It includes a rolling programme on BBC One Scotland during the day on Friday 8 May to report the breaking news from the declarations across the country
BBC Scotland has unveiled a wide range of television, radio, and digital content to serve audiences throughout the 2026 Scottish Parliament Election campaign.
It includes a rolling programme on BBC One Scotland and BBC Radio Scotland during the day on Friday 8 May to report the breaking news from the declarations across the country.
There will be no overnight declarations, with results instead being announced progressively the day after the 7 May poll has taken place.
Presented by Martin Geissler with Laura Miller and Gary Robertson in Pacific Quay, Glasgow, and Rebecca Curran in Holyrood, the programme will air from 9.30 am on BBC One Scotland, combining live declarations, interviews, and reporting from every count location across Scotland. There’ll also be extended teatime and late editions of Reporting Scotland, presented by Laura Goodwin.
Coverage of the campaign will also include a live leaders debate broadcast from Paisley Town Hall on Sunday 12 April on BBC One Scotland and iPlayer from 7.00 – 8.30 pm.
Hosted by Stephen Jardine, The Debate Night Leaders Special will feature leaders from the Scottish Conservatives, Scottish Greens, Scottish Labour, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Scottish National Party, and Reform UK.
There’ll also be three regular Debate Night editions in the campaign, including one with a focus on hearing from younger voters.
BBC Scotland News online will run a daily live page starting on Tuesday 7 April, with news, features and interviews from the campaigns, and in-depth analysis of the big issues.
Digital content will include short-form pieces themed around explainers, news roundups, and manifesto digests. These will be on BBC digital channels and on a range of prominent social media platforms.
The digital offering will also include an online policy grid – an interactive tool giving a summary of where the main parties stand on the issues that are most important to voters.
BBC Scotland News will also host several hustings events across the country for radio and online, featuring candidate debates in specific constituencies.
On BBC Radio Scotland, Radio Scotland Breakfast will conduct a series of leader interviews, offering listeners the opportunity to hear directly from those seeking election.
The leaders will take calls on Mornings after their Radio Scotland Breakfast interview.
The BBC Verify team in Scotland will contribute specialist analysis and verification throughout the campaign, helping audiences to navigate the information and claims that will be aired in the weeks before polling day.
Coverage will also feature BBC Your Voice, a cross-platform project designed to amplify audience voices. It aims to reflect what audiences are saying to the BBC and will cover the issues that affect them.
Scotcast, the news and current affairs podcast, will continue its series of interviews with the leaders of the larger parties which began last week.
Weekend flagship politics programme,The Sunday Show, which is simulcast on television and radio, will be extended to an hour on BBC One Scotland. Presented by Gary Robertson the programme will focus on the big issues that matter to voters.
There’ll be extensive coverage for Gaelic audiences throughout the campaign on BBC Radio nan Gàidheal’s news programming, on BBC ALBA’s daily news programme show An Là, and online at bbc.co.uk/naidheachdan. On Friday 8 May, there’ll be continuous content on radio and online as the results come in.
Howard Simpson, Head of News and Current Affairs, BBC Scotland, said: ‘The range of programming and journalism we’re announcing today reflects our commitment to serving audiences across Scotland with trusted, high quality election coverage.
“Our principal aim is to be led by the issues that matter most to our audiences.
“The campaign coverage has a level of ambition, scale and geographical reach that will ensure the voting public are kept fully informed as they engage in the democratic process.
‘We’ve built a results service that’s fast, comprehensive, and accessible wherever people are. Our teams across the country will bring unrivalled reporting, sharp analysis and clear explanations as the picture develops.’
Pledge to Turn Wasted List Votes into Working Class Independence Voice at Holyrood
The Alliance to Liberate Scotland (ATLS) has hailed Thursday night’s packed Glasgow candidate launch at the Renfield Training and Conference Centre as “the moment Glasgow’s working class put Holyrood on notice that wasted list votes are no longer acceptable.”
Speaking to an overflowing audience, Glasgow Regional List lead candidate Tommy Sheridan argued that the old “SNP 1 & SNP 2” message has repeatedly failed to deliver additional independence representation for Glasgow on the regional list, and has instead handed list seats to Labour and the Conservatives in a city that votes Yes.
