\t\t\t9.20pm<\/p>\n
\t\tSNP win rounds out constituency results\n <\/p>\n
All 73 constituency seats in the Scottish parliament election have now been declared.<\/p>\n
In the final result of the night, the SNP held Uddingston & Bellshill.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t9.08pm<\/p>\n
\t\t\u2018Scunner factor\u2019 keeps voters at home\n <\/p>\n
The \u201cscunner factor\u201d appeared to play out around Scotland as turnout was down across the board on voting day, Greig Cameron writes.<\/p>\n
In many places, the drop was ten percentage points or more, reflecting widespread apathy towards parties and candidates.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t9.00pm<\/p>\n
\t\tLib Dems seize former Forbes stronghold\n <\/p>\n
The Liberal Democrats picked up seats around the country, including the constituency held by the outgoing deputy first minister, Kate Forbes.<\/p>\n
After returning only four MSPs at the 2021 election and losing an official slot at first minister\u2019s questions, the Lib Dems claimed seven constituency seats this time and climbed to nine overall.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t8.37pm<\/p>\n
\t\tTransgender candidate heading for Holyrood\n <\/p>\n
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 \u201cwhat diversity looks like\u201d in power.<\/p>\n
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\u2019Neill.<\/p>\n
Other list seats in the region went to Reform\u2019s Angela Ross, Labour\u2019s Irshad Ahmed and Katherine Sangster and the Conservatives\u2019 Miles Briggs.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy name is Dr Q Manivannan, I am a transgender Tamil immigrant, my pronouns are they\/them,\u201d Manivannan told jubilant supporters at the Edinburgh count. \u201cI am to some in this country everything that the hateful despise and I am standing here as your MSP now with care.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t8.32pm<\/p>\n
\t\tDelay adds to air of uncertainty\n <\/p>\n
By Iain Macwhirter, Times columnist<\/p>\n
It\u2019s turned into electoral interruptus as the regional declarations have been unaccountably delayed.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The SNP have dropped from 63 seats to 58 \u2014 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.<\/p>\n
It could even be Labour, the pundits say, though they have been writing off Labour as no-hopers for the past ten hours. It\u2019s been all about the Greens, as far as the BBC is concerned.<\/p>\n
Lorna Slater in tears<\/a>. Ross Greer still sounding extremely positive about working with John Swinney. I think he really wants that ministerial post.<\/p>\n \t\t\t8.11pm<\/p>\n \t\tCould SNP do a deal with Lib Dems?\n <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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 \u2014 their worst tally in the history of devolution, although finishing second would be some consolation.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The Lib Dems will have between seven and nine. Significantly, Swinney would be able to do a deal with Alex Cole-Hamilton\u2019s party \u2014 just about \u2014 to pass legislation and budgets, rather than being reliant exclusively on the Scottish Greens.<\/p>\n \t\t\t7.55pm<\/p>\n \t\tLosses tough to take for Tory leader\n <\/p>\n The leader of the Scottish Conservatives has conceded \u201cwe always knew this was going to be a tough election\u201d, on a day when his party lost three constituencies.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we warned would happen is exactly what has happened,\u201d he said. \u201cIn many seats, the Scottish Conservative candidates were beaten by the narrowest of margins, and that\u2019s because people voted for Reform in those seats and let the SNP through the middle.\u201d<\/p>\n Findlay said it was \u201creally disappointing\u201d that one-time party leader Jackson Carlaw lost his Eastwood seat to the SNP\u2019s Kirsten Oswald.<\/p>\n Findlay is a candidate in the West of Scotland regional list, which is expected to be declared this evening.<\/p>\n \t\t\t7.51pm<\/p>\n \t\tRegional results roll in\n <\/p>\n Here\u2019s how the regional lists look so far.<\/p>\n \t\t\t7.48pm<\/p>\n \t\tRegional gains for Greens\n <\/p>\n Regional votes are now coming in, and a good day is getting even better for the Scottish Greens.