Greens win Sturgeon’s Glasgow seat as majority eludes SNP

9.35pm

Don’t be fooled: divisions remain

Nothing about the SNP’s victory suggests the country is behind it.

John Swinney must recognise that independence is a distraction and try to heal wounds.

Read the full view from The Times (Scotland) on today’s Holyrood election result, as we look at a nation still divided.

9.20pm

SNP win rounds out constituency results

All 73 constituency seats in the Scottish parliament election have now been declared.

In the final result of the night, the SNP held Uddingston & Bellshill.

Of the 73 constituency seats, the SNP won 57, the Scottish Lib Dems seven, the Scottish Conservatives four, Scottish Labour three and the Greens two.

9.08pm

‘Scunner factor’ keeps voters at home

The “scunner factor” appeared to play out around Scotland as turnout was down across the board on voting day, Greig Cameron writes.

In many places, the drop was ten percentage points or more, reflecting widespread apathy towards parties and candidates.

The likelihood of another comfortable SNP triumph may also have influenced how many people cast their votes. Even where a shock or a close race was predicted, there was a substantial decline in turnout.

9.00pm

Lib Dems seize former Forbes stronghold

The Liberal Democrats picked up seats around the country, including the constituency held by the outgoing deputy first minister, Kate Forbes.

After returning only four MSPs at the 2021 election and losing an official slot at first minister’s questions, the Lib Dems claimed seven constituency seats this time and climbed to nine overall.

They seized seats from the SNP in Edinburgh Northern, Strathkelvin & Bearsden and Caithness & Sutherland, where David Green unseated Maree Todd, the former drugs and alcohol minister, with a majority of 5,092.

One of the most resounding results for the party came in Skye, Lochaber & Badenoch, where Andrew Baxter was elected as the new MSP with 15,223 votes, almost a thousand clear of the SNP candidate Eilidh Munro. That was the seat vacated by Forbes, who told the BBC she had no regrets about standing down.

8.37pm

Transgender candidate heading for Holyrood

A transgender candidate who secured one of three seats for the Scottish Greens on the regional list has hailed their victory as a glimpse of “what diversity looks like” in power.

Dr Q Manivannan, the first transgender person elected to Holyrood, was returned for Edinburgh & Lothians East alongside Green colleagues Kate Nevens and Kayleigh Ferguson Kinross-O’Neill.

Other list seats in the region went to Reform’s Angela Ross, Labour’s Irshad Ahmed and Katherine Sangster and the Conservatives’ Miles Briggs.

“My name is Dr Q Manivannan, I am a transgender Tamil immigrant, my pronouns are they/them,” Manivannan told jubilant supporters at the Edinburgh count. “I am to some in this country everything that the hateful despise and I am standing here as your MSP now with care.

“They say politics is the art of the possible. A politics of care expands what is possible for everyone left behind, pushed out or never invited in.”

8.32pm

Delay adds to air of uncertainty

By Iain Macwhirter, Times columnist

It’s turned into electoral interruptus as the regional declarations have been unaccountably delayed.

At least, that is what the broadcasters have been saying in excuse for the shambles of their programming. It was all supposed to be done and dusted by 6pm-ish. John Curtice had spoken. Only now, the BBC has unspoken.

The SNP have dropped from 63 seats to 58 — still a win but a rather less resounding one. We still have no idea where Reform is landing, or who will replace the Scottish Conservatives as the official oppositon in Holyrood.

It could even be Labour, the pundits say, though they have been writing off Labour as no-hopers for the past ten hours. It’s been all about the Greens, as far as the BBC is concerned.

Lorna Slater in tears. Ross Greer still sounding extremely positive about working with John Swinney. I think he really wants that ministerial post.

8.11pm

Could SNP do a deal with Lib Dems?

The BBC has projected the SNP will win 58 seats. It is seven short of the majority John Swinney targeted but, by any measure, a thumping win.

The battle for second place is not yet clear. Reform UK will emerge with between 16 and 20 seats, from a standing start, the forecast said. Scottish Labour will win between 16 and 19 — their worst tally in the history of devolution, although finishing second would be some consolation.

In a record result for the left-wing party, the Scottish Greens will have between 14 and 16 MSPs. The Tories will have 13 or 14, a big drop on the 31 they won in 2021 but better than some had expected.

The Lib Dems will have between seven and nine. Significantly, Swinney would be able to do a deal with Alex Cole-Hamilton’s party — just about — to pass legislation and budgets, rather than being reliant exclusively on the Scottish Greens.

7.55pm

Losses tough to take for Tory leader

The leader of the Scottish Conservatives has conceded “we always knew this was going to be a tough election”, on a day when his party lost three constituencies.

Speaking to journalists at a count at the Braehead Arena in Renfrew, Russell Findlay said votes for Reform had cost his party in a number of close-fought seats with the SNP.

“What we warned would happen is exactly what has happened,” he said. “In many seats, the Scottish Conservative candidates were beaten by the narrowest of margins, and that’s because people voted for Reform in those seats and let the SNP through the middle.”

Findlay said it was “really disappointing” that one-time party leader Jackson Carlaw lost his Eastwood seat to the SNP’s Kirsten Oswald.

Findlay is a candidate in the West of Scotland regional list, which is expected to be declared this evening.

7.51pm

Regional results roll in

Here’s how the regional lists look so far.

7.48pm

Regional gains for Greens

Regional votes are now coming in, and a good day is getting even better for the Scottish Greens.

In Edinburgh & Lothains East, the party came close to topping the regional vote, recording 21.2 per cent — only slightly behind the SNP’s 21.8 per cent. It was enough to give the Greens three list seats in the region, adding to the Edinburgh Central constituency seat it won earlier.

The result means Kate Nevens, a candidate who caused controversy for her call to abolish prisons, and Q Manivannan, who made a point of applauding the vote tally for the Communist Party, will be making their way to Holyrood.

Kayleigh Kinross-O’Neill — not even designated a lead candidate for the Scottish Greens, who believed three seats was the best possible result in the region — took the final seat.

Scottish Labour picked up two of the other regional seats, Reform and the Tories one each. In Mid Scotland & Fife, Reform won two, the Tories and Labour two apiece and the Greens one.

7.41pm

End of the road for Ewing

It appears to be the end of an era as the last scion of the Ewing family is set to depart the Scottish parliament after more than a quarter of a century.

The Inverness & Nairn constituency is still yet to officially be declared but Fergus Ewing, 68, has publicly conceded he will not return to Holyrood. Ewing fought a spirited campaign, not as an SNP candidate but as an independent. He has been a Highland MSP since 1999.