In Glasgow alone, around 245,000 SNP second votes (SNP2-Regional List Vote) across the last two Holyrood elections failed to elect a single SNP list MSP, while Labour and the Tories took all seven regional seats in our Yes city.
Sheridan pointed to the Scottish Parliament elections of 2016 and 2021, where the SNP swept all nine Glasgow constituency seats yet failed to secure a single additional regional list MSP in the city, despite topping the regional vote on both occasions.
In 2021, Glasgow’s regional list MSPs were returned as four Labour, two Conservative and one Green, but zero SNP list MSPs, even though the SNP won the largest share of the list vote.
Tommy Sheridan said: “The facts are crystal clear. In Glasgow, in both 2016 and 2021, tens of thousands of SNP list votes did not elect a single additional pro-independence MSP. Those ‘SNP 2’ votes were effectively wasted, while Labour and Tory unionists walked into Holyrood from the Glasgow list. That cannot be allowed to happen again in a Yes city.
The Alliance to Liberate Scotland exists to give Glasgow’s working class a hard, effective independence vote on the list. A list vote for ATLS is not a gesture – it is the serious business of putting more pro-independence fighters into parliament and cutting the number of unionist MSPs sent from this city.”
Independent analysis of past elections has repeatedly highlighted how large blocks of list votes for parties already dominant in the constituencies can fail to translate into list seats under Scotland’s Additional Member System, particularly in regions such as Glasgow, where one party already holds most or all constituency seats.
Second-placed Glasgow list candidate Dhruva Kumar, who chaired the event, said the campaign would speak directly to working-class voters across all of Glasgow’s communities:
Dhruva Kumar said: “Last night showed that Glasgow’s working people – old and new, from every background – are hungry for a serious, disciplined independence strategy.
“This campaign is about unity and action. When people give their list vote to the Alliance, they are turning frustration into seats, anger into votes, and hope into hard numbers for independence at Holyrood. Glasgow’s working class built this city, now we intend to help them win the power to shape its future.”
Glasgow list candidate Gail Sheridan stressed that ATLS offers determined, grassroots-rooted representation rather than careerist politics. She said: “I’ve stood with Tommy through every major battle for justice and independence in this city.
What we heard from the floor last night was clear: people are tired of politicians who talk about independence but park it the day after the election.
The Alliance to Liberate Scotland is different. We are rooted in working-class Glasgow, we are organised, and we are ready to fight tooth and nail in Holyrood for decent wages, warm homes and real self-determination. A list vote for ATLS is an independence vote that counts.”
Glasgow list candidate Hilda McMahon drew a direct line from Glasgow’s radical history to the new Alliance campaign. She said: “Glasgow has never begged for change; it has organised for it.
“From Mary Barbour to Jimmy Reid and John Maclean, our city’s heroes understood that real power comes when working people stand together. The Alliance to Liberate Scotland is carrying that flame into the 2026 Holyrood election.
“We are deadly serious about increasing the number of pro-independence MSPs and finally delivering the self-determination that the people of Scotland demand.”
The Alliance to Liberate Scotland insists that, in the 2026 Holyrood election, a Glasgow Regional List vote for ATLS is the most effective way for independence supporters in the city to turn previously wasted list votes into additional pro-independence MSPs, strengthening the voice of Glasgow’s working class at the heart of Scotland’s democracy.
To coincide with Reform UK’s Scottish conference on Thursday 19 March activists from Edinburgh Climate Coalition (ECC) are launching a campaign today warning voters across Scotland that voting Reform UK in the Scottish Parliament Election could threaten jobs, increase energy bills and undermine Scotland’s renewable energy future.
The campaign will include social media activism, street campaigning and community outreach across Edinburgh and the Lothians, with volunteers speaking directly to residents about how climate policy affects everyday issues such as employment, energy costs and public services.
The ECC wants to ensure that everyone is aware that Reform UK’s policies that undermine climate action will make the lives of people in Scotland worse.
The coalition argues that Scotland’s renewable energy sector has the potential to deliver long-term economic benefits while helping to tackle climate change.
We’ve created high-quality resources to sound the alarm—and we need your help to spread the word.