<\/p>\n In Edinburgh & Lothains East, the party came close to topping the regional vote, recording 21.2 per cent \u2014 only slightly behind the SNP\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n The result means Kate Nevens, a candidate who caused controversy for her call to abolish prisons<\/a>, and Q Manivannan<\/a>, who made a point of applauding the vote tally for the Communist Party, will be making their way to Holyrood.<\/p>\n Kayleigh Kinross-O\u2019Neill \u2014 not even designated a lead candidate for the Scottish Greens, who believed three seats was the best possible result in the region \u2014 took the final seat.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \t\t\t7.41pm<\/p>\n \t\tEnd of the road for Ewing\n <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n His mother, the late Winnie Ewing \u2014 an MP, MEP and MSP in her time \u2014 was described by Ewing\u2019s friend and former boss Alex Salmond as \u201cthe most influential Scottish nationalist of the 20th century\u201d and \u201cthe true radical spirit of Scotland\u201d.<\/p>\n Ewing\u2019s major campaign issue of recent years was the lack of progress over the dualling of the A9 and the A96<\/a>, an SNP promise made in 2007.<\/p>\n \t\t\t7.20pm<\/p>\n \t\tSwinney hails \u2018emphatic\u2019 win\n <\/p>\n John Swinney has said the SNP \u201cwon emphatically\u201d in the Scottish election.<\/p>\n With 70 out of 73 constituencies declared, Swinney\u2019s party has won 55 seats. Holyrood\u2019s regional list seats will be declared later this evening.<\/p>\n Swinney said: \u201cIt 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.<\/p>\n \u201cOnce 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.\u201d<\/p>\n He added: \u201cAll of us care about our country\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t7.14pm<\/p>\n \t\t\u2018Reform split unionist vote\u2019\n <\/p>\n Rachael Hamilton, deputy leader of the Scottish Conservatives, said she was disappointed Jackson Carlaw, a former party leader, had lost his seat.<\/p>\n \u201cReform had a significant impact in splitting the unionist vote,\u201d she said. \u201cWe warned they would do that in key seats where we were defending a unionist majority \u2026 In the northeast we could have won seats if it was not for Reform.\u201d<\/p>\n On doorsteps in her constituency, bordering England, Hamilton said residents implored her to \u201cplease keep the SNP out\u201d. 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.<\/p>\n Hamilton insisted she was \u201cincredibly pleased\u201d 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.<\/p>\n \t\t\t6.14pm<\/p>\n \t\tSeven-up Baillie backs Sarwar to stay on\n <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s deputy leader in Scotland held on, increasing her majority to 1,786.<\/p>\n That will come as a huge personal relief to the 62-year-old, who has taken great pride in holding the constituency since 1999.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have made it seven in a row,\u201d Baillie said in her victory speech. \u201cI will not let you down.\u201d<\/p>\n However, Baillie, the co-chair of the party\u2019s campaign, admitted she was disappointed in Labour\u2019s performance nationally. \u201cWe made the argument for change, but we lost the argument,\u201d she said. \u201cBut the need for change absolutely remains.\u201d<\/p>\n She said Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, \u201cabsolutely\u201d should remain in post.<\/p>\n \t\t\t6.01pm<\/p>\n \t\tStick or twist?\n <\/p>\n And here are the consituencies that have switched allegiance.<\/p>\n \t\t\t6.00pm<\/p>\n \t\tHow things stand\n <\/p>\n Here is the current situation, with a handful of constituencies still to declare.<\/p>\n \t\t\t5.53pm<\/p>\n \t\tFor Kerr, it was personal\n <\/p>\n 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 \u201cstopping the SNP\u201d instead of offering a positive vision for the electorate.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cPoliticians are guilty of a lot of hyperbole, but this is where I live, this is my home,\u201d he said, noting that his campaign literature made a personal appeal to voters. \u201cI am asking you to elect me as your representative for the people and places I love,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n Kerr said the SNP remained dedicated to local people and community presence, while other parties \u201chave gone away from that\u201d.