In May 2026, Scotland will hold elections for the Scottish Parliament, Holyrood.
Established in 1999, Holyrood is one of three national assemblies, alongside the Welsh Sened and the Northern Irish Assembly in Stormont.
As a devolved assembly, it legislates on issues not reserved for Westminster, like agriculture and housing. It was established to provide Scotland greater autonomy on matters directly concerning Scotland, as they can set the legislative agenda.
How does it work?
The Scottish Parliament uses Additional Member Voting System. This means that electors vote for two candidates: one to represent their constituency using First-Past-The-Post and another to represent their region using the proportional system Closed Party List. This system allows greater representation of smaller parties but also reduces the possibility of a single-party majority.
So, what can we expect from this election? Currently, the SNP hold 64 out of 129 seats, 1 shy of a majority. Behind them the Conservatives and Labour hold 31 and 24 seats respectively.
Yet, polling suggests that the SNP will win significantly less seats than in 2021, despite still expected to win the largest share of votes.
This may reflect recent scandals that have plagued the party, such as financial fraud allegations against former first minister Nicola Sturgeon and the controversial resignation of Hamza Yousaf.
The Labour party will hope that the May election will mimic their Scottish success in the 2024 election, winning 37 seats at the cost of the SNP.
Is this election important?
Well, aside from potentially affecting Scottish governance, it is also the first electoral opportunity for the new Your Party. On a recent picketing trip to Glasgow, leader Jeremy Corbyn stated he fancied his party’s chances in 2026.
On the other side of the political spectrum, the recent anti-immigration protest in Glasgow could indicate Reform’s chances at winning their first seats in Holyrood. This is also another chance to test public faith in the Labour party; poor approval ratings could damage their chances of taking hold in Holyrood.
Yet undoubtedly, with 38 MSPs not seeking re-election, the Scottish Parliament will look different no matter what.
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