More MSPs than ever before vote to give terminally ill people choice – but falling short of majority
57 MSPs voted in support of Liam McArthur MSP’s landmark assisted dying Bill last night, Tuesday 17th March, but unfortunately this was not enough for the Bill to proceed to an Act despite overwhelming public support for reform.
The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill proposed to make the choice of assisted dying legal for terminally ill, mentally competent adults, alongside excellent end-of-life care.
57 MSPs voted for the Bill to pass with 69 voting against and one abstaining.
This means that the significant harms caused by the current law remain unresolved. Currently, even with the best palliative care, 11 Scots a week suffer as they die. Every year across the UK, 650 terminally ill people take their own lives, while others make long and arduous journeys to Switzerland, all without any protections in place.
Ally Thomson, Director of Dignity in Dying Scotland, said: “I am so deeply sad that the dying people who want this choice have been dealt this blow. But for as long as dying Scots continue to suffer, this debate is not going away.
“There is now near universal recognition that the current law is harmful to dying people. Those who voted against the Bill have done nothing to stop people with terminal illness from choosing to end their lives.
“They have instead blocked the safeguards and protections this Bill would have established for those who are already making this choice. Theirs was a vote against safety and compassion, not for it.
“I know that so many people will join me in finding this outcome deeply disappointing, but it’s important to recognise that more MSPs than ever before voted to give dying people choice at the end of life. I want to thank each of them for their efforts to end the harmful status quo.
“I also wish to thank Liam McArthur MSP who has been an incredible advocate for dignity and choice at the end of life. He has led this debate with respect, compassion and integrity.
“At the last vote, in 2015, MSPs voted by a margin on greater than three to one against changing the law. Today saw a major shift in Parliamentary opinion that gives us real hope for the future. All the signs are there that, slowly but surely, the Scottish Parliament is catching up to public opinion on assisted dying.
“Thousands of people all over the country have been campaigning for this change, and that work will not stop. Today’s result only stiffens our resolve to keep fighting for a safer and more compassionate law.”
Norma Rivers, from Ayr, who is living with terminal blood cancer, said: “For people like me living with terminal illness, today’s result is incredibly difficult to hear. But knowing that Parliament came so close to changing the law gives me hope.
“I want to live for as long as possible, but I also want the reassurance that I will have dignity and choice at the end of my life. I hope and trust that MSPs will come back to this issue very soon.”
Emma Cooper, Convener of Friends at the End (FATE), said: “We are extremely disappointed to see that MSPs did not reflect the views of the people they represent in the Assisted Dying Bill (Scotland) today. The overwhelming majority of people in every single constituency across Scotland clearly communicated they wanted assisted dying.
“It is hard to understand given the testimony we heard today from terminally ill adults and their loved ones who have too often witnessed frankly horrible deaths.
“The debate has sadly been plagued by misinformation and fears overriding facts. This was not a choice between living or dying, it was simply a question of how. This is not an issue that is going to go away and the fact remains that the status quo lacks compassion.
“End-of-life decisions that hasten death already happen in the NHS every single day, and they do not take place within a transparent framework or with consistent safeguards. Scottish people are going to continue to suffer unnecessarily at the end of life
“Thank you to our partners and Liam McArthur.”
Right to Life: Major victory for the most vulnerable in our society
Liam McArthur’s assisted suicide Bill has been defeated in a major victory for opponents of the Bill by 69 votes to 57, settling the issue in Scotland for a generation after a two-year national debate, and likely striking a mortal blow to the assisted suicide Bill in Westminster.
After two years of debate, and the most intense scrutiny that the question of assisted suicide has ever received in Scotland, Holyrood, widely regarded as one of the world’s most socially and politically progressive legislatures, has come to the conclusion that introducing assisted suicide is unsafe and dangerous.
Ahead of the vote, the Deputy Political Editor of The Scotsman, David Bol, described the final vote on the Bill at Stage 3 tonight as “potentially the biggest decision in the history of the Scottish Parliament”, and this was echoed by other prominent political commentators.
The Bill was defeated at its decisive stage, with the leader of the SNP, Scottish First Minister John Swinney, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, and the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, Russell Findlay, all uniting in their opposition to the proposals. They were joined by Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes and former First Ministers Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf.