His mother, the late Winnie Ewing — an MP, MEP and MSP in her time — was described by Ewing’s friend and former boss Alex Salmond as “the most influential Scottish nationalist of the 20th century” and “the true radical spirit of Scotland”.

Ewing’s major campaign issue of recent years was the lack of progress over the dualling of the A9 and the A96, an SNP promise made in 2007.

7.20pm

Swinney hails ‘emphatic’ win

John Swinney has said the SNP “won emphatically” in the Scottish election.

With 70 out of 73 constituencies declared, Swinney’s party has won 55 seats. Holyrood’s regional list seats will be declared later this evening.

Swinney said: “It is now clear that the SNP has won and we have won emphatically. Living in a democracy is something that all of us should cherish and I would like thank everyone who voted in this election.

“Once again, the people of Scotland have put their trust in us. However you voted today, I promise that I will be a first minister for all of Scotland.”

He added: “All of us care about our country’s future. I give you my commitment that I will work every day to improve your life and make Scotland the nation we know it can be.”

7.14pm

‘Reform split unionist vote’

Rachael Hamilton, deputy leader of the Scottish Conservatives, said she was disappointed Jackson Carlaw, a former party leader, had lost his seat.

“Reform had a significant impact in splitting the unionist vote,” she said. “We warned they would do that in key seats where we were defending a unionist majority … In the northeast we could have won seats if it was not for Reform.”

On doorsteps in her constituency, bordering England, Hamilton said residents implored her to “please keep the SNP out”. She said the people she met did not want a referendum on independence and she hoped reduced support for the SNP would weaken the possibility of another vote on the constitution.

Hamilton insisted she was “incredibly pleased” the blue band of Tory support remained the width of Scotland near the border. Asked about next steps for the Scottish Conservatives, she said she was focused on delivering for her constituents.

6.14pm

Seven-up Baillie backs Sarwar to stay on

Dame Jackie Baillie has done it again. The SNP has coveted the scalp of the Scottish Labour grandee above any other at Holyrood. For the seventh time in a row, they have been denied.

It was Baillie holding on to Dumbarton that denied the Nationalists a majority in 2021. The SNP hoped the emergence of Reform UK would finally split the unionist vote to the extent it could take the seat. But Labour’s deputy leader in Scotland held on, increasing her majority to 1,786.

That will come as a huge personal relief to the 62-year-old, who has taken great pride in holding the constituency since 1999.

“We have made it seven in a row,” Baillie said in her victory speech. “I will not let you down.”

However, Baillie, the co-chair of the party’s campaign, admitted she was disappointed in Labour’s performance nationally. “We made the argument for change, but we lost the argument,” she said. “But the need for change absolutely remains.”

She said Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, “absolutely” should remain in post.

6.01pm

Stick or twist?

And here are the consituencies that have switched allegiance.

6.00pm

How things stand

Here is the current situation, with a handful of constituencies still to declare.

5.53pm

For Kerr, it was personal

Calum Kerr, who was elected in the seat previously held by Christine Grahame, the veteran former deputy presiding officer , claimed political rivals had focused their campaigns on “stopping the SNP” instead of offering a positive vision for the electorate.

He expressed delight at securing more than 40 per cent of the vote in Midlothian South, Tweeddale & Lauderdale, where some polls had placed him as low as 35 per cent.

“Politicians are guilty of a lot of hyperbole, but this is where I live, this is my home,” he said, noting that his campaign literature made a personal appeal to voters. “I am asking you to elect me as your representative for the people and places I love,” it said.

Kerr said the SNP remained dedicated to local people and community presence, while other parties “have gone away from that”.

5.41pm

‘Incredible’ showing, says Lib Dem leader

Alex Cole-Hamilton has hailed an “incredible” performance for the Scottish Liberal Democrats following his comfortable victory in the capital.

The Lib Dems’ leader spoke to reporters at the Edinburgh count after being returned as the MSP for Edinburgh North Western.

“We’re getting incredible results in places in our wonderful country that have never really thought about the Lib Dems,” he said. “We’re getting double the share of the vote we got last time, almost everywhere, which I think spells really good news for the regional lists.”

He added: “I am really excited about the new parliamentary group that I will be welcoming to parliament next week.”

5.24pm

Kerr steps into ‘sparkly shoes’

Calum Kerr has secured a comfortable victory in Midlothian South, Tweeddale & Lauderdale, stepping into the breach following the retirement of the veteran SNP MSP Christine Grahame.

The 81-year-old former deputy presiding officer, a fixture at Holyrood since the dawn of devolution, leaves behind what have been described as “sparkly shoes” to fill. Kerr, a former Westminster MP, claimed the seat with 14,091 votes.

The Scottish Conservatives maintained their position as the second largest party in the constituency, while Labour placed third ahead of Reform, securing 4,614 votes to the latter’s 4,199.

Kerr greeted his election with a jubilant shout of “Come on!” from the platform at the Borders Event Centre in Kelso. In his victory speech, he paid tribute to Grahame as a “formidable champion” who would “stand up for everyone.”

5.10pm

‘Blue wall’ holds firm

The so-called blue wall across the south of the country has held firm, although Tory candidates saw their support eroded by the emergence of Reform.

Rachael Hamilton, the deputy leader of the Scottish Conservatives, secured victory in Ettrick, Roxburgh & Berwickshire with 13,483 votes, leaving the SNP a distant second on 8,206. Reform made its presence felt by picking up 3,569 votes.

Hamilton has represented the constituency since 2017 and for the first time in her political career, her parents, Gillian and Lewis Price, were in attendance to watch her being returned to Holyrood.

To the southwest, Finlay Carson held Galloway & West Dumfries, albeit with a diminished majority. Carson secured 38.3 per cent of the vote, dropping almost nine points from his 2021 performance. The SNP’s Emma Harper finished second with 33 per cent, a 6.9-point fall, while Reform’s Senga Beresford claimed a 15.6 per cent share of the spoils.

It was a similar tale in Dumfriesshire, where Craig Hoy successfully defended the seat for the Conservatives, though his majority was slashed by nearly 13 points.

5.00pm

Bruce bags Glasgow Southside for Greens

Holly Bruce celebratesAndrew Milligan/PA

The Scottish Greens have secured their first ever constituency seat in Glasgow. Holly Bruce, a local councillor, won the city’s Southside seat, defeating the SNP minister Kaukab Stewart.

It followed Alison Thewliss, sporting her familiar vibrant yellow, making a triumphant return to the political fray with a commanding victory for the SNP in Glasgow Central. The veteran former councillor and MP, who held a similar Westminster brief until 2024, secured a majority of nearly 10,000 over her closest competitor, Labour’s Vonnie Sandlan.

The magnitude of the win has provided a much-needed shot in the arm for SNP activists in the city, following their clean sweep at the last election.

