2026 Scottish Parliament election

The 2026 Scottish Parliament election is due to be held on 7 May 2026, and will elect 129 members to the Scottish Parliament. It will be the seventh general election since the devolved parliament was re-established in 1999. Six parties have MSPs in the sixth parliament, although only five won seats at the last Scottish Parliament election in 2021: the Scottish National Party (SNP) led by First Minister John Swinney, the Scottish Conservatives led by Russell Findlay, Scottish Labour led by Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Greens, led by co-leaders Gillian Mackay and Ross Greer, and the Scottish Liberal Democrats, led by Alex Cole-Hamilton. The election will be held on the same day as local elections in England and elections to the Welsh Senedd.

Of the main five parties, four have changed their leaders since the 2021 election. Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats have each received one MSP following a defection from the Conservatives, giving Reform UK an MSP after failing to elect any at the 2021 election, and increasing the Liberal Democrat's number of seats to 5. Seven members sit as independents after leaving or being suspended or expelled from their respective parties (three from the SNP, three from Labour, and one from the Conservatives). Additionally, Labour received an additional MSP when they won the 2025 Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election following the death of SNP MSP Christina McKelvie. It will be the first Scottish election since the 2024 United Kingdom general election, which Labour won nationwide, with a majority of seats in Scotland for the first time since 2010.

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.

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 Bill, which was passed by the Scottish Parliament but ultimately blocked by the UK government, using a never-previously used power. In February 2023, Sturgeon unexpectedly announced her resignation, citing the personal toll of the office and a desire to make way for new leadership.

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.

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 currently leads a minority government. His leadership has 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 have since 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 has remained central to Scottish discourse during Swinney's premiership, the immediate path to a second referendum remains stalled by legal and political obstacles.

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.

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

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 primary loyalty was to Scotland and that the Prime Minister's continued leadership was sabotaging the party's future.

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". 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.

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

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. 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. 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.

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

• May 2022: Scottish local government elections.
• July 2024: United Kingdom general election.

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. This Act superseded the Scotland Act 1998, which had set elections in every fourth year. The close of nominations was 1 April. The count will start at 9am on 8 May. The reason given for this is to ensure staff welfare and to reduce the risks relating to accuracy of the count process.

A record number of MSPs are not seeking re-election, with 42 as of April 2026. 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, there are only three contesting the 2026 election: Jackie Baillie, Fergus Ewing and John Swinney.

Parties below are sorted by total number of regions (0–8) and constituencies (0–73) they are standing in.

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. 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. On 8 March 2026, MacAskill announced that the party would deregister and therefore would be unable to stand in the election.

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".

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.

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, 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. The proposals were formally approved in October 2025, establishing the constituencies and regions that will form the basis for the 2026 election.

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

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. They also unveiled their constituency candidates. The following day, Stuart Niven, the candidate for Dundee City West, was suspended following revelations that he was disqualified as a company director. In the days that followed, four more candidates stood down from standing for Reform UK.

On 21 March, the Scottish Greens announced a commitment to raising the minimum wage for care workers to £15 per hour. 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.

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, 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. The Holyrood Sources podcast announced that they would host a hustings event with the party leaders on 1 April.

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

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

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.

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. 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. 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.

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.

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.

The Liberal Democrats launched their manifesto on 17 April.

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.

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. 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 assist Labour. Analysts described the scenario as highly unlikely without a substantial and unprecedented shift in voter support. Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay refused to rule out that his party would vote to make Sarwar the First Minister in this scenario.

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. 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.

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”. 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. 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 that comparable discussions had taken place in Holyrood in recent months.

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.

Key

  Conservative – Scottish Conservatives

  Labour – Scottish Labour

  Lib Dem – Scottish Liberal Democrats

  Green – Scottish Greens

  Alba – Alba Party

  Reform – Reform UK

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