Polling shows public supportive of rejection of assisted suicide Bill
The defeat of Scotland’s assisted suicide Bill is consistent with polling published this week that showed the Scottish public had major concerns with legalising assisted suicide and the negative impact that it would have on the most vulnerable in Scotland.
Polling commissioned by women’s policy think tank, The Other Half, found that seven in 10 Scots were concerned that victims of domestic abuse could feel pressured into ending their lives if assisted dying is legalised.
After eating disorder campaigners warned that people with eating disorders would be eligible for assisted suicide under the Bill, the think tank published polling that found that only one in five Scots would support legislation that allowed patients with anorexia to end their lives by assisted suicide.
Polling commissioned by disability advocacy group Not Dead Yet UK revealed that 69% of Scottish adults agreed that the Scottish Parliament should prioritise improving access to care for people with disabilities before an assisted suicide Bill would be introduced. Only 18% of Scots disagreed.
For respondents who had a disability, the percentage who agreed that access to care should be improved before an assisted suicide Bill is made law rose to 72%.
Dozens of major medical bodies and organisations came out against the Bill
Dozens of major medical bodies and organisations representing the most vulnerable in Scottish society have come out in opposition to the Bill.
They have been joined by groups representing tens of thousands of people in Scotland including, a coalition of major disability groups, such as Inclusion Scotland, Disability Equality Scotland, Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living, Glasgow Disability Alliance, Our Duty of Care, People First, Self Directed Support Scotland, Disabled People Against Cuts, Group for Autism, Insurance, Investment and Neurodiversity, LegaCare, We Thrive and Down’s Syndrome Research Foundation, who have all come out in opposition to the Bill.
Renewed focus on palliative care
Having settled this debate, MSPs must now unite to focus on renewed efforts to promote and improve palliative care.
A large number of MSPs from across the political spectrum came together to give powerful speeches against the Bill during today’s debate. They made it clear that this dangerous and extreme change to our laws would have put the vulnerable at risk and seen the ending of many vulnerable lives through assisted suicide.
Tonight’s result represents a major headache for Kim Leadbeater’s assisted suicide Bill in Westminster.
Moreover, to legalise assisted suicide in England and Wales when it has been rejected in Scotland, where the issue is devolved, would create constitutional and practical challenges.
Among the potential consequences are the uncertainty faced by Scottish students who spend half the year studying at universities in England, and the complications for residents who divide their time between a primary home in Scotland and a second property south of the border.
Alisdair Hungerford-Morgan, Chief Executive of Right To Life UK, a charity that opposes the introduction of assisted suicide and euthanasia, and campaigns instead for greater investment in palliative care, said: “This is a great victory for the most vulnerable in our society.
“They deserve protection and care, not a pathway to suicide. If this legislation had passed, countless vulnerable people would have been pressured or coerced into ending their lives.
“A large number of MSPs from across the political spectrum came together today to recognise the dangers this Bill posed and have rightly rejected it.
“The question of assisted suicide has dominated the five-year term of the current Scottish Parliament. The issue is now settled for a generation.
“But as this debate ends, today marks the beginning of a new conversation. It is vital that after the Holyrood elections in May, MSPs come together to redouble their efforts to invest in universal access to high-quality palliative care.
“Holyrood has today sent a decisive message to Westminster by rejecting assisted suicide. The Westminster Bill is already on life support as Peers continue to address its multiple flaws and unanswered questions.
“Rather than ploughing on with their dangerous Bill, the Bill sponsors in Westminster must now follow Scotland’s example and accept that assisted suicide is not the answer. It cannot be introduced safely”.
The result of the Stage 3 vote on the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill is:
Yes – 57
No – 69
Abstain – 1
The Bill therefore falls.
Campaign group Dignity in Dying said late last night: “Moments ago, the Scottish Parliament voted against Liam McArthur MSP’s assisted dying Bill, by 69 to 57 with one abstention.
“This means that the Bill will fall and we will have to keep fighting for law change in Scotland.
“We pay tribute to Liam McArthur MSP for acting with integrity and determination, and to the thousands of supporters who have been fighting hard for choice, especially the many terminally ill people and their loved ones who have spoken courageously about their experiences.