4.48pm

Good result for Swinney, all considered

By Iain Macwhirter, Times columnist

Sir John Curtice, the Yoda of UK psephology, has spoken. John Swinney will not win a majority in the Scottish parliament — but only just.

Curtice has forecast up to 63 seats for the SNP at the end of the day. That is only two off the absolute majority Swinney said would trigger another independence referendum, not that Westminster would have authorised one any time soon.

However, this could be a really a very good result for Mr Swinney after a pretty lacklustre campaign in which many of his party’s policies — such as the price cap on supermarket goods — did not land well. Many forecasters, including Ipsos in The Times, thought he would return fewer than 60 MSPs.

He could be in a commanding position if it comes to forming any kind of parliamentary alliance. Indeed, with a result like this, Swinney has the option, if he is willing to live dangerously, of governing as a minority.

4.44pm

Blazing bus near Fife count

The bus was destroyed in the fireFIFTE JAMMER LOCATIONS

Firefighters were called to deal with a double-decker bus that burst into flames near an election count centre.

Emergency services were summoned to Stenton Road in Glenrothes, Fife, shortly before 3pm today. Images shared on social media captured the vehicle completely engulfed by fire as plumes of thick, black smoke filled the air.

The incident took place near the Michael Woods Sport and Leisure Centre, where staff are currently busy tallying the Holyrood ballots. A spokesperson for Fife council said the count has not been disrupted by the fire.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: “We were alerted at 2.53pm to a report of a bus on fire on Stenton Road, Glenrothes. Operations control mobilised two appliances to the scene and extinguished a fire affecting a double-decker bus which was well alight. There were no reported casualties and crews remain on scene dampening down hot spots.”

4.29pm

‘No majority for SNP’

The BBC is now projecting that the SNP will not win a Holyrood majority. While the party has taken 43 of the 53 constituencies declared so far, its route to 65 seats is blocked off.

Sir John Curtice, the polling guru, said he believed the SNP would win at least 60 seats but at most 63. It means the Nationalists are set to fall backwards slightly on the 2021 result under Nicola Sturgeon.

The party gained some key seats, most notably Shetland, where it pulled off a historic win. However, the ferries scandal is likely to have cost it the Western Isles, which it lost to Labour, and the Lib Dems are set to get the better of the Nationalists in some key areas, making up for their loss of Shetland.

John Swinney is expected to speak publicly later on, when it is likely he will be pressed on what his failure to secure a majority — his pre-election target — means for his independence strategy.

4.19pm

Greens celebrate historic win

Angus Robertson congratulated Lorna Slatersst/alamy

The Scottish Greens have made history by winning their first ever constituency seat, clinched by Lorna Slater in Edinburgh Central.

Angus Robertson, the SNP’s campaign director and a cabinet minister, was beaten into third place as Slater pulled off a landslide win.

She said her party had reached a “significant milestone” by securing its debut first-past-the-post victory. Slater won 36 per cent of the vote, compared with 23 per cent for Labour’s James Dalgleish and 22 per cent for Robertson.

Robertson stood next to a man dressed in a giant gannet costume as his defeat was announced. Rob Pownall stood in the seat to raise awareness of the campaign for the abolition of the guga hunt.

It is the second time that Robertson has been a major SNP scalp on an election night. In 2017, when he was the SNP’s Westminster leader, he was beaten by the Tory Douglas Ross in one of the stories of the night in Scotland from that year’s general election.

Robertson was ranked fourth by the SNP on its regional list rankings, meaning he will be out of Holyrood and will not be elected as a regional MSP.

4.16pm

Rare bright spot for Labour

Daniel Johnson has fended off a challenge from the SNP to retain his Edinburgh Southern seat for Labour.

The incumbent’s majority grew as he secured 16,963 votes in the capital. The result offers a rare glimmer of hope for a party that has endured a bruising night across England and appears to be heading for its poorest Holyrood performance since the dawn of devolution.

Pressed on whether Sir Keir Starmer remained the right man to lead the party at Westminster, Johnson said: “That’s not for me to say, and I think we’ll need to look at the results, but ultimately I think people are very dissatisfied with politics. They want change and they do not feel that’s being delivered by the Labour government.”

Deidre Brock, the SNP candidate, finished in second place with 12,000 votes and the Scottish Conservatives trailed a distant third with 3,421.

4.08pm

Lib Dems’ landmark win in Edinburgh

The Liberal Democrats’ confidence earlier today proved well-founded as the party secured a second constituency in the capital, marking a historic first win in the north of Edinburgh.

Sanne Dijkstra-Downie claimed Edinburgh Northern with 12,972 votes.

“Like many people in North Edinburgh, I wasn’t born here, but I’ve made the

3.54pm

Reform leader comes third in Inverclyde

Reform UK’s Scottish leader Malcolm Offord has come third in his seat.

The former Tory peer had emphasised the importance to him of standing in his home constituency of Inverclyde, having been raised in a Greenock tenement.

However, he was rejected by voters, winning 17.6 per cent of the vote, compared with 27.7 per cent for the Labour’s Francesca Brennan and 44.3 per cent for the SNP’s Stuart McMillan.

The SNP also retained Ayr, which had been the only constituency remaining which was seen as attainable by Reform.

It remains to be seen how the party will do on the regional vote, and Offord will certainly become a list MSP. However, Reform will not be winning any constituencies. 

3.50pm

The results so far

With more than 30 seats declared, here’s a look at the standings and which constituencies have changed hands.

3.47pm

SNP winner enjoys swipe at Reform

When the SNP’s Ivan McKee was celebrating his victory in Glasgow’s Eatserhouse & Springburn seat, he could not resist a swipe at those he claimed wished to “divide” people.

He was coy about naming names, but Audrey Dempsey of Reform — who joined the party after her suspension from Labour for comments about anti-white racism — pulled a face that suggested she knew exactly who McKee was targeting.

3.34pm

Tories defend ‘blue wall’

The Tory “blue wall” in the south of Scotland looks set to remain intact. The SNP had been confident of taking at least one of Scotland’s three most southerly constituencies, and had claimed support for Reform was surging in the areas.

However, with two of the three seats declared — Galloway & West Dumfries and Dumfriesshire — the Scottish Conservatives have held on. In both, Reform was a distant third. The third, Ettrick, Roxburgh & Berwickshire, is yet to declare but had been seen as the safest of the three Conservative constituencies.

It will not be a good day for the Scottish Tories, but a worst-case disaster has been averted. Its leader, Russell Findlay, is almost certain to be re-elected, and it has proven resilient in its strongholds.

3.32pm

Analysis: Swinney faces hard choice without majority

John Swinney has insisted he remains optimistic about winning a majority — but the reality is it now looks a remote possibility (Daniel Sanderson writes).

