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2021 Scottish Parliament election
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| Field | Value | |
|---|---|---|
| election_name | 2021 Scottish Parliament election | |
| country | Scotland | |
| type | parliamentary | |
| ongoing | no | |
| previous_election | 2016 Scottish Parliament election | |
| previous_year | 2016 | |
| outgoing_members | 5th Scottish Parliament | |
| elected_members | 6th Scottish Parliament | |
| next_election | 2026 Scottish Parliament election | |
| next_year | *2026* | |
| seats_for_election | All 129 seats to the Scottish Parliament | |
| majority_seats | 65 | |
| opinion_polls | Opinion polling for the 2021 Scottish Parliament election | |
| election_date | ||
| 1blank | Constituency vote | |
| 2blank | % and swing | |
| 3blank | Regional vote | |
| 4blank | % and swing | |
| registered | 4,280,785 | |
| turnout | Constituency – 63.5% 7.7pp | |
| Regional – 63.5% 7.7pp | ||
| <!-- SNP --> | image1 | |
| leader1 | Nicola Sturgeon | |
| leader_since1 | [14 November 2014](2014-scottish-national-party-leadership-election) | |
| party1 | Scottish National Party | |
| leaders_seat1 | Glasgow Southside | |
| last_election1 | 63 seats | |
| seats_before1 | 61 | |
| seats1 | **64** | |
| seat_change1 | 1 | |
| 1data1 | **1,291,204** | |
| 2data1 | **47.7%** 1.2% | |
| 3data1 | **1,094,374** | |
| 4data1 | **40.3%** 1.4% | |
| <!-- Conservative --> | image2 | |
| leader2 | Douglas Ross | |
| party2 | Scottish Conservatives | |
| leaders_seat2 | Highlands and Islands | |
| leader_since2 | 5 August 2020 | |
| last_election2 | 31 seats | |
| seats_before2 | 30 | |
| seats2 | 31 | |
| seat_change2 | ||
| 1data2 | 592,526 | |
| 2data2 | 21.9% 0.1% | |
| 3data2 | 637,131 | |
| 4data2 | 23.5% 0.6% | |
| <!-- Labour --> | image3 | |
| leader3 | Anas Sarwar | |
| party3 | Scottish Labour | |
| leaders_seat3 | Glasgow | |
| leader_since3 | [27 February 2021](2021-scottish-labour-leadership-election) | |
| last_election3 | 24 seats | |
| seats_before3 | 23 | |
| seats3 | 22 | |
| seat_change3 | 2 | |
| 1data3 | 584,392 | |
| 2data3 | 21.6% 1.0% | |
| 3data3 | 485,819 | |
| 4data3 | 17.9% 1.2% | |
| <!-- Scottish Greens --> | image4 | |
| leader4 | Lorna Slater / | |
| Patrick Harvie | ||
| party4 | Scottish Greens | |
| leader_since4 | [1 August 2019](2019-scottish-greens-co-leadership-election) / | |
| 22 November 2008 | ||
| leaders_seat4 | Lothian / Glasgow | |
| last_election4 | 6 seats | |
| seats_before4 | 5 | |
| seats4 | 8 | |
| seat_change4 | 2 | |
| 1data4 | 34,990 | |
| 2data4 | 1.3% 0.7% | |
| 3data4 | 220,324 | |
| 4data4 | 8.1% 1.5% | |
| <!-- Liberal Democrats --> | image5 | |
| leader5 | Willie Rennie | |
| party5 | Scottish Liberal Democrats | |
| leaders_seat5 | North East Fife | |
| leader_since5 | [17 May 2011](2011-scottish-liberal-democrats-leadership-election) | |
| last_election5 | 5 seats | |
| seats_before5 | 5 | |
| seats5 | 4 | |
| seat_change5 | 1 | |
| 1data5 | 187,816 | |
| 2data5 | 6.9% 0.9% | |
| 3data5 | 137,151 | |
| 4data5 | 5.1% 0.1% | |
| map_image | File:Scottish Parliament election, 2021.svg | |
| map_size | 450px | |
| map_caption | The map shows the election results in single-member constituencies. The additional member MSPs in the 8 regions are shown around the map. | |
| title | First Minister | |
| posttitle | First Minister after election | |
| before_election | Nicola Sturgeon | |
| before_party | Scottish National Party | |
| after_election | Nicola Sturgeon | |
| after_party | Scottish National Party |
Regional – 63.5% 7.7pp
Patrick Harvie 22 November 2008
The 2021 Scottish Parliament election took place on 6 May 2021 under the provisions of the Scotland Act 1998. It was the sixth Scottish Parliament election since the devolved parliament was established in 1999. 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament were elected. The election was held alongside the Senedd election in Wales, English local elections, London Assembly and mayoral election and the Hartlepool by-election.
The election campaign started on 25 March 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland. As a result, Parliament went into recess on 5 May, the day before the election. The main parties fielding candidates were: the Scottish National Party (SNP), led by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon; the Scottish Conservatives, led by Douglas Ross; Scottish Labour, led by Anas Sarwar; the Scottish Liberal Democrats, led by Willie Rennie, and the Scottish Greens, jointly led by Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater. Of those five parties, three had changed their leader since the 2016 election.
Newer parties set up since the 2016 election included: Reform UK Scotland, led by Michelle Ballantyne; the Alba Party, led by former First Minister and SNP leader Alex Salmond; and All for Unity, led by George Galloway. These parties only competed for seats on the regional lists. They all failed to win any seats.
The election resulted in the SNP winning a fourth consecutive term in government. They won 64 seats, a net increase of one from the 2016 election. The SNP gained Edinburgh Central, Ayr, and East Lothian, as well as winning the largest share of the popular vote and the largest number of constituency seats in any Scottish Parliament election (62). The Greens won eight seats, their best result to date at a Scottish Parliament election, while the Conservatives retained second place with 31 seats. Labour had its worst-ever result with 22 seats, and the lowest share of the vote in both constituency and list votes for either Westminster or Holyrood since 1910. The Liberal Democrats also had their worst showing at a Holyrood election to date, winning only four seats.