<\/p>\n \t\t\t5.41pm<\/p>\n \t\t\u2018Incredible\u2019 showing, says Lib Dem leader\n <\/p>\n Alex Cole-Hamilton has hailed an \u201cincredible\u201d performance for the Scottish Liberal Democrats following his comfortable victory in the capital.<\/p>\n The Lib Dems\u2019 leader spoke to reporters at the Edinburgh count after being returned as the MSP for Edinburgh North Western.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re getting incredible results in places in our wonderful country that have never really thought about the Lib Dems,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re getting double the share of the vote we got last time, almost everywhere, which I think spells really good news for the regional lists.\u201d<\/p>\n He added: \u201cI am really excited about the new parliamentary group that I will be welcoming to parliament next week.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t5.24pm<\/p>\n \t\tKerr steps into \u2018sparkly shoes\u2019\n <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The 81-year-old former deputy presiding officer, a fixture at Holyrood since the dawn of devolution, leaves behind what have been described as \u201csparkly shoes\u201d to fill. Kerr, a former Westminster MP, claimed the seat with 14,091 votes.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s 4,199.<\/p>\n Kerr greeted his election with a jubilant shout of \u201cCome on!\u201d from the platform at the Borders Event Centre in Kelso. In his victory speech, he paid tribute to Grahame as a \u201cformidable champion\u201d who would \u201cstand up for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t5.10pm<\/p>\n \t\t\u2018Blue wall\u2019 holds firm\n <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s Emma Harper finished second with 33 per cent, a 6.9-point fall, while Reform\u2019s Senga Beresford claimed a 15.6 per cent share of the spoils.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \t\t\t5.00pm<\/p>\n \t\tBruce bags Glasgow Southside for Greens\n <\/p>\n The Scottish Greens have secured their first ever constituency seat in Glasgow. Holly Bruce, a local councillor, won the city\u2019s Southside seat, defeating the SNP minister Kaukab Stewart.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s Vonnie Sandlan.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \t\t\t4.48pm<\/p>\n \t\tGood result for Swinney, all considered\n <\/p>\n By Iain Macwhirter, Times columnist<\/p>\n Sir John Curtice, the Yoda of UK psephology, has spoken. John Swinney will not win a majority in the Scottish parliament \u2014 but only just.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n However, this could be a really a very good result for Mr Swinney after a pretty lacklustre campaign in which many of his party\u2019s policies \u2014 such as the price cap on supermarket goods<\/a> \u2014 did not land well. Many forecasters, including Ipsos in The Times, thought he would return fewer than 60 MSPs.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \t\t\t4.44pm<\/p>\n \t\tBlazing bus near Fife count\n <\/p>\n Firefighters were called to deal with a double-decker bus that burst into flames near an election count centre.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: \u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t4.29pm<\/p>\n \t\t\u2018No majority for SNP\u2019\n <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n 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 \u2014 his pre-election target \u2014 means for his independence strategy.<\/p>\n \t\t\t4.19pm<\/p>\n \t\tGreens celebrate historic win\n <\/p>\n The Scottish Greens have made history by winning their first ever constituency seat, clinched by Lorna Slater in Edinburgh Central.<\/p>\n Angus Robertson, the SNP\u2019s campaign director and a cabinet minister, was beaten into third place as Slater pulled off a landslide win.<\/p>\n She said her party had reached a \u201csignificant milestone\u201d by securing its debut first-past-the-post victory. Slater won 36 per cent of the vote, compared with 23 per cent for Labour\u2019s James Dalgleish and 22 per cent for Robertson.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n It is the second time that Robertson has been a major SNP scalp on an election night. In 2017, when he was the SNP\u2019s Westminster leader, he was beaten by the Tory Douglas Ross in one of the stories of the night in Scotland from that year\u2019s general election.