List of by-elections to the Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Parliament is the devolved legislature of Scotland. It was founded in 1999. The 129 members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) are elected using the additional member system. 73 MSPs are elected through the first-past-the-post system in the Parliament's single-member constituencies, while 56 are elected in the regions to ensure results are proportional. There are 8 regions, electing 7 MSPs each. By-elections to the Parliament occur when a constituency seat becomes vacant, due to the death or resignation of a member.^[1]

There were no by-elections in the 3rd Scottish Parliament term (2007–11).

By-elections

Where seats changed political party at the by-election, the result is highlighted: pink for a Labour gain, and blue for a Conservative gain

More information Parliament, By-election ...

List of by-elections for constituency members
Parliament	By-election	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause	Ref
6th	Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse	5 June 2025	Christina McKelvie		SNP	Davy Russell		Labour	Death (breast cancer)	^[2]
5th	Shetland	29 August 2019	Tavish Scott		Liberal Democrats	Beatrice Wishart		Liberal Democrats	Resignation (to take a new role at Scottish Rugby)	^[3]
5th	Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire	8 June 2017	John Lamont		Conservative	Rachael Hamilton		Conservative	Resignation (to contest a seat in the 2017 UK general election)	^[4]
4th	Cowdenbeath	23 January 2014	Helen Eadie		Labour	Alex Rowley		Labour	Death (cancer)	^[5]

	Dunfermline	24 October 2013	Bill Walker		SNP	Cara Hilton		Labour^[a]	Resignation (convicted of assault)	^[7]
Aberdeen Donside	20 June 2013	Brian Adam		SNP	Mark McDonald		SNP	Death (cancer)	^[8]
2nd	Moray	27 April 2006	Margaret Ewing		SNP	Richard Lochhead		SNP	Death (breast cancer)	^[9]
2nd	Glasgow Cathcart	29 September 2005	Mike Watson		Labour	Charlie Gordon		Labour	Resignation (convicted of fire-raising)	^[10]
1st	Banff and Buchan	7 June 2001	Alex Salmond		SNP	Stewart Stevenson		SNP	Resignation (to focus on the Parliament of the United Kingdom)	^[11]
	Strathkelvin and Bearsden	7 June 2001	Sam Galbraith		Labour	Brian Fitzpatrick		Labour	Resignation (health reasons)	^[11]
	Glasgow Anniesland	23 November 2000	Donald Dewar		Labour	Bill Butler		Labour	Death (brain hemorrhage)	^[12]
	Ayr	16 March 2000	Ian Welsh		Labour	John Scott		Conservative^[b]	Resignation (family reasons)	^[14]

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