The SNP and the Greens, both of which support Scottish independence, won 72 of the 129 seats in the parliament. Unionist parties (that is, those against independence) achieved a small majority of votes in constituency contests, whilst pro-independence parties achieved a small majority in the regional lists. The turnout was 63.5%, which is the highest ever at a Scottish Parliament election. Following the election, the third Sturgeon government was formed. It initially consisted of just the SNP, but later included Slater and Harvie of the Scottish Greens as junior ministers after the two parties negotiated a power-sharing agreement.
Background
Electoral events
2016 Scottish Parliament election
At the 2016 election, the ruling Scottish National Party (SNP) lost its parliamentary majority but was able to continue governing under Nicola Sturgeon as a minority administration. At the same election, the Conservatives overtook Labour to place second, whilst the Greens overtook the Liberal Democrats to place fourth. No representatives of minor parties were elected to the Parliament.
Other elections
Four further elections affecting Scotland took place between the 2016 and 2021 Scottish Parliament elections:
-
May 2017: Scottish local government elections. The SNP retained its position as the largest party in terms of votes and councillors. The Conservatives displaced Labour as the second largest party, while the Liberal Democrats suffered a net loss of councillors despite increasing their share of the vote.
-
June 2017: United Kingdom general election. The SNP lost 21 of its MPs, winning 35 seats. The Conservatives won 13 seats, with their highest vote share in any election in Scotland since 1979. Labour won seven seats, while the Liberal Democrats won four.
-
May 2019: European Parliament election. This was dominated by the impending Brexit-deadline. The SNP won three of the six seats in Scotland, with the Brexit Party, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats each winning one seat.
-
December 2019: United Kingdom general election. The SNP increased its share of the vote, reclaiming thirteen of the seats they lost in 2017. The Conservatives won six Scottish seats with a net lost of seven. The Liberal Democrats won four seats with no net losses, but their leader, Jo Swinson, lost her own seat to the SNP. Labour was reduced to a single Scottish seat, a net loss of six.
Leadership changes
Three parties had undergone leadership changes since the 2016 election. In August 2017, Kezia Dugdale resigned as leader of Scottish Labour and was replaced by Richard Leonard. In January 2021, less than four months before the election, Leonard resigned. Anas Sarwar won the subsequent leadership election.
In August 2019, Lorna Slater and Patrick Harvie became co-leaders of the Scottish Greens.
Also in August 2019, Ruth Davidson resigned as leader of the Scottish Conservatives and was succeeded by Jackson Carlaw. Carlaw resigned as leader in July 2020, with Douglas Ross winning the subsequent leadership election unopposed.
Expansion of the electorate
The 2021 election was the first to come after the passage of the Scottish Elections (Franchise and Representation) Act, which extended the franchise to those serving prison sentences of 12 months or less. In 2005, the United Kingdom was found in breach of Protocol 1, Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights in regards to prisoner voting rights in the European Court of Human Rights as a result of Hirst v United Kingdom (No 2); the Act brings Scotland in line with the court ruling.
This act also allows all foreign nationals resident in Scotland to vote and all those with indefinite leave to remain or equivalent status, including pre–settled status in the United Kingdom, to stand as candidates. A BBC News report in April 2021 said that there were around 55,000 foreign nationals who had been given the right to vote as a result of these changes, including 20,000 refugees.
Date
Under the Scotland Act 1998, an ordinary general election to the Scottish Parliament would normally have been held on the first Thursday in May four years after the 2016 election, i.e. in May 2020. This would have clashed with the proposed date of a UK general election, although this became a moot point when a snap UK general election was held in June 2017 (a further UK general election was held in December 2019). In November 2015, the Scottish Government published a Scottish Elections (Dates) Bill, which proposed to extend the term of the Parliament to five years. This was passed by the Scottish Parliament on 25 February 2016 and received Royal Assent on 30 March 2016, setting the new date for the election as 6 May 2021.
The Scottish Elections (Dates) Act did not affect the legal possibilities for the Parliament to be dissolved earlier, those being;
- That the date of the poll may be varied by up to one month either way by the monarch, on the proposal of the Presiding Officer.
- If Parliament itself resolves that it should be dissolved, with at least two-thirds of the Members (i.e. 86 Members) voting in favour, the Presiding Officer proposes a date for an extraordinary general election and the Parliament is dissolved by the monarch by royal proclamation.
- If Parliament fails to nominate one of its members to be First Minister within 28 days, irrespective of whether at the beginning or in the middle of a parliamentary term. Therefore, if the First Minister resigned, Parliament would then have 28 days to elect a successor and if no new First Minister was elected then the Presiding Officer would ask for Parliament to be dissolved. This process could also be triggered if the First Minister lost a vote of confidence by a simple majority, as they must then resign.
Nevertheless, no extraordinary general elections have been held to date. Any extraordinary general election would be in addition to the ordinary general elections, unless held less than six months before the due date of an ordinary general election, in which case it would supplant it. This would not affect the year in which the subsequent ordinary general election would be held.