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \t\t\t4.16pm<\/p>\n \t\tRare bright spot for Labour\n <\/p>\n Daniel Johnson has fended off a challenge from the SNP to retain his Edinburgh Southern seat for Labour.<\/p>\n The incumbent\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Pressed on whether Sir Keir Starmer remained the right man to lead the party at Westminster, Johnson said: \u201cThat\u2019s not for me to say, and I think we\u2019ll 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\u2019s being delivered by the Labour government.\u201d<\/p>\n Deidre Brock, the SNP candidate, finished in second place with 12,000 votes and the Scottish Conservatives trailed a distant third with 3,421.<\/p>\n \t\t\t4.08pm<\/p>\n \t\tLib Dems\u2019 landmark win in Edinburgh\n <\/p>\n The Liberal Democrats\u2019 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.<\/p>\n Sanne Dijkstra-Downie claimed Edinburgh Northern with 12,972 votes.<\/p>\n \u201cLike many people in North Edinburgh, I wasn\u2019t born here, but I\u2019ve made the<\/p>\n \t\t\t3.54pm<\/p>\n \t\tReform leader comes third in Inverclyde\n <\/p>\n Reform UK\u2019s Scottish leader Malcolm Offord has come third in his seat.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n However, he was rejected by voters, winning 17.6 per cent of the vote, compared with 27.7 per cent for the Labour\u2019s Francesca Brennan and 44.3 per cent for the SNP\u2019s Stuart McMillan.<\/p>\n The SNP also retained Ayr, which had been the only constituency remaining which was seen as attainable by Reform.<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t3.50pm<\/p>\n \t\tThe results so far\n <\/p>\n With more than 30 seats declared, here\u2019s a look at the standings and which constituencies have changed hands.<\/p>\n \t\t\t3.47pm<\/p>\n \t\tSNP winner enjoys swipe at Reform\n <\/p>\n When the SNP\u2019s Ivan McKee was celebrating his victory in Glasgow\u2019s Eatserhouse & Springburn seat, he could not resist a swipe at those he claimed wished to \u201cdivide\u201d people.<\/p>\n He was coy about naming names, but Audrey Dempsey of Reform \u2014 who joined the party after her suspension from Labour for comments about anti-white racism \u2014 pulled a face that suggested she knew exactly who McKee was targeting.<\/p>\n \t\t\t3.34pm<\/p>\n \t\tTories defend \u2018blue wall\u2019\n <\/p>\n The Tory \u201cblue wall\u201d in the south of Scotland looks set to remain intact. The SNP had been confident of taking at least one of Scotland\u2019s three most southerly constituencies, and had claimed support for Reform was surging in the areas.<\/p>\n However, with two of the three seats declared \u2014 Galloway & West Dumfries and Dumfriesshire \u2014 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \t\t\t3.32pm<\/p>\n \t\tAnalysis: Swinney faces hard choice without majority\n <\/p>\n John Swinney has insisted he remains optimistic about winning a majority \u2014 but the reality is it now looks a remote possibility (Daniel Sanderson writes).<\/p>\n The Conservatives holding on to Galloway & West Dumfries was quite possibly the final nail in the coffin for the SNP\u2019s hopes of hitting the magic number of 65 seats.<\/p>\n Swinney\u2019s target of an outright majority was always a high bar. But over recent weeks, his aides had insisted they believed it was likely.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The Lib Dems, meanwhile, are very confident they will win the new Edinburgh Northern seat, as well as Strathkelvin & Bearsden.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Swinney now has a big decision to make. He can placate his own activists by continuing with performative steps \u2014 which he knows will fail \u2014 towards securing independence.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \t\t\t3.25pm<\/p>\n \t\tBird is the word for anti-guga hunt candidate\n <\/p>\n One of Edinburgh\u2019s highest-flying candidates has arrived at the count \u2014 Rob Pownall, who is standing in Edinburgh Central dressed as a gannet to campaign for the abolition of the guga hunt.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m probably the smelliest candidate in the room right now, which is fine,\u201d Pownall told The Times. He said he did not expect many votes in Edinburgh Central.<\/p>\n \u201cI really don\u2019t want many, of course. We\u2019ve asked people to vote for parties that back the campaign to end the guga hunt.