The Conservatives holding on to Galloway & West Dumfries was quite possibly the final nail in the coffin for the SNP’s hopes of hitting the magic number of 65 seats.

Swinney’s target of an outright majority was always a high bar. But over recent weeks, his aides had insisted they believed it was likely.

However, unionist candidates have held on to some key seats. While the SNP gained Shetland, it lost the Western Isles. It also gained Eastwood, but Edinburgh Central is likely to be lost to the Scottish Greens, who are also confident in two Glasgow seats.

The Lib Dems, meanwhile, are very confident they will win the new Edinburgh Northern seat, as well as Strathkelvin & Bearsden.

An already narrow route to a majority now appears to be completely blocked. Swinney had said that a majority was the way to secure a new independence referendum. With the Greens heading for a good day it appears certain that there will be another pro-independence majority.

But any attempts to demand a new referendum relying on the backing on Green MSPs, having fallen short of the target he himself set, will carry little weight.

Swinney now has a big decision to make. He can placate his own activists by continuing with performative steps — which he knows will fail — towards securing independence.

Or he can seek to appeal to the wider country, which currently does not see the constitution as a priority, by parking the issue for five years and focusing on public services.

3.25pm

Bird is the word for anti-guga hunt candidate

Rob Pownall: “I’m probably the smelliest candidate in the room right now”jennifer kennedy

One of Edinburgh’s highest-flying candidates has arrived at the count — Rob Pownall, who is standing in Edinburgh Central dressed as a gannet to campaign for the abolition of the guga hunt.

Pownall has been roaming the streets of Edinburgh in his bird costume for the last four weeks in the hope of gaining more signatures for a petition to end the tradition, where a group of men harvest young gannets from the island of Sula Sgeir each August.

“I’m probably the smelliest candidate in the room right now, which is fine,” Pownall told The Times. He said he did not expect many votes in Edinburgh Central.

“I really don’t want many, of course. We’ve asked people to vote for parties that back the campaign to end the guga hunt.”

He admitted that it would be the “biggest upset in election history” if he were to take the seat, which currently looks as though it will go to the Greens’ Lorna Slater, whom he said had been “very supportive” of his campaign.

3.15pm

SNP activists getting confident

The mood among SNP activists in Glasgow is rising as results across the country appear on a big screen at the Emirates Arena.

There were loud cheers — the most voluble of the day so far — when the party snatched Eastwood, in neighbouring East Renfrewshire, from the Conservatives.

3.07pm

Jackson Carlaw loses seat as Tories sink

The former Conservative leader Jackson Carlaw has lost his seat in Eastwood on the outskirts of Glasgow, and his second place in the West Scotland list was not high enough to see him return to parliament.

His loss is likely to ensure the Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay, who is top of the West Scotland list, is returned as an MSP.

Carlaw had been tipped as a possible Holyrood presiding officer had he retained his seat. The Tories are having a poor day so far, losing votes across the country. The SNP’s Kirsten Oswald won Eastwood with 12,722 seats, compared to 11,990 for Carlaw.

3.00pm

Ferry fiasco gives Labour rare bright spot

On an otherwise grim day for Labour, the party have won the Western Isles from the SNP. In a backlash likely to be blamed on the ferries fiasco, the SNP saw their vote decline by an unusually large margin, with Labour squeaking home by 154 votes.

Labour’s Donald MacKinnon won 37.7 per cent of the vote, white Alasdair Allan, the former SNP minister, won 36.5 per cent. The SNP had held the seat since 2007.

Over recent weeks, breakdowns on the ferry network have caused chaos on the islands, with two massively over-budget and delayed vessels becoming a national scandal. It has left the islands reliant on an ageing fleet prone to regular breakdowns.

Labour are also confident of winning the Edinburgh Southern seat, and may yet sneak home in East Lothian Coast & Lammermuirs, though that race is believed to be very tight.

2.55pm

Voters can smell desperation, and Sarwar stank

By Iain Macwhirter, Times columnist

The Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, has been getting his apologies in early. Effectively, he’s thrown in the towel after only seven results.

He had called for change. He had asked to be given “five years to fix the SNP mess”. He had called for his leader, Sir Keir Starmer, to resign. It didn’t work. Sarwar is now surely the one who should be considering his position.

It was always a risky strategy to call on a Labour prime minister to resign. Only a year ago, Sarwar had been presenting himself as Keir’s man in Scotland — and calling Peter Mandelson his “best pal”.

Voters can tell desperation when they see it. They clearly thought this was not a serious way to behave, and they have voted accordingly.

Labour has been in decline in Scottish parliament elections for decades. We don’t yet know just how bad this result has been. One suspects that, if Sarwar is this demoralised, Labour may end up behind Reform when the votes are finally in.

2.50pm

Reform lose by a whisker in Banff

Reform UK has come within a whisker of winning a Holyrood constituency, but was denied by fewer than 400 votes.

In Banffshire & Buchan Coast, seen as the most likely constituency to be won by Nigel Farage’s party, Reform’s Conrad Ritchie took 10,010 votes, compared with 10,374  won by the SNP’s Karen Adam.

The Scottish Tories were third with 6,348, showing how splits in the unionist vote have benefited the nationalists.

2.44pm

Watch: Alex Cole-Hamilton speaks to The Times

The Scottish Lib Dem leader answered questions from our reporter

2.38pm

Stephen Flynn returns to Holyrood

Stephen FlynnPA

Stephen Flynn has squeezed home in Aberdeen Deeside & North Kincardine, securing a majority of 1,244 over the Conservative candidate, Liam Kerr.

The SNP’s Westminster leader is widely regarded as the frontrunner to eventually succeed John Swinney as party leader.

In his victory speech, he sought to reassure the oil and gas industry, declaring they would have “no greater champion” in the Scottish parliament.

The question now is whether Swinney will offer him a ministerial role in a new SNP administration. His move to Holyrood means a by-election for his Westminster seat will now be needed.

2.27pm

Swinney declares victory as he holds seat

John Swinney has declared victory in the election, saying it is clear the SNP will win the most seats. Retaining his Perthshire North constituency, despite a fall in his share of the vote of four points, he said it was of “enormous significance” to him to lead his party to a win.

Swinney had been in post for a matter of weeks when he lost the 2024 general election to Labour, and had an unsuccessful previous stint as leader, between 2000 and 2004.

He said it was clear that voters wanted him to continue as first minister, though he did not directly address his target of winning a majority, which now appears unlikely.

Swinney said: “I will simply do all that I can do to make Scotland a successful country and to improve the lives of the people of our country.”

