John Swinney, leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), has declared victory in the Holyrood elections after the first batch of results confirmed a comprehensive defeat for Labour. Speaking to the BBC after retaining his own seat of Perthshire North, Swinney expressed confidence that the SNP would emerge as the leading party. He stated he would be "privileged" to form the next Scottish government, marking the party's fifth consecutive victory. Swinney attributed the success to efforts to rebuild public confidence and trust in the SNP.
Earlier, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar conceded defeat, acknowledging that his party failed to counter the "national dissatisfaction" with UK Labour leader Keir Starmer. Speaking in Glasgow after only seven of Holyrood's 129 seats were declared, Sarwar admitted, "We made an argument for change and, ultimately, it's an argument we lost." He stood by his January demand for Starmer to resign as UK Labour leader and prime minister, adding, "My party is hurting today and it's my job to hold it together." Labour sources indicated that voters deserted the party or stayed home in protest over Starmer's policies on welfare, Gaza, and immigration.
Scottish Greens Win First Constituency Seat
In a major upset, the Scottish Greens secured their first constituency seat when former co-leader Lorna Slater won Edinburgh Central, unseating SNP cabinet secretary Angus Robertson. Robertson finished third, with Scottish Labour in second, giving Slater a 4,582-vote majority. Many voters criticized Robertson's meeting with Israel's ambassador, and boundary changes brought in a significant student vote.
Liberal Democrats and Reform UK Results
The Liberal Democrats held Orkney with a record 70% vote share, the first seat declared. However, the SNP won Shetland from the Lib Dems for the first time in 27 years, as the Lib Dem vote fell by 14.3 percentage points. Reform UK, projected to become Holyrood's second-largest party, narrowly lost in Banffshire and Buchan Coast, where the SNP's Karen Adam won by just 264 votes. Reform also came second in Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, largely at the expense of the Conservatives.
SNP Leads in Early Constituency Results
By early afternoon, the SNP had won six constituency seats despite reduced support. In Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, the SNP won with 40% but its vote share fell by 13 points. In Dundee City West, the SNP held with 49.1% but support dropped by 12.5 points. Labour's vote slightly improved in both seats. The SNP also held Dundee City East with 48.8%, a 10.4-point drop.
Labour's Shock Victory in Western Isles
Scottish Labour achieved a surprise victory in Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Western Isles), where candidate Donald MacKinnon narrowly defeated former SNP minister Alasdair Allan by 154 votes. Allan had held the seat since 2007.
Low Turnout Marks Unpredictable Election
Turnout was notably low in several constituencies, with some Glasgow seats seeing as low as 43% turnout, down from the low 50s in 2021. In Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, turnout fell by 10.7 points to 48.7%. In Edinburgh Central, turnout was 54.7%, compared to 62.5% in the comparable seat in 2021. The full count took place on a Friday for the first time, adding to the unpredictability of the election.
