Scottish election 2026: SNP, Tories and Labour draw battle lines
The next Scottish Parliament election is in May 2026.
news.stv.tvHere are some of the latest developments around the Scottish Parliament election in May 2026, including campaign positioning and what major parties are saying about the race.[4][5]
What’s happening right now
- The vote is scheduled for 7 May, with 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament up for grabs.[4]
- SNP leader John Swinney has said he’s “confident” the SNP can win a majority—going as far as predicting the SNP will reach the 65 seats needed.[2]
- Scottish Labour (with Anas Sarwar) frames the election as a choice between continuing SNP rule versus a Labour government focused on issues like NHS wait lists and wider public service performance.[1]
- Scottish Conservatives (Russell Findlay) are arguing that Holyrood has failed to deliver on priorities including the NHS recovery and school standards.[1]
Campaign backdrop
- Recent coverage also emphasizes that polls suggest the SNP will likely remain the largest party, but that the contest for second place (and overall seat totals) could be close and changeable.[1][4]
- A separate BBC Scotland analysis looking ahead to 2026 describes the year as one of fierce political rivalry, with the Holyrood election seen as pivotal to whether the SNP can continue governing after nearly two decades.[5]
Manifesto / policy comparison
- There’s also an initiative compiling and comparing the six parties’ manifestos for the 2026 election, with analysis covering multiple policy areas (including fiscal assessment).[6]
If you tell me whether you want (a) party-by-party updates, (b) the latest polling/situtation, or (c) local/constituency-level news, I’ll tailor the roundup to that.