2.20pm

Sarwar: Labour lost the argument

Anas Sarwar and his wife, Furheen, at the count in GlasgowRobert Perry/Getty Images

With only seven seven seats declared, Anas Sarwar accepted his bid to become first minister had failed.

The Scottish Labour leader blamed a “national mood” and “national dissatisfaction” with the UK government that he had “failed to overcome”. He had maintained throughout the campaign that he could become first minister but accepted that his party had “lost the argument”.

“My party is hurting today and it’s my job to hold it together,” he said, asked whether he would step down as leader, suggesting he had no immediate plans to do so. He said he stood by his call for Keir Starmer to resign.

He said he was “disappointed” Scotland would see Reform MSPs elected but suggested the SNP were also fuelled by division.

“Sadly, it seems those who seek divide us, and use people’s frustrations, are going to win the day today.”

2.08pm

Cole-Hamilton rules out SNP deal

Alex Cole-Hamilton with his wife and daughter as they arrive at the Edinburgh count david young/PA

Alex Cole-Hamilton has once again ruled out any prospect of the Scottish Liberal Democrats entering a coalition with the SNP.

The party leader said that if John Swinney was returned as first minister, the Lib Dems would instead choose to influence the government from the opposition benches, seeking concessions on key priorities on an “issue-by-issue” basis.

Speaking to reporters at the Edinburgh count, he said: “I’ve been clear from the start, and I stand by that, that there will be no coalition with the SNP.”

Cole-Hamilton insisted his party was still set to take a “big step forward” in its number of MSPs, despite suffering a shock defeat in the Shetland Islands.

2.05pm

Turnout slumps in Borders

Voter turnout in parts of the Conservative “blue wall” in the Borders appears to have slumped.

In Galloway & West Dumfries, it was recorded at 51.9 per cent, with 30,105 ballots cast, while Dumfriesshire saw a slightly lower rate of 51.7 per cent.

These figures represent a marked decline from 2021 — an election held in the shadow of the pandemic — when Galloway recorded 66 per cent and Dumfriesshire 64.8 per cent.

Officials in Ettrick, Roxburgh & Berwickshire are yet to confirm their final tallies.

1.56pm

SNP big beasts return from Westminster

Stephen Gethins, the new MSP in Dundee City East, is expected to become a major player at Holyrood.

A professor of international relations at St Andrew’s University, he is a former special adviser to both Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon. Currently an MP, he was the party’s Westminster international affairs and Europe spokesman.

Stephen Flynn, the party’s Westminster leader, is also expected later to be elected in Aberdeen Deeside & North Kincardine.

New rules have outlawed double-jobbing parliamentarians. Therefore by-elections will now take place Gethin’s Arbroath & Broughty Ferry seat, and Flynn’s Aberdeen South seat should he be elected to Holyrood.

Both Gethins and Flynn can expect to become ministers in John Swinney’s new administration should he return as first minister.

1.50pm

Reform falling short in constituency results

Reform UK may not be doing quite as well as expected in Scotland. A recent YouGov MRP poll had predicted that the party would come second in Kilmarnock & Irvine Valley, narrowly ahead of Scottish Labour.

However, Labour came comfortably second, about 2,000 votes ahead of the Reform candidate.

In Dundee it was a similar story, with the SNP comfortably holding on but Labour remaining second in both city constituencies.

A national picture is beginning to emerge, with the SNP constituency vote down by double digits, but not by enough to deny them wins so far.

Reform was always seen as a long shot to claim constituencies, with their MSPs likely to come from the regional lists, which will not be allocated until much later. It remains too early to tell what this means for the battle for second place.

1.45pm

Glasgow remains all smiles for Greens

Thomas Kerr in Glasgow this morningRobert Perry/Getty Images

Thomas Kerr, the lead candidate for Reform in Glasgow, has arrived at the count to a markedly different reception than the applause and cheers that greeted the Greens.

Activists for the Green Party — who say they are at the “other end of the political spectrum” from Reform — are outnumbering and out-smiling their rivals.

1.37pm

Swinney arrives at count

John Swinney and his wife Elizabeth arrive at the count in PerthJeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

The SNP leader John Swinney has arrived at the count for the Perthshire North and Perthshire South & Kinross-shire constituencies.

He walked in with his wife Elizabeth and is set to find out if he has kept his seat in Perthshire North.

He said he was feeling “very well. Very optimistic. I’m feeling very positive and look forward to a positive result.”

1.30pm

SNP claim Shetland from Lib Dems

Hannah Mary Goodlad

The SNP has secured a sensational victory in the Shetland Islands.

Hannah Mary Goodlad delivered a crushing defeat to the Liberal Democrats and their candidate, the local council leader Emma Macdonald, taking 47 per cent of the vote to Macdonald’s 34 per cent.

Goodlad, an Equinor employee and graduate of both Glasgow University and Imperial College London, is credited with running the most effective social media campaign of the election. She will be one to watch in the new parliament.

The Liberal Democrats had held the seat at every Holyrood election since 1999.

1.15pm

Offord: I ran to become first minister

Malcolm Offord, left and Martyn Greene, Reform’s Scotland campaign manager, arrive at Greenock this morning Steve Welsh/PA

Malcolm Offord, the Reform UK Scotland leader, said he fought the Holyrood election to become first minister.

But he admitted it would be difficult to beat the incumbent SNP in Inverclyde, where he is standing. He said: “That’s a big challenge for us, because this is an SNP heartland, it has been 20 years, but we’ve got a good response on the doors.

“I’m not going to make any predictions, but we’ve got a good response — we are confident of getting a good result.”

Speaking at the count in Greenock, Offord said he would “of course” be disappointed if he was not elected in the seat where he grew up, and was “in it to win it”.

Asked if he was still running to be first minister, said: “I have said on a personal point of view, I’ve always said I’m in this to be first minister. I believe I could do this job if the Scottish people vote for that. If not then we will be a strong voice in opposition.”

1.05pm

Shock wins for Labour fail to materialise

Scottish Labour had insisted throughout the campaign that it could pull off an upset, despite dire polling. The party said it could be competitive in as many as 38 largely Central Belt constituencies.

The party’s organisational prowess and spending power, it was repeatedly briefed, could see it replicate its shock win at the 2024 Hamilton by-election.

So far, things are not going that way. Davy Russell, who won the Hamilton by-election, is “gone”, a Scottish Labour source admitted. They expect the SNP to gain the seat.

Scottish Labour is also in third in Edinburgh Central, a constituency they should have been in contention for, insiders said.

In the first mainland declaration, Labour was thumped by the SNP in Dundee West. Despite the SNP vote falling by 13 per cent on 2021, and Labour’s rising by three, the SNP won almost 50 per cent of the vote in the seat.

