
  8. Includes 10 MSPs sponsored by the Co-operative Party, who are designated Labour and Co-operative.
  9. Including the Presiding Officer, who resigns party membership upon election to the post.
  10. Denotes a main invitee attending the event.
  11. Denotes a main invitee not attending the event, sending a surrogate in their place.
  12. Co-organised with Scotland 2050
  13. Murdo Fraser, Conservative MSP
  14. Patrick Harvie, MSP and former co-leader of the Scottish Greens
  15. Alongside Andy Maciver and Geoff Aberdein
  16. Jack Middleton, SNP candidate
  17. Slot replaced by Eve Comrie of Alliance to Liberate Scotland
  18. Scottish Greens candidate for Glasgow Southside[122]
  19. Christine Jardine, Scottish Liberal Democrats MP
  20. Jack Middleton, SNP candidate
  21. Meghan Gallacher, Conservative MSP
  22. Jackie Baillie, Labour MSP
  23. Jamie Greene, Lib Dem MSP
  24. Jamie McGuire, Reform candidate
  25. Includes 6 MSPs sponsored by the Co-operative Party, who are designated Labour and Co-operative.
  26. Stuart Niven was announced as Reform candidate on 19 March 2026, and suspended from Reform on 20 March.[132]
  27. Parliamentary standing orders forbid the second Deputy Presiding Officer from being a member of the same party as both the Presiding Officer and the first Deputy, making McMillan ineligible to stand following the elections of Adamson and Gibson.

References

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