On 16 November 2020, the Scottish General Election (Coronavirus) Bill was introduced. This draft legislation stated that while the next election was intended to be held on 6 May 2021, the Presiding Officer would gain the power to postpone the election by up to six months if the spread of COVID-19 made that date impractical. The bill also proposed to change the date of dissolution to the day before the election, meaning that the Parliament could be recalled during the election period. The bill was enacted and received Royal Assent on 29 January 2021. Parliament was in fact recalled on 12 April, to allow MSPs to mark the death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
Retiring MSPs
| MSP | Constituency/Region | First elected | Party | Date announced | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lothian | [2011](2011-scottish-parliament-election) | Scottish Labour}};" | Labour | ||
| West Scotland | [2011](2011-scottish-parliament-election) | Scottish Labour}};" | |||
| Highlands and Islands | [2011](2011-scottish-parliament-election) | Scottish Greens}};" | Green | ||
| Central Scotland | [1999](1999-scottish-parliament-election) | Scottish Labour}};" | Labour | ||
| Edinburgh Central | [2011](2011-scottish-parliament-election) | Scottish Conservatives}};" | Conservative | ||
| Stirling | [1999](1999-scottish-parliament-election) | Scottish National Party}};" | SNP | ||
| Uddingston and Bellshill | [2011](2011-scottish-parliament-election) | Scottish National Party}};" | |||
| Caithness, Sutherland and Ross | [2016](2016-scottish-parliament-election) | Scottish National Party}};" | |||
| Argyll and Bute | [1999](1999-scottish-parliament-election) | Scottish National Party}};" | |||
| Banffshire and Buchan Coast | [2001](2001-banff-and-buchan-by-election) | Scottish National Party}};" | |||
| Aberdeen Donside | [2011](2011-scottish-parliament-election) | Independent}};" | Independent | ||
| Clydesdale | [2007](2007-scottish-parliament-election) | Scottish National Party}};" | SNP | ||
| Central Scotland | [2003](2003-scottish-parliament-election) | Scottish Conservatives}};" | Conservative | ||
| Highlands and Islands | [2007](2007-scottish-parliament-election) | Scottish Labour}};" | Labour | ||
| Falkirk East | [2011](2011-scottish-parliament-election) | Scottish National Party}};" | SNP | ||
| East Lothian | [1999](1999-scottish-parliament-election) | Scottish Labour}};" | Labour | ||
| Glasgow | [2016](2016-scottish-parliament-election) | Scottish Conservatives}};" | Conservative | ||
| Clydebank and Milngavie | [1999](1999-scottish-parliament-election) | Scottish National Party}};" | SNP | ||
| East Kilbride | [1999](1999-scottish-parliament-election) | Scottish National Party}};" | |||
| Renfrewshire North and West | [2011](2011-scottish-parliament-election) | Independent}};" | Independent | ||
| Perthshire South and Kinross-shire | [1999](1999-scottish-parliament-election) | Scottish National Party}};" | SNP | ||
| Airdrie and Shotts | [1999](1999-scottish-parliament-election) | Scottish National Party}};" | |||
| Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley | [2016](2016-scottish-parliament-election) | Scottish National Party}};" | |||
| Glasgow Kelvin | [1999](1999-scottish-parliament-election) | Scottish National Party}};" | |||
| Aberdeen South and North Kincardine | 2006 | Scottish National Party}};" | |||
| North East Scotland | [2016](2016-scottish-parliament-election) | Scottish Conservatives}};" | Conservative | ||
| [1999](1999-scottish-parliament-election) | Scottish Liberal Democrats}};" | Liberal Democrats | |||
| West Scotland | [1999](1999-scottish-parliament-election) | Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament}};" | Presiding Officer | ||
| North East Scotland | 2011 | Scottish Labour}};" | Labour | ||
| [1999](1999-scottish-parliament-election) | Scottish Labour}};" | ||||
| Glasgow | [1999](1999-scottish-parliament-election) | Scottish Labour}};" | |||
| Central Scotland | [2016](2016-scottish-parliament-election) | Scottish Conservatives}};" | Conservative | ||
| Bill Bowman | North East Scotland | 2016 | Scottish Conservatives}};" | ||
| Tom Mason | 2017 | Scottish Conservatives}};" |
James Dornan announced in February 2020 his intention to retire at the next Holyrood election, but reversed this decision some months later.
Deselected MSPs
--
Parties
The SNP, Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats fielded candidates in all 73 constituencies and all eight of the regional ballots. Five other parties contested both all eight regions and at least one constituency: the Scottish Greens (12 constituencies) the Scottish Libertarian Party (9), the Scottish Family Party (7), UKIP (5) and the Freedom Alliance (4). Four parties – Abolish the Scottish Parliament Party, Alba Party, All for Unity, and Reform UK – stood in all eight electoral regions, but did not contest any constituencies.
Six other parties contested some of the regions and at least one constituency: TUSC (3 regions and 3 constituencies), Restore Scotland (2 regions, 4 constituencies), Scotia Future (2 of each), the Communist Party of Britain (2 regions and 1 constituency), the Reclaim Party (1 of each) and the Vanguard Party (also 1 of each). Five other parties – Independent Green Voice (5 regions), Renew (5), the Social Democratic Party (2), Women's Equality (2) and Animal Welfare (1) – contested some of the regions, but not any constituencies.
The Scottish Socialist Party, which participated in the last election as part of the electoral alliance RISE – Scotland's Left Alliance, opted not to participate in this election, for the first time since its inception.