\u201d<\/p>\n He admitted that it would be the \u201cbiggest upset in election history\u201d if he were to take the seat, which currently looks as though it will go to the Greens\u2019 Lorna Slater, whom he said had been \u201cvery supportive\u201d of his campaign.<\/p>\n \t\t\t3.15pm<\/p>\n \t\tSNP activists getting confident\n <\/p>\n The mood among SNP activists in Glasgow is rising as results across the country appear on a big screen at the Emirates Arena.<\/p>\n There were loud cheers \u2014 the most voluble of the day so far \u2014 when the party snatched Eastwood, in neighbouring East Renfrewshire, from the Conservatives.<\/p>\n \t\t\t3.07pm<\/p>\n \t\tJackson Carlaw loses seat as Tories sink\n <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s Kirsten Oswald won Eastwood with 12,722 seats, compared to 11,990 for Carlaw.<\/p>\n \t\t\t3.00pm<\/p>\n \t\tFerry fiasco gives Labour rare bright spot\n <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Labour\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \t\t\t2.55pm<\/p>\n \t\tVoters can smell desperation, and Sarwar stank\n <\/p>\n By Iain Macwhirter, Times columnist <\/p>\n The Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, has been getting his apologies in early. Effectively, he\u2019s thrown in the towel after only seven results.<\/p>\n He had called for change. He had asked to be given \u201cfive years to fix the SNP mess\u201d. He had called for his leader, Sir Keir Starmer, to resign. It didn\u2019t work. Sarwar is now surely the one who should be considering his position.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s man in Scotland \u2014 and calling Peter Mandelson his \u201cbest pal\u201d.<\/p>\n Voters can tell desperation when they see it. They clearly thought this was not a serious way to behave, and they have voted accordingly.<\/p>\n Labour has been in decline in Scottish parliament elections for decades. We don\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n \t\t\t2.50pm<\/p>\n \t\tReform lose by a whisker in Banff\n <\/p>\n Reform UK has come within a whisker of winning a Holyrood constituency, but was denied by fewer than 400 votes.<\/p>\n In Banffshire & Buchan Coast, seen as the most likely constituency to be won by Nigel Farage\u2019s party, Reform\u2019s Conrad Ritchie took 10,010 votes, compared with 10,374\u00a0 won by the SNP\u2019s Karen Adam.<\/p>\n The Scottish Tories were third with 6,348, showing how splits in the unionist vote have benefited the nationalists.<\/p>\n \t\t\t2.44pm<\/p>\n \t\tWatch: Alex Cole-Hamilton speaks to The Times\n <\/p>\n \t\tThe Scottish Lib Dem leader answered questions from our reporter\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t2.38pm<\/p>\n \t\tStephen Flynn returns to Holyrood\n <\/p>\n Stephen Flynn has squeezed home in Aberdeen Deeside & North Kincardine, securing a majority of 1,244 over the Conservative candidate, Liam Kerr.<\/p>\n The SNP\u2019s Westminster leader is widely regarded as the frontrunner to eventually succeed John Swinney as party leader.<\/p>\n In his victory speech, he sought to reassure the oil and gas industry, declaring they would have \u201cno greater champion\u201d in the Scottish parliament.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \t\t\t2.27pm<\/p>\n \t\tSwinney declares victory as he holds seat\n <\/p>\n 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 \u201cenormous significance\u201d to him to lead his party to a win.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Swinney said: \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t2.20pm<\/p>\n \t\tSarwar: Labour lost the argument\n <\/p>\n With only seven seven seats declared, Anas Sarwar accepted his bid to become first minister had failed.<\/p>\n The Scottish Labour leader blamed a \u201cnational mood\u201d and \u201cnational dissatisfaction\u201d with the UK government that he had \u201cfailed to overcome\u201d. He had maintained throughout the campaign that he could become first minister but accepted that his party had \u201clost the argument\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cMy party is hurting today and it\u2019s my job to hold it together,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n He said he was \u201cdisappointed\u201d Scotland would see Reform MSPs elected but suggested the SNP were also fuelled by division.<\/p>\n \u201cSadly, it seems those who seek divide us, and use people\u2019s frustrations, are going to win the day today.