“The fight is not over. Thousands of people all over the country have been campaigning for this change, and that work will not stop. Today’s result only hardens our resolve to keep fighting for a safer and more compassionate law.”
Ash Regan MSP said: “The Assisted Dying Bill has fallen – but this debate must leave a legacy from session 6. We urgently need fully funded, high-quality palliative care for everyone, when they need it.
“We must ensure that those with disabilities are supported with necessary accommodations to fully access public life and be secure at home. Invest in research. Listen to experts.
“Free votes strengthen Parliament. And once again, the limits of devolution for legislation that straddles devolved and reserved matters are laid bare. We must learn and do better for the people of Scotland.”
Foysol Choudhury said: “Yesterday in Parliament, I voted against the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill.
“The issue of assisted dying raises a lot of emotions and as you can imagine, this was a very difficult decision to make.
“I would like to express my sympathy to Liam McArthur MSP who I know worked tirelessly and with great determination on this proposed Bill.
“Thank you to the many hundreds of constituents who have written to me over the years regarding this Bill, and who have shared their thoughts, concerns and personal experiences.
“Since my election in 2021, I have engaged extensively with many of you, as well as with organisations, doctors, nurses, lawyers, pharmacists, academics, on this important issue.
“While I have carefully listened to all sides of the debate, I ultimately voted against the Bill due to my serious concerns about safeguards and undue pressure on terminally ill people to end their lives as to not burden their families.
“The risk of coercion – particularly for vulnerable groups, including disabled people – is extremely difficult to detect. Many constituents and disability organisations have highlighted fears that the Bill could unintentionally devalue their lives.
“At Stage 3, I remained unconvinced that the Bill could fully guarantee protection against these risks. In my view, it still contains significant flaws and weaknesses.
“I strongly believe we must prioritise a robust healthcare system that delivers world-class, compassionate, and accessible palliative care for all.
“I do not believe that the answer to suffering lies in prematurely ending life. Every life has inherent value, and we must show our future generations that life is precious, must be protected and cared for in the best way possible.”
An official Notice of Election was published yesterday (March 16), marking the start of the formal process of the Scottish Parliament election, which will take place on May 7.
Nominations open today (March 17) for candidates wanting to stand in this election. Nomination papers, which are available on the Council website, must be submitted by 4pm on Wednesday April 1.
People aged 16 and over can vote in this election. The deadline to register to vote is midnight on Monday 20 April, to apply for a postal vote it’s 5pm on Tuesday 21 April, and for a proxy vote it’s 5pm on Tuesday 28 April.
The Edinburgh count will return 13 Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). Six are constituency MSPs and seven are from the regional list for Edinburgh and Lothians East.
Returning Officer for Edinburgh, Paul Lawrence said:“I would urge everyone to make sure they are registered to vote in this election. If you’ll be on holiday, busy on polling day or would simply prefer to get it done in advance, you have until 21 April to apply for a postal vote. You could also appoint someone you trust – a proxy – to cast your vote for you.
“This election will chart the course of the country’s future and it’s vital that you make your voice heard.
“Here in Edinburgh our teams are working hard behind the scenes to ensure that everything runs smoothly.”
New measures to strengthen appointment and vetting processes following Mandelson revelations
National Security Vetting process to be reviewed following Peter Mandelson case
Ethics and Integrity Commission tasked with tightening financial disclosures, lobbying and business appointment rules
Further reforms build on ambitious programme of standards and ethics reform
The Westminster Government has ordered an overhaul of standards in Whitehall to boost ethics and integrity in political and public life following the Peter Mandelson case.
Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones confirmed the work builds on the significant action this Government has already taken to deliver reforms to standards and ethics.
However, the Mandelson case has also shown more needs to be done and raised further questions about how the direct ministerial appointment process, and wider operation of government, can be strengthened.
The Government will continue to go further to strengthen standards in public life, including by looking again at how ministers and senior officials declare and publish their financial interests, how transparency around lobbying is enforced, and whether the rules on post‑employment activity are fit for purpose in preventing unfair access to, or influence within, government.
The Prime Minister has written to the Ethics and Integrity Commission, asking them to review current arrangements relating to financial disclosures for ministers and senior officials, transparency around lobbying and the Business Appointment Rules. The Government will swiftly respond to any recommendations to bolster standards in public life.