List of parties contesting all regional ballots
| Name | Ideology | Leader(s) | 2016 Scottish Parliament election result | Seats at dissolution | Votes (%) | Seats | Constituency | Regional |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottish National Party}};" | Scottish National Party | Social democracy | ||||||
| Scottish independence | Nicola Sturgeon | |||||||
| MSP for Glasgow Southside | 46.5 | 41.7 | ||||||
| Scottish Conservatives}};" | Scottish Conservatives | Conservatism | ||||||
| Unionism | Douglas Ross | |||||||
| Not an MSP | 22.0 | 22.9 | ||||||
| Scottish Labour}};" | Scottish Labour | Social democracy | ||||||
| Unionism | Anas Sarwar | |||||||
| MSP for Glasgow region | 22.6 | 19.1 | ||||||
| Scottish Greens}};" | Scottish Greens | Green politics | ||||||
| Scottish independence | Patrick Harvie (co-leader) | |||||||
| MSP for Glasgow region | 0.6 | 6.6 | ||||||
| Lorna Slater (co-leader) | ||||||||
| Not an MSP | ||||||||
| Scottish Liberal Democrats}};" | Scottish Liberal Democrats | Liberalism | ||||||
| Federalism | Willie Rennie | |||||||
| MSP for North East Fife | 7.8 | 5.2 | ||||||
| Reform UK}};" | Reform UK Scotland | Right-wing populism | ||||||
| Euroscepticism | Michelle Ballantyne | |||||||
| MSP for South Scotland region | – | – | ||||||
| UKIP}};" | UKIP Scotland | Right-wing populism | ||||||
| Anti-devolution | Donald Mackay | |||||||
| Not an MSP | – | 2.0 | ||||||
| Scottish Libertarian Party}};" | Scottish Libertarian Party | Libertarianism | ||||||
| Scottish independence | Tam Laird | |||||||
| Not an MSP | 0.0 | 0.1 | ||||||
| Scottish Family Party | Anti-abortion | |||||||
| Social conservatism | Richard Lucas | |||||||
| Not an MSP | – | – | Did not exist | |||||
| Alba Party}};" | Alba Party | Scottish nationalism | ||||||
| Scottish independence | Alex Salmond | |||||||
| Not an MSP | – | – | Did not exist | |||||
| All for Unity}};" | All for Unity | Anti-nationalism | ||||||
| Unionism | Jamie Blackett | |||||||
| Not an MSP | – | – | Did not exist | |||||
| Abolish the Scottish Parliament Party}};" | Abolish the Scottish Parliament | Anti-devolution | ||||||
| Unionism | John Mortimer | |||||||
| Not an MSP | – | – | Did not exist | |||||
| Freedom Alliance (UK)}};" | Freedom Alliance | Anti-lockdown | Carol Dobson | |||||
| Not an MSP | – | – | Did not exist |
Election system, seats and regions
Main article: List of Scottish Parliament constituencies and electoral regions (2011–2026)
The total number of Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) elected to the Parliament was 129.
The Scottish Parliament uses an additional member system (AMS), designed to produce approximate proportional representation for each region. There are 8 regions, each sub-divided into 8 to 10 single-member constituencies. There is a total of 73 constituencies. Each constituency elects one MSP by the plurality (first past the post) system of election. Each region elects 7 additional MSPs using an additional member system. A modified D'Hondt method using the constituency results is used to elect these additional MSPs.
The boundaries of the 73 constituencies last changed as of the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, as did the configuration of the electoral regions used to elect "list" members of the Scottish Parliament. These revisions were the outcome of the First Periodical Review of the Scottish Parliament's constituencies and regions conducted by the Boundary Commission for Scotland; the Review was announced on 3 July 2007 and the Commission published its final report on 26 May 2010.
The Scottish Parliament constituencies have not been coterminous with Scottish Westminster constituencies since the 2005 general election, when the 72 former UK Parliament constituencies were replaced with a new set of 59, generally larger, constituencies (see Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004). The size difference between Westminster and Holyrood boundaries was due to diverge further upon the implementation of the Sixth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, which has not been voted upon by Parliament. The 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies for a UK total of 650 MPs commenced in England in 2021 and will complete for the UK by 2023.
Campaign
- BBC Scotland
- STV
Policy platforms
Parties contesting the election
Contesting constituency and regional ballot
Contesting regional ballot only
Contesting constituency ballot only
Election results
Constituency and regional summary
Central Scotland
|- ! colspan=2 style="width: 200px"|Constituency ! style="width: 150px"|Elected member ! style="width: 300px"|Result
|- ! colspan="2" style="width: 150px"|Party ! Elected candidates ! style="width: 40px"|Seats ! style="width: 40px"|+/− ! style="width: 50px"|Votes ! style="width: 40px"|% ! style="width: 40px"|+/−% |-
Glasgow
|- ! colspan=2 style="width: 200px"|Constituency ! style="width: 150px"|Elected member ! style="width: 300px"|Result
|- ! colspan="2" style="width: 150px"|Party ! Elected candidates ! style="width: 40px"|Seats ! style="width: 40px"|+/− ! style="width: 50px"|Votes ! style="width: 40px"|% ! style="width: 40px"|+/−% |-
Highlands and Islands
|- ! colspan=2 style="width: 200px"|Constituency ! style="width: 150px"|Elected member ! style="width: 300px"|Result
|- ! colspan="2" style="width: 150px"|Party ! Elected candidates ! style="width: 40px"|Seats ! style="width: 40px"|+/− ! style="width: 50px"|Votes ! style="width: 40px"|% ! style="width: 40px"|+/−% |-
Lothian
|- ! colspan=2 style="width: 200px"|Constituency ! style="width: 150px"|Elected member ! style="width: 300px"|Result
|- ! colspan="2" style="width: 150px"|Party ! Elected candidates ! style="width: 40px"|Seats ! style="width: 40px"|+/− ! style="width: 50px"|Votes ! style="width: 40px"|% ! style="width: 40px"|+/−% |-
Mid Scotland and Fife
|- ! colspan=2 style="width: 200px"|Constituency ! style="width: 150px"|Elected member ! style="width: 300px"|Result
|- ! colspan="2" style="width: 150px"|Party ! Elected candidates ! style="width: 40px"|Seats ! style="width: 40px"|+/− ! style="width: 50px"|Votes ! style="width: 40px"|% ! style="width: 40px"|+/−% |-
North East Scotland
|- ! colspan=2 style="width: 200px"|Constituency ! style="width: 150px"|Elected member ! style="width: 300px"|Result
|- ! colspan="2" style="width: 150px"|Party ! Elected candidates ! style="width: 40px"|Seats ! style="width: 40px"|+/− ! style="width: 50px"|Votes ! style="width: 40px"|% ! style="width: 40px"|+/−% |-
South Scotland
|- ! colspan=2 style="width: 200px"|Constituency ! style="width: 150px"|Elected member ! style="width: 300px"|Result
West of Scotland
|- ! colspan=2 style="width: 200px"|Constituency ! style="width: 150px"|Elected member ! style="width: 300px"|Result
Campaign
The election campaign started on 25 March 2021. The Scottish Conservatives launched their campaign the same day, with a focus on promoting Scotland's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
On 26 March 2021, the Alba Party was publicly launched by former First Minister of Scotland and SNP leader, Alex Salmond. The party announced plans to stand list-only candidates. Two sitting SNP MPs later defected to the Alba party. The Action for Independence party, which had intended to pursue a similar list-only strategy, announced they would stand down their candidates in favour of Alba. Sturgeon said she would refuse to have any dealings with Salmond unless he apologises to the women who had accused him of harassment. Salmond was ultimately acquitted of all charges.
