Holyrood Election 2026: Yet more misery for Labour, while Reform split vote much to Tories’ dismay

By STEVEN DONN, DEPUTY EDITOR – SCOTLAND and JOHN PAUL BRESLIN, WEEKEND NEWS EDITOR – SCOTLAND

Updated:

The polls have closed and the counting has begun. Later today, we will know just who has come out on top in the Scottish elections as the results start dropping in. Early indications are that John Swinney and the SNP will fall short of a majority. But will that open the door to another coalition with the Greens?

The rival parties are eyeing up 70 constituency seats, elected by the first-past-the-post method. There are a further eight electoral regions each with seven additional MSPs based on a form of proportional voting. In total, 129 parliamentarians are elected.

The magic number for a majority is, therefore, 65 but while that looks unlikely, there could be a pro-independence majority if the SNP and Greens were to share power once again. And that could pile more pressure on Keir Starmer over the prospect of IndyRef2. 

Still no result… and our live blog comes to an end

By Steven Donn

Thanks for being with us today. Until the next time!

There are 656 people currently viewing the Highlands and Islands count on YouTube… willing them on

By Steven Donn

STEPHEN DAISLEY: With noses held, voters denied the SNP a clear majority

By Steven Donn

Lib Dems vow: No coalition… but we will prop up SNP

By Steven Donn

Airmiles Angus finally grounded at last as Green vote surges across Scotland

By Steven Donn

Reform say Scottish success is ‘a stepping stone’ for future… and refuse to listen to Tory criticism

By Steven Donn

PAUL SINCLAIR: For a man without a plan, gimmicks and grins were never going to be enough for Anas Sarwar and Labour

By Steven Donn

Tomorrow’s front page today…

By Steven Donn

JOHN MACLEOD: It’s not the fault of either Farage or Offord that ‘Vote Reform, Get SNP’ proved prescient

By Steven Donn

With their main rivals at STV on strike, the Beeb had a clear run at the experts and splurged couchfuls of them across studios in Glasgow and at Holyrood…

By Steven Donn

They are still counting – and you can watch.

By Steven Donn

Stop looking at the camera and get on with it, folks…

The final countdown… goes on and on

By Steven Donn

It’s fair to say that patience is now wearing a little thin!

Key Updates

  • Regional result for West Scotland is in… with Russell Findlay, Malcolm Offord and Ross Greer all elected

  • All 73 constituency results are in…

  • Watch the Mail’s top team discuss the ramifications of the election…

  • Russell Findlay: What we warned would happen is exactly what has happened

  • Swinney claims SNP has ‘won emphatically’

  • Douglas Ross says Reform ‘missed a trick’

  • Tory winner calls Reform ‘handmaiden’ of SNP

  • Angus Robertson third as Lorna Slater wins Edinburgh Central

  • Stephen Flynn plays down his ambitions

  • John Swinney says SNP wins are ‘precious’

  • Tories blame Reform for SNP win in Aberdeen

  • Anas Sarwar under pressure

TOP STORIES

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