Alongside this, the Government will review the National Security Vetting system, including lessons learned from Peter Mandelson’s developed vetting.
The Government has already confirmed that, in future, diplomatic appointments will not be announced until security vetting has been completed.
To drive this work forward, Baroness Anderson, Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office, has been appointed to work on standards policy and to deliver the Government’s agenda on ethical standards and constitutional affairs.
Ministers have asked the Lords Conduct Committee to review the Code of Conduct to consider what changes are required to ensure peers can be removed when they have brought the House into disrepute. Ministers are also exploring whether the Committee can tighten rules on lobbying and paid advocacy to bring the Lords in line with the Commons.
In parallel, the Government has also committed to bringing forward legislation to remove peerages from disgraced peers as soon as possible. This work will build on progress to reform the second chamber, such as the upcoming removal of hereditary peers from the House of Lords.
These further steps add to the action the Government has already taken to raise standards — including publishing a new Ministerial Code, establishing the Ethics and Integrity Commission, strengthening the powers of the Independent Adviser, and reforming the business appointments system.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is supporting the strengthening of the due diligence and security vetting processes for politically appointed Heads of Mission. This includes introducing individual due diligence-specific interviews with proposed candidates and ensuring politically appointed Ambassadors will have to undergo security vetting before they are appointed.
The government is also looking at assurance processes for high-profile Direct Ministerial Appointments across government, ensuring there are robust measures in place with further details on this work to be set out in due course.
The Government recognises that the Mandelson case has raised serious concerns about standards and inflicted real damage on people’s trust in politics. While the specifics of that case are now a matter for the police, it has exposed the gaps in whether the systems designed to uphold integrity are strong enough.
Taken together, these measures show this Government’s determination to address the issues raised and uphold integrity in public life by strengthening the rules, improving transparency, and restoring confidence in how government operates.
“One of the biggest reforms to Parliament and UK democracy in a generation” – really?
Hereditary peers will no longer have the right to sit and vote in the House of Lords in one of the biggest reforms to Parliament in a generation.
Fulfilling a key manifesto pledge of the current Government, the Hereditary Peers Bill will ensure that places in the Lords are not reserved for people born into certain families.
The passage of the Bill completes a process started a quarter of a century ago to remove the hereditary principle from the House of Lords and bring the UK into line with other 21st century democracies.
The Hereditary Peers Bill has passed in the House of Lords in one of the biggest reforms to Parliament and UK democracy in a generation’.
The Bill, which was passed on Tuesday evening, fulfills one of the Government’s key manifesto pledges and marks the completion of work started over 25 years ago to remove the right for hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords.
The Government believes that no one should be able to vote on legislation solely on the basis of their inheritance, so reform of this outdated and undemocratic principle has been long overdue.
Leader of the House of Lords, Baroness Smith said: “The Lords plays a vital role within our bicameral Parliament, but nobody should sit in the House by virtue of an inherited title. That is why the government committed to removing the remaining hereditary peerages, completing the reforms that were started over a quarter of a century ago.
“Getting this bill through is a major first step towards reform of the Lords, with further changes to follow – including on members’ retirement and participation requirements.”
Minister for the Cabinet Office, Nick Thomas-Symonds, said: “Hereditary peerages are an archaic and undemocratic principle. I am proud that we have fulfilled a key manifesto pledge of this government.
“Our Parliament should always be a place where talents are recognised and merit counts. It should never be a gallery of old boys’ networks, nor a place where titles, many of which were handed out centuries ago, hold power over the will of the people.”
In making this change, the Government is committed to ensuring that the House can continue to function effectively. The Government has therefore agreed to offer additional life peerages to the Official Opposition and Crossbenchers. As always, it will be for the Opposition to decide which individuals they wish to nominate for peerages.
The Bill is the first step in wider reform to the House of Lords which, besides Lesotho’s Senate, is the only legislative body that still contains a hereditary element. The Government believes that there should not be places in the second chamber of Parliament reserved for those who were born into certain families.
Currently, 92 excepted hereditary peers, which include a range of Dukes, Viscounts, and Earls, can vote on legislation in the Lords. While over 600 hereditary peers were removed from the Lords in the House of Lords Act 1999, 92 were retained as an interim measure.