BBC Scotland announced that it would broadcast two debates between the main parties' leaders; the first was aired on 30 March 2021 and was moderated by the corporation's Scotland editor Sarah Smith. The debate included key questions from the audience on the COVID-19 recovery, climate change, and a second referendum on Scottish independence. The second BBC debate was held on 4 May 2021 and was moderated by BBC Scotland's political editor Glenn Campbell.
Commercial broadcaster STV held their leaders' debate on 13 April, moderated by their political editor Colin Mackay. NUS Scotland held a debate, specifically on student issues, on 20 April; it was moderated by NUS Scotland president Matt Crilly and featured the three main party leaders.
On 1 April, Planet Radio announced that their Clyde 2 station would be hosting a Leaders Phone-In with the main party leaders every Sunday before the election. Douglas Ross was the first to be interviewed on 4 April, with Willie Rennie following on 18 April. Whilst Nicola Sturgeon was set to be interviewed on 11 April, campaigning was delayed following the death of Prince Philip and her phone-in was instead held on 22 April. Patrick Harvie followed on 25 April; and Anas Sarwar had the final phone-in on 2 May.
Following Prince Philip's death on 9 April, the SNP, Conservatives, Labour, Greens and Liberal Democrats said they would suspend election campaigning until further notice. After discussion between the parties, they agreed to resume campaigning after a special parliamentary session on 12 April to make tributes and to pause activities again on the day of the funeral (17 April).
Election debates
| Date | Organisers | Moderator(s) | Present Surrogate Not invited Absent inviteeInvited | SNP | Conservatives | Labour | Greens | Lib Dems | Audience | Ref. | Scottish National Party}};" | Scottish Conservatives}};" | Scottish Labour}};" | Scottish Greens}};" | Scottish Liberal Democrats}};" | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 March | BBC Scotland | Virtual | ||||||||||||||||||
| 13 April | STV | Colin Mackay | ||||||||||||||||||
| 20 April | NUS Scotland | Matt Crilly | **S** | |||||||||||||||||
| Greer | **S** | |||||||||||||||||||
| Ford | Virtual | title=LIVE: Scottish political leaders face off in student-led election debate | url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/19246572.nus-scotland-election-debate-nicola-sturgeon-faces-opposition/ | access-date=2021-04-20 | website=The National | date=20 April 2021 | language=en | archive-date=20 April 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420171030/https://www.thenational.scot/news/19246572.nus-scotland-election-debate-nicola-sturgeon-faces-opposition/ | url-status=live}} | ||||||||||
| 22 April | BBC (*Question Time* Special) | Fiona Bruce | **S** | |||||||||||||||||
| Brown | Virtual | |||||||||||||||||||
| 27 April | Channel 4 News | Krishnan Guru-Murthy | ||||||||||||||||||
| 4 May | BBC Scotland | Glenn Campbell |
Opinion polling
Main article: Opinion polling for the 2021 Scottish Parliament election
Graph of opinion poll results prior to the 2021 Scottish Parliament election. Trendlines are 30-day moving averages.
;Key SNP – Scottish National Party
Conservative – Scottish Conservatives
Labour – Scottish Labour
Lib Dem – Scottish Liberal Democrats
Green – Scottish Greens
UKIP – UK Independence Party
Reform – Reform UK
SSP – Scottish Socialist Party
Alba – Alba Party
AFU – All for Unity
Target seats
Below are listed all the constituencies which required a swing of less than 5% from the 2016 result to change hands. The most marginal opportunity for the Greens was in Glasgow Kelvin, which they needed a 7.1% swing to gain. The Liberal Democrats' best bet was Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, which required a 6.1% swing. The SNP ended up holding both of these constituencies.