Michael Marra, the Labour candidate there, is seen as the frontrunner to be next leader if Anas Sarwar stands down.

12.54pm

Lib Dems looking good for second Edinburgh seat

Sampling suggests the Lib Dems are on course to take a second Edinburgh constituency.

They are already almost certain to win in Edinburgh North Western, where the party leader Alex Cole-Hamilton took 55 per cent of the vote in 2021.

The mood in their camp at the Edinburgh count is upbeat as they believe they have come out on top in Edinburgh Northern, a new constituency made up of some of the city’s wealthiest and most deprived areas.

Euan Hyslop, the SNP candidate and councillor, said his party’s sampling suggested the result could be within 1,000 votes.

However, because of low turnout and a high number of Green votes in some SNP target areas, he said the seat looked likely to go to the Lib Dems.

He added that national sampling showed the Labour vote had “completely collapsed”, particularly across the Central Belt.

12.50pm

Harvie’s moment of triumph?

Iris Duane, left, and Holly Bruce are greeted by Patrick Harvie at the Glasgow count where the Scottish Greens are hoping for successAndrew Milligan/PA

The former Green leader Patrick Harvie and its candidates Iris Duane and Holly Bruce have made a triumphant entrance to the Glasgow count as activists applauded and cheered.

The Greens sense a breakthrough moment in the city but it is still too early to say if their smiles will translate into victory.

Ironically, wins in the two constituencies the Greens have targeted could see Harvie lose his seat in Holyrood: he is first on the party’s list.

12.35pm

Lib Dems hold Orkney

The first Holyrood result is in … and it’s a thumping win for the Lib Dems.

Liam McArthur, best known for his failed attempt to legalise assisted dying in Scotland, has been returned with 70 per cent of the vote in the Orkney Islands.

The huge victory is no surprise — and Orkney is unlikely to tell us a huge amount about the national picture. For what’s it’s worth, the Lib Dem vote share has gone up by almost eight points, and the SNP’s down by 13.

McArthur is seen as a strong contender to be Holyrood’s next presiding officer — the devolved parliament’s equivalent of the Speaker of the House in the Commons.

12.11pm

Analysis: The Green grin grows wider

By Iain Macwhirter, Times columnist

The Greens are looking supremely smug in Glasgow as pundits say they have taken either Kelvin or Glasgow Southside — or possibly both. So Ross Greer’s party could be returning three constituency seats today.

However, thanks to the vagaries of the additional member system and the mysteries of d’Hondt, winning seats on the constituency vote can mean potentially losing seats on the list. So there are questions whether Green list MSPs such as Patrick Harvie, the former co-leader, could be in danger of falling off the swings and roundabouts.

It seems the SNP are looking  uncomfortable, Labour’s in despair and I wouldn’t say that Reform’s Michael “Six Yachts” Offord is looking particularly buoyant, even though he is guaranteed a historic result. Yet the famous Greer grin is getting ever wider.

12.02pm

Edinburgh posts slightly lower turnout

Edinburgh South Western has recorded a turnout of 32,581, representing 53 per cent of the electorate. This appears consistent with the low-to-mid fifties turnout anticipated across the country.

It is the first of the capital’s constituencies to confirm its turnout figure.

The seat is certain to have a new representative at Holyrood as Gordon MacDonald did not seek re-election. Simita Kumar, who made history as the first female SNP group leader on Edinburgh council, is the frontrunner in the polls.

One SNP election agent at the count described the progress for the constituency so far as “positive”.

Meanwhile, Edinburgh Northern confirmed a turnout of 56.99 per cent.

11.55am

High hopes for three seats by Greens

The Greens are increasingly confident that they are on course for a sensational result today.

The party is “upbeat and very positive” about their chances in two Glasgow seats, Southside and Kelvin & Maryhill, a senior insider said.

Meanwhile, they are now almost certain that they will topple Angus Robertson in Edinburgh Central.

A breakthrough in Glasgow Southside in particular would be a major blow for the SNP, as it is Nicola Sturgeon’s former constituency. It would also mean the loss of a minister, Kaukab Stewart, who has the equalities brief.

The likely strength of the Green performance raises the question of what would have happened if the party had stood in more constituencies.

The Greens ran candidates in only six seats and is now hopeful of winning half of them. Had they stood in more constituencies, they would have caused an even greater headache for the SNP.

11.45am

Turnout seems likely to slip

Fears that there could be a low turnout at this election look set to come to fruition.

The first turnout figures are beginning to emerge, and are down by as much as ten points on the 2021 election.

In one seat in Dundee, turnout was down by a double-digit margin, to 46 per cent. In Kilmarnock, it is also down by ten points.

Turnout has largely held up in Shetland, declining by only one point, but it has fallen by eight on the Orkney Islands.

It is not clear which party a low turnout favours. However, it will hand greater advantages to those with the best ground operation.

Focus groups, attended recently by The Times, exposed widespread disillusionment among the Scottish electorate, with voters not sold on any of the major parties or their leaders.

11.28am

Ed Davey expects major Lib Dem growth

Sir Ed Davey, the UK leader of the Liberal Democrats, predicted that the Holyrood election would see his party “growing very significantly”.

He praised Alex Cole-Hamilton, the party’s Scottish leader, for having “fought a fantastic campaign”.

Davey said: “I’m travelling to Scotland tonight, because I think we will have results to celebrate in Scotland.

“We don’t know the results, obviously, but the response we have had on the doorsteps in the constituencies we have been targeting, and across Scotland, has been really, really encouraging.

“We’ve found that people were fed up of the SNP, they have failed for years, whether it is on the health service or on schools, or on ferries, where they have had such a disaster.

“People didn’t want to go back to Labour because of their disaster, so they have been looking for something different.”

He continued: “I think you will see our representation in Holyrood growing very significantly.”

11.18am

Greens reckon they can oust Robertson

Scottish Green officials said that early indications at the count in Edinburgh Central suggested their candidate, the former minister Lorna Slater, is ahead of the SNP cabinet secretary Angus Robertson. Labour, they claimed, was trailing in third.

A win in the seat would be a remarkable result for the Greens, taking the scalp of the man who is the SNP campaign director for this election and a former Westminster leader.

The Greens are confident of winning their first ever constituency seats, also believing they have a chance in two seats in Glasgow.

11.05am

‘Initial signs are encouraging’ for Labour

Daniel Johnson sst/Alamy

Daniel Johnson, the Labour candidate for Edinburgh Southern, said he was feeling “encouraged” by early signs that he could retain the seat.

Johnson has held the constituency since 2016 but polls have suggested that Deidre Brock, the SNP candidate and former Westminster MP for Edinburgh Northern & Leith, could pose a threat.