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t2.08pm<\/p>\n \t\tCole-Hamilton rules out SNP deal\n <\/p>\n Alex Cole-Hamilton has once again ruled out any prospect of the Scottish Liberal Democrats entering a coalition with the SNP.<\/p>\n 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 \u201cissue-by-issue\u201d basis.<\/p>\n Speaking to reporters at the Edinburgh count, he said: \u201cI\u2019ve been clear from the start, and I stand by that, that there will be no coalition with the SNP.\u201d<\/p>\n Cole-Hamilton insisted his party was still set to take a \u201cbig step forward\u201d in its number of MSPs, despite suffering a shock defeat in the Shetland Islands.<\/p>\n \t\t\t2.05pm<\/p>\n \t\tTurnout slumps in Borders\n <\/p>\n Voter turnout in parts of the Conservative \u201cblue wall\u201d in the Borders appears to have slumped.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n These figures represent a marked decline from 2021 \u2014 an election held in the shadow of the pandemic \u2014 when Galloway recorded 66 per cent and Dumfriesshire 64.8 per cent.<\/p>\n Officials in Ettrick, Roxburgh & Berwickshire are yet to confirm their final tallies.<\/p>\n \t\t\t1.56pm<\/p>\n \t\tSNP big beasts return from Westminster\n <\/p>\n Stephen Gethins, the new MSP in Dundee City East, is expected to become a major player at Holyrood.<\/p>\n A professor of international relations at St Andrew\u2019s University, he is a former special adviser to both Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon. Currently an MP, he was the party\u2019s Westminster international affairs and Europe spokesman.<\/p>\n Stephen Flynn, the party\u2019s Westminster leader, is also expected later to be elected in Aberdeen Deeside & North Kincardine.<\/p>\n New rules have outlawed double-jobbing parliamentarians. Therefore\u00a0by-elections will now take place Gethin\u2019s Arbroath & Broughty Ferry seat, and Flynn\u2019s Aberdeen South seat should he be elected to Holyrood.<\/p>\n Both Gethins and Flynn can expect to become ministers in John Swinney\u2019s new administration should he return as first minister.<\/p>\n \t\t\t1.50pm<\/p>\n \t\tReform falling short in constituency results\n <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n However, Labour came comfortably second, about 2,000 votes ahead of the Reform candidate.<\/p>\n In Dundee it was a similar story, with the SNP comfortably holding on but Labour remaining second in both city constituencies.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \t\t\t1.45pm<\/p>\n \t\tGlasgow remains all smiles for Greens\n <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Activists for the Green Party \u2014 who say they are at the \u201cother end of the political spectrum\u201d from Reform \u2014 are outnumbering and out-smiling their rivals.<\/p>\n \t\t\t1.37pm<\/p>\n \t\tSwinney arrives at count\n <\/p>\n The SNP leader John Swinney has arrived at the count for the Perthshire North and Perthshire South & Kinross-shire constituencies.<\/p>\n He walked in with his wife Elizabeth and is set to find out if he has kept his seat in Perthshire North.<\/p>\n He said he was feeling \u201cvery well. Very optimistic. I\u2019m feeling very positive and look forward to a positive result.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t1.30pm<\/p>\n \t\tSNP claim Shetland from Lib Dems\n <\/p>\n The SNP has secured a sensational victory in the Shetland Islands.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s 34 per cent.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The Liberal Democrats had held the seat at every Holyrood election since 1999.<\/p>\n \t\t\t1.15pm<\/p>\n \t\tOfford: I ran to become first minister\n <\/p>\n Malcolm Offord, the Reform UK Scotland leader, said he fought the Holyrood election to become first minister.<\/p>\n But he admitted it would be difficult to beat the incumbent SNP in Inverclyde, where he is standing. He said: \u201cThat\u2019s a big challenge for us, because this is an SNP heartland, it has been 20 years, but we\u2019ve got a good response on the doors.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not going to make any predictions, but we\u2019ve got a good response \u2014 we are confident of getting a good result.\u201d<\/p>\n Speaking at the count in Greenock, Offord said he would \u201cof course\u201d be disappointed if he was not elected in the seat where he grew up, and was \u201cin it to win it\u201d.