The Bill will come into effect at the end of this session of Parliament, after which no peer will be a member of the House of Lords on the basis of their hereditary peerage.
@YouthLinkSco It’s Welcome to Your Vote Week! Use the @ElectoralCommUK‘s impartial resources to explore why voting is important to your young people and to discuss the impact their vote can have on their everyday life.
This year’s theme is ‘why voting matters’ – supporting young people to discover the difference voting makes and how they can have their voices heard.
Use the Electoral Commission’s impartial resources to explore why voting is important to your young people and to discuss the impact their vote can have on their everyday life.
Every year The Electoral Commission invite schools, youth groups, and local elections teams to join them in celebrating democracy by running activities that help young people understand how it works and how to get involved.
The Electoral Commission aim to support young people to develop the knowledge and confidence they need to cast their vote and discover other ways to get involved in democracy.
With thanks to the brilliant ideas of their youth voice network, the theme for Welcome to Your Vote Week 2026 will be ‘Why Voting Matters’.
Discover the difference voting makes and how young people can have their voices heard. With your young people, use the impartial resources to explore why voting is important to them and discuss the impact their vote can have on their everyday life.
Welcome to Your Vote Week is an opportunity to discuss the importance of voting and democracy in your area. Explore questions like ‘What issues are important to you?’, ‘What are different levels of government responsible for?’ and ‘How could your vote make a change?’.
How to get involved
More than half a million young people took part in Welcome to Your Vote Week 2025. We want even more young people to learn about democracy and voting this Welcome to Your Vote Week.
Everyone is welcome to get involved. Feel free to be creative, ask your students and young people for their ideas, and deliver activities which best suit you and your group.
You could:
Hold a vote in your school or youth group on an issue young people can have a say in.
Alba Continuation Group welcomes leader MacAskill’s ‘positive engagement’
Hopes for Scottish independence in the next Parliament through the election of Alba MSPS on the list heightens after constructive engagement with Kenny MacAskill following recent correspondence, marking meaningful progress toward a clear and democratic way forward.
In his latest communication, Mr MacAskill acknowledges that a full indemnity has now been offered, to remove all risk from the current Alba leadership.
He sets out a number of constitutional and financial questions requiring clarification. These questions are legitimate and reflect the seriousness of the responsibilities involved.
They provide not an obstacle, but a structured and democratic route to resolving outstanding matters in a transparent and credible way.
Earlier this week The ALBA Continuation Group set out a ‘confident and forward-looking’ proposal aimed at securing the Party’s future and maximising it’s impact in the forthcoming Scottish Parliament election.
The group – made up of Angus Brendan MacNeil, Tommy Sheridan, Christina Hendry and Suzanne Blackley, all elected with substantial support from party members – has confirmed it’s willingness to offer an unconditonal indemnity to facilitate an orderly and dignified transition in the Party’s leadership.
Commenting today, Angus Brendan MacNeil said, “Central to this pathway is democratic legitimacy. Any transfer of responsible officer roles, as defined by the Electoral Commission, must command the confidence of members.
“That legitimacy can be secured straightforwardly through an online ballot of members, organised efficiently and transparently. Such a ballot would provide a clear democratic mandate from the elected membership, ensuring that any organisational changes rest on firm constitutional foundations.
“Addressing financial clarity is equally important. Establishing certainty around liabilities, ongoing costs and indemnity arrangements is essential to protecting members and ensuring long-term stability. These are practical issues that can and should be resolved through open engagement and good faith.
“This moment represents a crossroads. Small decisions taken now may have significant consequences over the next two years. By choosing a democratic, member-led route, there is an opportunity to strengthen credibility, rebuild confidence and position Alba to stand at the forthcoming Scottish Parliament election, which is vital in Scotland’s independence journey.
“Independence is within our grasp. With unity, transparency and democratic endorsement from members, Alba can enter the next Parliament as a clear, forceful and principled advocate for Scotland’s constitutional future.
“We look forward to continued constructive dialogue and to progressing matters swiftly, so that energy and focus can return to the central objective: delivering independence for Scotland through democratic means.”