“I wouldn’t like to predict how we’ve done until we see more data, but certainly the initial signs are encouraging,” he said.

Johnson said voters had raised concerns about the Westminster Labour government during his campaign. “There is no doubt there have been a lot of concerns raised about the UK government, but at the same time, people have been weighing that up against 19 years of dissatisfaction with SNP rule,” he said.

Johnson added that it was “more than possible” Labour could take Edinburgh Central, currently held by the SNP’s culture secretary Angus Robertson.

11.00am

Lib Dems at risk in Shetland for first time

The Liberal Democrats are worried about losing the Shetland constituency for the first time in the history of devolution.

Liberals have won the Holyrood seat at every set of devolved elections since 1999, and last lost a Westminster election on the islands at the end of the Second World War.

However, the SNP candidate, Hannah Mary Goodlad, has put up a strong fight and has been seen as running the best social media campaign of any in Scotland.

A senior Lib Dem source claimed other incumbents, including the leader Alex Cole-Hamilton, Willie Rennie and Liam McArthur were set to be returned to Holyrood with “North Korean numbers”.

However, asked about the situation in Shetland, he admitted “it’s not looking great”.

SNP sources had claimed earlier in the week that the Lib Dems were flying and ferrying activists to Shetland, as they knew their candidate, Emma MacDonald, was in trouble. This was denied by the Lib Dems.

10.55am

Alexander: No sugar-coating Labour losses

Labour’s Scottish secretary said there was “no sugar-coating the fact we have lost a number of really good councillors across England”.

But Douglas Alexander insisted: “I am more interested in what happens here in Scotland.

“We feel that we closed strongly and we saw a significant momentum towards the arguments we were advancing on the doorsteps in the last few days.”

Alexander, who was Scottish Labour’s campaign co-chair, said: “This is an election here in Scotland about the first minister, not the prime minister.”

10.44am

Analysis: Election winner inherits an almighty mess

By Iain Macwhirter, Times columnist

Everyone has been calling this the “meh” election in Scotland owing to the lack of engagement, but it is likely, if you will excuse my French, to turn into the “merde” election when the votes are in.

Very quickly the new first minister, and we must assume it is John Swinney, will have to stop making promises on spending they cannot keep and realise what a torrid mess they have landed in.

The next government of Scotland will be a government in deep financial crisis. As The Times reports today, the new administration will have to make £1 billion in cuts within months of this election.

So how will a government without a majority, which has lost perhaps a third of its support in terms of votes, seek to manage?

Will John Swinney cosy up to the Lib Dems or the Scottish Greens? It’ll pay to watch very closely the body language of the party leaders today as we witness what could be Bute House Part Two.

10.38am

Optimistic Greens eye wins in Glasgow

It is too soon to tally the votes but a quick count of smiles at the Glasgow International Arena suggests that the Scottish Greens are doing well in Scotland’s largest city.

The party is running Holly Bruce in Southside and Iris Duane — potentially Scotland’s first transgender MSP — in Kelvin & Maryhill. Activists are upbeat about both campaigns.

All Glasgow constituencies at Holyrood were previously held by the SNP, whose activists say it is too early to make judgments. Counting has been under way for an hour and a half.

The Scottish Greens have never won a first-past-the-post constituency in Scotland but have secured one seat on the regional list vote in the city in every Holyrood vote since 2003.

The former party leader Patrick Harvie tops the Green list for the city, followed by Bruce and Duane.

10.31am

Labour quietly confident in Edinburgh

Scottish Labour believes Daniel Johnson is “over the line” in Edinburgh Southern, which had been a key target seat for the SNP.

Boundary changes were seen as favourable to the nationalists’ attempts to win the seat, but senior Labour sources believe Johnson is set to win by a fairly comfortable margin.

The party believes the race in East Lothian Coast & Lammermuirs will be tighter, but is quietly confident it can take the seat from the SNP. However, nationalist insiders insist Paul McLennan, the incumbent, will hang on.

The Scottish Greens, meanwhile, believe they are in line for a record result. One senior staffer admitted they had put a £20 bet on the party becoming the main opposition at odds of 125/1.

He admitted he did not believe he would win the bet and £2,500 windfall, but instead predicted a tally of 13 seats, which would comfortably be a high for the left-wing party.

10.25am

In pictures: Vote-counting begins

Ballot boxes are emptied in Edinburghadam vaughan/EPA

In Perth Jane Barlow/PA

And in Greenock, here and belowPeter Summers/Getty Images

Peter Summers/Getty Images

10.09am

STV staff strike on election day

Journalists and technical staff at STV have walked out on strike in a dispute over pay, affecting its coverage on the day of the election count.

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) said its members, along with those at Bectu, which represents technical staff, are taking action over a pay freeze which unions said amounted to “a real-terms pay cut”.

The action today will affect STV coverage of the election, with an episode of The Chase replacing an election programme that had been scheduled for 5pm.

Nick McGowan-Lowe, NUJ Scotland organiser, said: “It’s frustrating that due to the stubbornness of STV management, on the biggest news day in Scotland for years, Scottish viewers, listeners and readers won’t be able to hear what some of the most well-respected journalists, reporters and producers in Scottish broadcasting have to say.”

An STV spokesperson said: “We are disappointed that the unions’ chosen day of action will impact our on-air audiences and we remain committed to continuing the dialogue with the joint unions.”

10.05am

How the parties fared last time

As Scotland prepares for the first results of this year’s election, here is a reminder of the state of play following the last Holyrood election on May 6, 2021.

The SNP maintained its position as the largest party with 64 seats, though it fell short of an overall majority by a single MSP.

The Conservatives, led by Douglas Ross, secured second place with 31 seats, while Anas Sarwar’s Scottish Labour finished third with 22.

The Scottish Greens trailed in fourth with eight seats, followed by the Liberal Democrats in fifth with four. No other party managed to secure representation at Holyrood.

Nicola Sturgeon remained first minister, her popularity having surged during the pandemic thanks to a “steady hand on the tiller” and near-daily televised briefings.

In contrast, her predecessor, the late Alex Salmond, saw his newly formed Alba party fail to win a single seat despite a high-profile launch before the vote.

At the time, Boris Johnson was in Downing Street and the election period was still marked by Covid regulations.

9.55am

Which big beasts could be slayed?

Angus Robertson, the SNP culture secretary, campaigning with Swinney Robert Perry/PA

Angus Robertson, the SNP culture secretary, faces a fight to hold on to his Edinburgh Central constituency.

The Greens are confident of winning the seat, with boundary changes taking in large numbers of students, boosting their prospects.

If he was to be toppled, Robertson would face the ignominy of having his scalp claimed twice.