SNP targets
| Rank | Constituency | Winning party | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| in 2016 | Swing to | |||||
| gain % | SNP's place | |||||
| in 2016 | Result | |||||
| 1 | Dumbarton | 0.17 | 2nd | Scottish Labour Party}}" | ||
| 2 | Edinburgh Central | 0.90 | Scottish National Party}}" | **SNP gain** | ||
| 3 | Ayr | 1.00 | Scottish National Party}}" | |||
| 4 | Aberdeenshire West | 1.28 | Scottish Conservatives}}" | Conservative hold | ||
| 5 | East Lothian | 1.45 | Scottish National Party}}" | **SNP gain** | ||
| 6 | Edinburgh Southern | 1.47 | Scottish Labour}}" | Labour hold | ||
| 7 | Dumfriesshire | 1.70 | Scottish Conservatives}}" | Conservative hold | ||
| 8 | Eastwood | 2.22 | Scottish Conservatives}}" | |||
| 9 | Galloway and West Dumfries | 2.27 | Scottish Conservatives}}" | |||
| 10 | Edinburgh Western | 3.73 | Scottish Liberal Democrats}}" | Lib Dems hold |
Conservative targets
| Rank | Constituency | Winning party | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| in 2016 | Swing to | |||||
| gain % | Cons' place | |||||
| in 2016 | Result | |||||
| 1 | Perthshire South and Kinross-shire | 1.97 | 2nd | Scottish National Party}}" | ||
| 2 | Edinburgh Pentlands | 3.68 | Scottish National Party}}" | |||
| 3 | Angus North and Mearns | 4.21 | Scottish National Party}}" | |||
| 4 | Aberdeen South and North Kincardine | 4.26 | Scottish National Party}}" | |||
| 5 | Moray | 4.30 | Scottish National Party}}" | |||
| 6 | Edinburgh Southern | 4.74 | 3rd | Scottish Labour}}" | ||
| 7 | Perthshire North | 4.90 | 2nd | Scottish National Party}}" |
Labour targets
| Rank | Constituency | Winning party | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| in 2016 | Swing to | |||||
| gain % | Labour's place | |||||
| in 2016 | Result | |||||
| 1 | Eastwood | 2.56 | 3rd | Scottish Conservatives}}" | ||
| 2 | Edinburgh Central | 4.19 | 3rd | Scottish National Party}}" |
Results
| {{Switcher | [[File:2021 Scottish Parliament election, regional party list vote.svg | 350px]] | Regional vote plurality in each constituency | [[File:2021 Scottish Parliament election, SNP regional party list vote.svg | 350px]] | SNP regional vote | [[File:2021 Scottish Parliament election, Conservative regional party list vote.svg | 350px]] | Conservative regional vote | [[File:2021 Scottish Parliament election, Labour regional party list vote.svg | 350px]] | Labour regional vote | [[File:2021 Scottish Parliament election, Green regional party list vote.svg | 350px]] | Green regional vote | [[File:2021 Scottish Parliament election, Liberal Democrat regional party list vote.svg | 350px]] | Liberal Democrat regional vote |
|---|
Overall
(Note: no mechanism is used to have the overall seat counts for each party reflect the party share of the overall vote. Each region is taken independently and seats in each region are allocated just as per the region's vote.)
Votes summary
Central Scotland
| 2021 Scottish Parliament election: Central Scotland constituencies | Constituency | Elected member | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottish National Party}}" | Airdrie and Shotts | Neil Gray | SNP **hold** | |
| Scottish National Party}}" | Coatbridge and Chryston | Fulton MacGregor | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | Cumbernauld and Kilsyth | Jamie Hepburn | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | East Kilbride | Collette Stevenson | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | Falkirk East | Michelle Thomson | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | Falkirk West | Michael Matheson | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse | Christina McKelvie | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | Motherwell and Wishaw | Clare Adamson | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | Uddingston and Bellshill | Stephanie Callaghan |
|- ! colspan="2" style="width: 150px"|Party ! Elected candidates ! style="width: 40px"|Seats ! style="width: 40px"|+/− ! style="width: 50px"|Votes ! style="width: 40px"|% ! style="width: 40px"|+/−% |- Monica Lennon Mark Griffin Graham Simpson Meghan Gallacher
Glasgow
| 2021 Scottish Parliament election: Glasgow constituencies | Constituency | Elected member | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottish National Party}}" | Glasgow Anniesland | Bill Kidd | SNP **hold** | |
| Scottish National Party}}" | Glasgow Cathcart | James Dornan | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | Glasgow Kelvin | Kaukab Stewart | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn | Bob Doris | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | Glasgow Pollok | Humza Yousaf | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | Glasgow Provan | Ivan McKee | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | Glasgow Shettleston | John Mason | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | Glasgow Southside | Nicola Sturgeon | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | Rutherglen | Clare Haughey |
|- ! colspan="2" style="width: 150px"|Party ! Elected candidates ! style="width: 40px"|Seats ! style="width: 40px"|+/− ! style="width: 50px"|Votes ! style="width: 40px"|% ! style="width: 40px"|+/−% |- Anas Sarwar Paul Sweeney Pam Duncan-Glancy Sandesh Gulhane
Highlands and Islands
| 2021 Scottish Parliament election: Highlands and Islands constituencies | Constituency | Elected member | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottish National Party}}" | Argyll and Bute | Jenni Minto | SNP **hold** | |
| Scottish National Party}}" | Caithness, Sutherland and Ross | Maree Todd | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | Inverness and Nairn | Fergus Ewing | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | Moray | Richard Lochhead | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | Na h-Eileanan an Iar | Alasdair Allan | ||
| Scottish Liberal Democrats}}" | Orkney | Liam McArthur | Liberal Democrat **hold** | |
| Scottish Liberal Democrats}}" | Shetland | Beatrice Wishart | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch | Kate Forbes | SNP **hold** |
|- ! colspan="2" style="width: 150px"|Party ! Elected candidates ! style="width: 40px"|Seats ! style="width: 40px"|+/− ! style="width: 50px"|Votes ! style="width: 40px"|% ! style="width: 40px"|+/−% |- Donald Cameron Edward Mountain Jamie Halcro Johnston
Lothian
| 2021 Scottish Parliament election: Lothian constituencies | Constituency | Elected member | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottish National Party}}" | Almond Valley | Angela Constance | SNP **hold** | |
| Scottish National Party}}" | Edinburgh Central | Angus Robertson | SNP **gain** from Conservative | |
| Scottish National Party}}" | Edinburgh Eastern | Ash Denham | SNP **hold** | |
| Scottish National Party}}" | Edinburgh Northern and Leith | Ben Macpherson | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | Edinburgh Pentlands | Gordon MacDonald | ||
| Scottish Labour}}" | Edinburgh Southern | Daniel Johnson | Labour **hold** | |
| Scottish Liberal Democrats}}" | Edinburgh Western | Alex Cole-Hamilton | Liberal Democrat **hold** | |
| Scottish National Party}}" | Linlithgow | Fiona Hyslop | SNP **hold** | |
| Scottish National Party}}" | Midlothian North and Musselburgh | Colin Beattie |
|- ! colspan="2" style="width: 150px"|Party ! Elected candidates ! style="width: 40px"|Seats ! style="width: 40px"|+/− ! style="width: 50px"|Votes ! style="width: 40px"|% ! style="width: 40px"|+/−% |- Sue Webber Jeremy Balfour Foysol Choudhury Lorna Slater