<\/p>\n Asked if he was still running to be first minister, said: \u201cI have said on a personal point of view, I\u2019ve always said I\u2019m 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.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t1.05pm<\/p>\n \t\tShock wins for Labour fail to materialise\n <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The party\u2019s organisational prowess and spending power, it was repeatedly briefed, could see it replicate its shock win at the 2024 Hamilton by-election.<\/p>\n So far, things are not going that way. Davy Russell, who won the Hamilton by-election, is \u201cgone\u201d, a Scottish Labour source admitted. They expect the SNP to gain the seat.<\/p>\n Scottish Labour is also in third in Edinburgh Central, a constituency they should have been in contention for, insiders said.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s rising by three, the SNP won almost 50 per cent of the vote in the seat.<\/p>\n Michael Marra, the Labour candidate there, is seen as the frontrunner to be next leader if Anas Sarwar stands down.<\/p>\n \t\t\t12.54pm<\/p>\n \t\tLib Dems looking good for second Edinburgh seat\n <\/p>\n Sampling suggests the Lib Dems are on course to take a second Edinburgh constituency.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s wealthiest and most deprived areas.<\/p>\n Euan Hyslop, the SNP candidate and councillor, said his party\u2019s sampling suggested the result could be within 1,000 votes.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n He added that national sampling showed the Labour vote had \u201ccompletely collapsed\u201d, particularly across the Central Belt.<\/p>\n \t\t\t12.50pm<\/p>\n \t\tHarvie\u2019s moment of triumph?\n <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The Greens sense a breakthrough moment in the city but it is still too early to say if their smiles will translate into victory.<\/p>\n Ironically, wins in the two constituencies the Greens have targeted could see Harvie lose his seat in Holyrood: he is first on the party\u2019s list.<\/p>\n \t\t\t12.35pm<\/p>\n \t\tLib Dems hold Orkney\n <\/p>\n The first Holyrood result is in \u2026 and it\u2019s a thumping win for the Lib Dems.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The huge victory is no surprise \u2014 and Orkney is unlikely to tell us a huge amount about the national picture. For what\u2019s it\u2019s worth, the Lib Dem vote share has gone up by almost eight points, and the SNP\u2019s down by 13.<\/p>\n McArthur is seen as a strong contender to be Holyrood\u2019s next presiding officer \u2014 the devolved parliament\u2019s equivalent of the Speaker of the House in the Commons.<\/p>\n \t\t\t12.11pm<\/p>\n \t\tAnalysis: The Green grin grows wider\n <\/p>\n By Iain Macwhirter, Times columnist<\/p>\n The Greens are looking supremely smug in Glasgow as pundits say they have taken either Kelvin or Glasgow Southside \u2014 or possibly both. So Ross Greer\u2019s party could be returning three constituency seats today.<\/p>\n However, thanks to the vagaries of the additional member system and the mysteries of d\u2019Hondt, 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.<\/p>\n It seems the SNP are looking\u00a0 uncomfortable, Labour\u2019s in despair and I wouldn\u2019t say that Reform\u2019s Michael \u201cSix Yachts\u201d Offord is looking particularly buoyant, even though he is guaranteed a historic result. Yet the famous Greer grin is getting ever wider.<\/p>\n \t\t\t12.02pm<\/p>\n \t\tEdinburgh posts slightly lower turnout\n <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n It is the first of the capital\u2019s constituencies to confirm its turnout figure.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n One SNP election agent at the count described the progress for the constituency so far as \u201cpositive\u201d.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Edinburgh Northern confirmed a turnout of 56.99 per cent.<\/p>\n \t\t\t11.55am<\/p>\n \t\tHigh hopes for three seats by Greens\n <\/p>\n The Greens are increasingly confident that they are on course for a sensational result today.<\/p>\n The party is \u201cupbeat and very positive\u201d about their chances in two Glasgow seats, Southside and Kelvin & Maryhill, a senior insider said.