In 2017, his loss to Douglas Ross, who would go on to become a UK minister and a Scottish Tory leader, in Moray was one of the stories of the night in Scotland.

Elsewhere, the fate of the Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay, somewhat bizarrely, may well hinge on the success or failure of his colleague Jackson Carlaw.

Should Carlaw, a popular local MSP, hold on to his Eastwood seat, a quirk of Holyrood’s voting system means it could cost the Tories a list seat in the West Scotland, where Findlay is the top candidate.

9.45am

‘Dreadful’ results for Labour in England

Alan Roden, a former communications director for Scottish Labour, said the results in England overnight had been “dreadful” for Sir Keir Starmer’s party.

Labour has suffered “huge losses”, he said, adding: “I think that is going to be the theme of the day, we’re likely to see bad results in Wales as well when they start counting.

“It’s going to put intense pressure on Keir Starmer and his future, all those questions about his leadership resurrected.”

He added that Scottish Labour had been “dealt a very challenging hand” in the Holyrood campaign.

Roden said: “The primary challenge is the deep unpopularity of Keir Starmer and his government in Westminster.”

While he said he expected Scottish Labour to have the “best result” for the party in the United Kingdom, he added: “Undoubtedly it is going to be a challenging day.”

9.40am

What did the final polls say?

John Swinney and his wife Elizabeth cast their votes yesterday in Burrelton, PerthJeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Heading into yesterday’s elections, there was a clear trend in the polls. The SNP, while still well ahead, was losing momentum.

A YouGov MRP megapoll released on Wednesday predicted that the SNP would emerge with 62 seats — still a thumping win.

However, significantly, the chances of an outright SNP majority — 65 seats or more — had receded. Its first MRP poll in April found there was an 89 per cent likelihood of a majority. This week, it had fallen back to only 11 per cent.

Pre-election polls by Norstat, Ipsos, Survation and More in Common also pointed to small declines in support for the SNP. While still way out in front, these results also suggested that a majority is unlikely.

A final projection by the respected pollster Mark Diffley put the SNP on 56 seats, Reform on 19, Labour on 18, the Greens on 16, the Conservatives on 11 and Lib Dems on nine.

9.35am

‘SNP will call for independence even without majority’

The SNP’s finance secretary said her party was “optimistic” it would win its fifth Scottish parliament election in a row.

Shona Robison, who is standing down from Holyrood, said the SNP would continue campaigning for independence if it fell short of a majority as some polls have suggested.

In an interview this morning, she said: “We have fought hard in this campaign and have fought for every single vote — and we need to see what that adds up to today.

“But we’re optimistic that we’ll win the election for the fifth time in a row, which would be absolutely unprecedented.”

She said an SNP majority would be a “clear mandate” for another referendum on independence.

Asked what would happen if her party fell short, she said: “Well, we will continue to campaign for independence. And actually there could be a scenario where the parties who support independence yet again get a majority at the Scottish parliament.”

9.30am

Live election results in England and Wales

As well as Scotland, elections were held for dozens of councils in England and the Senedd in Wales yesterday.

The returns so far have seen significant gains by Reform UK at the expense of Labour and the Conservatives, but Sir Keir Starmer insisted he would not “walk away”.

9.20am

Why weren’t the votes counted overnight?

The ballot count set-up in the Royal Highland Centre in Edinburgh EPA

The previous election was held in May 2021, when coronavirus restrictions were still in place. Voters turned up to polling stations in facemasks with strict social distancing rules in place.

The pandemic also meant the traditional overnight count was scrapped.

The law still officially states that votes should be counted “as soon as practicable” after the close of the poll. However, the Electoral Management Board for Scotland decided to abandon the overnight count this time as well.

The body argued this would improve public engagement — normal people and not just caffeine-fuelled political anoraks could follow the drama — while also reducing costs and improving accuracy by ensuring “well rested” vote-counters.

However, the decision has not been universally popular, with many candidates and observers seeing it as a backwards step.

9.10am

Voter fraud allegations in Glasgow

The authorities are investigating four potential cases of voter impersonation in Glasgow this morning, two in the city’s Southside constituency, one in Cathcart & Pollok and one in Easterhouse & Springburn. 

The ballot papers will be counted but they will be extracted by officials and passed on to police.

There were three suspected cases of voter fraud in Glasgow in 2024 and ten at the 2014 independence referendum.

9.05am

How the voting works

A voter heads to their polling station in Renton, West Dunbartonshire yesterday Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Counting began at 9am, with the first results expected around lunchtime. The final tallies for Scotland’s 73 constituencies, as well as eight regions electing 56 list MSPs, are expected, barring recounts, by this evening. 

After 10pm yesterday, when Scotland’s 2,500 polling places closed, sealed ballot boxes made their way by road and sea to count locations in the 32 local authorities. 

In Glasgow, there were more than 1,000 polling staff on duty overseeing 844 ballot boxes distributed throughout 422 polling stations in 175 polling places. 

The northernmost polling station is in the Shetland islands in the North Unst public hall in Haroldswick, and the southernmost in Drummore on the Rhins of Galloway.

In the Orkney islands, all polling stations are on mainland Orkney. Folk living out in the isles come to the mainland to vote or they can obtain a postal vote.

9.00am

All to play for at Holyrood

It was a campaign that failed to capture the public’s imagination. But at last, the Holyrood election results will generate excitement.

Over the coming hours, we will find out who will govern Scotland for the next five years. The stakes could not be higher.

Polls have been unanimous that the SNP will emerge as the largest party. But the scale of the victory will be crucial.

With an outright majority the issue of Scottish independence will be back on the table. Fall well short, and questions will be asked over John Swinney’s future.

Reform UK is set for a historic breakthrough, but can they become the main opposition? Will the Greens win their first constituencies? Is Scottish Labour set for a historic new low?

Stay tuned to The Times live blog to find out the answers to all these questions.

1.12pm

Offord: I ran to become first minister

Malcolm Offord, left and Martyn Greene, arrive at Greenock this morning Steve Welsh/PA

Malcolm Offord, the Reform UK Scotland leader, said he fought the Holyrood election to become first minister.

But he admitted it would be difficult to beat the incumbent SNP in Inverclyde, where he is standing. He said: “That’s a big challenge for us, because this is an SNP heartland, it has been 20 years, but we’ve got a good response on the doors.

“I’m not going to make any predictions, but we’ve got a good response — we are confident of getting a good result.”

Speaking at the count in Greenock, Offord said he would “of course” be disappointed if he was not elected in the seat where he grew up, and was “in it to win it”.

Asked if he was still running to be first minister, said: “I have said on a personal point of view, I’ve always said I’m in this to be first minister. I believe I could do this job if the Scottish people vote for that. If not then we will be a strong voice in opposition.”