Mid Scotland and Fife
| 2021 Scottish Parliament election: Mid Scotland and Fife constituencies | Constituency | Elected member | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottish National Party}}" | Clackmannanshire and Dunblane | Keith Brown | SNP **hold** | |
| Scottish National Party}}" | Cowdenbeath | Annabelle Ewing | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | Dunfermline | Shirley-Anne Somerville | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | Kirkcaldy | David Torrance | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | Mid Fife and Glenrothes | Jenny Gilruth | ||
| Scottish Liberal Democrats}}" | North East Fife | Willie Rennie | Liberal Democrat **hold** | |
| Scottish National Party}}" | Perthshire North | John Swinney | SNP **hold** | |
| Scottish National Party}}" | Perthshire South and Kinross-shire | Jim Fairlie | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | Stirling | Evelyn Tweed |
|- ! colspan="2" style="width: 150px"|Party ! Elected candidates ! style="width: 40px"|Seats ! style="width: 40px"|+/− ! style="width: 50px"|Votes ! style="width: 40px"|% ! style="width: 40px"|+/−% |- Liz Smith Dean Lockhart Alexander Stewart Alex Rowley
North East Scotland
| 2021 Scottish Parliament election: North East Scotland constituencies | Constituency | Elected member | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottish National Party}}" | Aberdeen Central | Kevin Stewart | SNP **hold** | |
| Scottish National Party}}" | Aberdeen Donside | Jackie Dunbar | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | Aberdeen South and North Kincardine | Audrey Nicoll | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | Aberdeenshire East | Gillian Martin | ||
| Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party}}" | Aberdeenshire West | Alexander Burnett | Conservative **hold** | |
| Scottish National Party}}" | Angus North & Mearns | Mairi Gougeon | SNP **hold** | |
| Scottish National Party}}" | Angus South | Graeme Dey | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | Banffshire & Buchan Coast | Karen Adam | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | Dundee City East | Shona Robison | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | Dundee City West | Joe FitzPatrick |
|- ! colspan="2" style="width: 150px"|Party ! Elected candidates ! style="width: 40px"|Seats ! style="width: 40px"|+/− ! style="width: 50px"|Votes ! style="width: 40px"|% ! style="width: 40px"|+/−% |- Douglas Lumsden Maurice Golden Tess White Mercedes Villalba
South Scotland
| 2021 Scottish Parliament election: South Scotland constituencies | Constituency | Elected member | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottish National Party}}" | Ayr | Siobhian Brown | SNP **gain** from Conservative | |
| Scottish National Party}}" | Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley | Elena Whitham | SNP **hold** | |
| Scottish National Party}}" | Clydesdale | Màiri McAllan | ||
| Scottish Conservatives}}" | Dumfriesshire | Oliver Mundell | Conservative **hold** | |
| Scottish National Party}}" | East Lothian | Paul McLennan | SNP **gain** from Labour | |
| Scottish Conservatives}}" | Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire | Rachael Hamilton | Conservative **hold** | |
| Scottish Conservatives}}" | Galloway and West Dumfries | Finlay Carson | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley | Willie Coffey | SNP **hold** | |
| Scottish National Party}}" | Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale | Christine Grahame |
|- ! colspan="2" style="width: 150px"|Party ! Elected candidates ! style="width: 40px"|Seats ! style="width: 40px"|+/− ! style="width: 50px"|Votes ! style="width: 40px"|% ! style="width: 40px"|+/−% |- Brian Whittle Sharon Dowey Carol Mochan Martin Whitfield
West Scotland
| 2021 Scottish Parliament election: West Scotland constituencies | Constituency | Elected member | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottish National Party}}" | Clydebank and Milngavie | Marie McNair | SNP **hold** | |
| Scottish National Party}}" | Cunninghame North | Kenneth Gibson | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | Cunninghame South | Ruth Maguire | ||
| Scottish Labour}}" | Dumbarton | Jackie Baillie | Labour **hold** | |
| Scottish Conservatives}}" | Eastwood | Jackson Carlaw | Conservative **hold** | |
| Scottish National Party}}" | Greenock and Inverclyde | Stuart McMillan | SNP **hold** | |
| Scottish National Party}}" | Paisley | George Adam | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | Renfrewshire North and West | Natalie Don | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | Renfrewshire South | Tom Arthur | ||
| Scottish National Party}}" | Strathkelvin and Bearsden | Rona Mackay |
|- ! colspan="2" style="width: 150px"|Party ! Elected candidates ! style="width: 40px"|Seats ! style="width: 40px"|+/− ! style="width: 50px"|Votes ! style="width: 40px"|% ! style="width: 40px"|+/−% |- Katy Clark Paul O'Kane Jamie Greene Pam Gosal
Constituency seat changes compared to 2016
| Constituency | Gain | Loss | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ayr | Scottish National Party}}" | SNP | ||
| East Lothian | Scottish National Party}}" | Scottish Labour}}" | ||
| Edinburgh Central | Scottish National Party}}" | Scottish Conservatives}}" |
MSPs who lost their seats
| MSP | Constituency/Region | Party | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michelle Ballantyne | South Scotland | Reform UK}};" | |||||||||||
| Claudia Beamish | South Scotland | Scottish Labour}}" | |||||||||||
| Maurice Corry | West Scotland | Scottish Conservatives}}" | |||||||||||
| James Kelly | Glasgow | Scottish Labour}}" | |||||||||||
| Gordon Lindhurst | Lothian | Scottish Conservatives}}" | |||||||||||
| last=Paton | first=Craig | date=8 May 2021 | title=Minister loses seat after failing in bid to oust Tory | language=en | work=Evening Standard | url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/snp-scottish-tories-labour-jamie-b934027.html | url-status=live | access-date=10 May 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510001948/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/snp-scottish-tories-labour-jamie-b934027.html | archive-date=10 May 2021}} | South Scotland | Scottish National Party}}" | |
| John Scott | Ayr | Scottish Conservatives}}" | |||||||||||
| Paul Wheelhouse | South Scotland | Scottish National Party}}" | |||||||||||
| Andy Wightman | Lothian (contested Highlands and Islands) | Scottish Greens}};" |
Analysis
The SNP won 64 seats, falling one seat short of an overall majority. Some commentators put this down to unionists voting tactically for Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat candidates. According to psephologist John Curtice, "Denying the SNP an overall majority was, indeed, a collective effort – at least on the part of Unionist voters, who on the constituency ballot demonstrated a remarkable willingness to back whichever pro-Union party appeared to be best placed locally to defeat the SNP. [...] These patterns had a decisive impact on the outcome." This was apparent in seats like Dumbarton, where incumbent Labour MSP Jackie Baillie saw her 0.3% majority increased to 3.9%, whilst both the Conservative and Lib Dem vote share decreased.