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, they are now almost certain that they will topple Angus Robertson in Edinburgh Central.<\/p>\n A breakthrough in Glasgow Southside in particular would be a major blow for the SNP, as it is Nicola Sturgeon\u2019s former constituency. It would also mean the loss of a minister, Kaukab Stewart, who has the equalities brief.<\/p>\n The likely strength of the Green performance raises the question of what would have happened if the party had stood in more constituencies.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \t\t\t11.45am<\/p>\n \t\tTurnout seems likely to slip\n <\/p>\n Fears that there could be a low turnout at this election look set to come to fruition.<\/p>\n The first turnout figures are beginning to emerge, and are down by as much as ten points on the 2021 election.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Turnout has largely held up in Shetland, declining by only one point, but it has fallen by eight on the Orkney Islands.<\/p>\n It is not clear which party a low turnout favours. However, it will hand greater advantages to those with the best ground operation.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/de61d01f-3661-4f80-b3b4-1678cc8f8b55.jpg\")
Holly Bruce celebratesAndrew Milligan\/PA<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/aea27ae3-0b4e-4439-a076-df15233f8df4.jpg\")
The bus was destroyed in the fireFIFTE JAMMER LOCATIONS<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/81511941-c86f-4b77-8169-5561c10a7edb.jpg\")
Angus Robertson congratulated Lorna Slatersst\/alamy<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01d1864c-b5b4-46df-b2f7-f1dda0bcb6f4.jpg\")
Rob Pownall: \u201cI\u2019m probably the smelliest candidate in the room right now\u201djennifer kennedy<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/3307948f-4351-4865-94d6-76a7c0b1403f.jpg\")
Stephen FlynnPA<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/fb5e33f0-bb7a-431c-84b5-5ce45339e5e4.jpg\")
Anas Sarwar and his wife, Furheen, at the count in GlasgowRobert Perry\/Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/48d4877b-6685-40ef-822e-7054e0c089c9.jpg\")
Alex Cole-Hamilton with his wife and daughter as they arrive at the Edinburgh count david young\/PA<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cc5b9236-f340-42e4-baff-11b5213bdee1.jpg\")
Thomas Kerr in Glasgow this morningRobert Perry\/Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/19def666-91f4-43af-a3a9-3278656cd44d.jpg\")
John Swinney and his wife Elizabeth arrive at the count in PerthJeff J Mitchell\/Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/b3845ccb-dd48-4cda-bbbe-64e60a35d522.jpg\")
Hannah Mary Goodlad <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/03334939-d039-42ee-aeae-83ae2123af9a.jpg\")
Malcolm Offord, left and Martyn Greene, Reform\u2019s Scotland campaign manager, arrive at Greenock this morning Steve Welsh\/PA<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/e80348c5-fe53-460a-bf3e-5d3d5aa22471.jpg\")
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<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/199c7338-175e-48bf-897d-5e04a8774315.jpg\")
Daniel Johnson sst\/Alamy<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cb145949-4b80-4890-91ee-4fdc23bb1bf7.jpg\")
Ballot boxes are emptied in Edinburghadam vaughan\/EPA<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/5339834a-7dde-4eb2-8b82-7c5badbc502c.jpg\")
In Perth Jane Barlow\/PA<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/f64ede28-429a-41f4-a8f9-0480b38b481f.jpg\")
And in Greenock, here and belowPeter Summers\/Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/4e4f8714-f0dc-4240-a2b1-7ed789d3218e.jpg\")
Peter Summers\/Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/5e7efd76-47a8-4b38-84a9-56ca36592796.jpg\")
Angus Robertson, the SNP culture secretary, campaigning with Swinney Robert Perry\/PA<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/15f6221e-c6a1-4e73-b462-f8f1580994c2.jpg\")
John Swinney and his wife Elizabeth cast their votes yesterday in Burrelton, PerthJeff J Mitchell\/Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0ea11433-d2fd-493b-a78e-24541b1d292b.jpg\")
The ballot count set-up in the Royal Highland Centre in Edinburgh EPA<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/d4523952-43c0-42c5-99b1-41d0b5134213.jpg\")
A voter heads to their polling station in Renton, West Dunbartonshire yesterday Jeff J Mitchell\/Getty Images<\/p>\n