In The National, Emer O'Toole questioned whether social media adverts with "a lack of transparency over funding" may have cost the SNP key seats as well. The day before the election, The Guardian reported that anti-independence groups and campaigners had "spent tens of thousands of pounds in the past week", including on Facebook adverts, calling for tactical voting to prevent the SNP getting a majority. One of these groups was Scotland Matters, whose founder, Professor Hugh Pennington said, "Across the country as a whole, tactical voting is obviously one of the ways forward to basically harm the SNP, not to put too fine a point on it."
Additionally, the Greens claimed that they may have been deprived of two seats because of Independent Green Voice (IGV), a far-right party which has nothing to do with the Scottish Greens (who support Scottish independence). IGV received nearly 10,000 votes, including 2,210 in Glasgow (where the Greens were 1,000 short of gaining a seat) and 1,690 in South Scotland (where the Greens fell 100 short). This potentially prevented pro-independence parties from having a 19-seat majority instead of 15 seats.
The Scottish and Welsh Election Studies 2021, revealed on 13 June, found that around a third of Scottish voters who decided to vote differently in the run-up to the election did so to stop another party, and that 90% of those who did this did so in a bid to prevent the SNP winning the seat. Rob Johns, Professor in Politics at the University of Essex, said: "[W]e found a lot more switching than we had expected. The polls had suggested that not much was changing and obviously the overall election result was almost eerily similar to 2016. That can mean that nobody has changed their mind or it can mean lots of people have changed their mind – but these have cancelled out as people have moved in opposing directions. We found there was quite a lot more of that than we had expected."
Voter demographics
Data from Savanta ComRes:
| The 2021 Scottish Parliament constituency vote | Social group | SNP | Con | Lab | Lib Dem | Others | Scottish National Party}}; width:60px;" | Scottish Conservatives}}; width:60px;" | Scottish Labour}}; width:60px;" | Scottish Liberal Democrats}}; width:60px;" | Gender | Age | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total vote | **48** | 22 | 18 | 5 | 7 | |||||||||||
| Male | **43** | 26 | 24 | 7 | 0 | |||||||||||
| Female | **52** | 16 | 24 | 5 | 3 | |||||||||||
| 16–34 | **58** | 10 | 24 | 3 | 5 | |||||||||||
| 35–54 | **51** | 16 | 25 | 5 | 3 | |||||||||||
| 55+ | **38** | 31 | 22 | 9 | 0 |
Campaign spending
| Party | Expenses |
|---|---|
| £1,468,343 | |
| £1,359,435 | |
| £1,176,410 | |
| £434,354 | |
| £231,902 | |
| £214,371 | |
| £54,504 | |
| £32,908 | |
| £29,620 | |
| £13,753 | |
| £10,199 | |
| £8,230 | |
| £7,387 | |
| £6,420 |
Aftermath
| Ballot → | 18 May 2021 | Required majority → | Scottish National Party}};" | Scottish Conservatives}};" | Scottish Liberal Democrats}};" | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *50 out of 99 valid votes* | ||||||||
| {{Collapsible list | title = Nicola Sturgeon (SNP) | • Scottish National Party (64) | ||||||
| {{Collapsible list | title = Douglas Ross (Conservative) | • Scottish Conservatives (31) | ||||||
| {{Collapsible list | title = Willie Rennie (Lib Dem) | • Scottish Liberal Democrats (4) | ||||||
| {{Collapsible list | title = Abstentions | • Scottish Labour (21) | • Scottish Greens (7) | |||||
| {{Collapsible list | title = Not voting | • Scottish Labour (1) | • Presiding Officer (1) | |||||
| Sources |
Nicola Sturgeon was nominated as First Minister by a vote held on 18 May 2021. Her cabinet was approved by the parliament two days later and thus the Third Sturgeon government, a minority government, was formed.
On 3 August 2021, it was reported that a co-operation agreement between the SNP and the Greens was "on the brink of being finalised" and could see Green MSPs take ministerial positions in government. On 19 August, the power-sharing agreement between the two parties was announced. Under the terms of the agreement, the Greens have two MSPs appointed as junior ministers in the government who are invited to attend cabinet meetings when their portfolios are being discussed. The Greens signed up to the bulk of the SNP's policies, but in areas of disagreement such as international relations and fee-paying schools the two parties are free to publicly disagree. The agreement states that the Greens support the government on votes of confidence and supply.
A deal that would see Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater made ministers was revealed on 26 August, subject to being voted upon by Green Party members. Two days later, members of both parties overwhelmingly voted in favour of the deal.
Footnotes
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