Newly elected MSPs will take part in their first formal meeting at the Scottish Parliament at 9.30am on Thursday 14 May.
All MSPs will start their work in the Parliament by making an oath or affirmation, which must happen before they can take part in any other parliamentary business at Holyrood.
John Swinney MSP, as leader of the largest party in the Scottish Parliament, will be the first to be sworn in, followed by the other party leaders. Other MSPs will be called forward in alphabetical order.
This initial meeting will be chaired by current Presiding Officer, Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP.
In the afternoon MSPs will be asked to elect a new Presiding Officer, who will serve for the rest of the new parliamentary session. It is expected that two Deputy Presiding Officers will be elected later in the afternoon.
Ahead of their first meeting in the Chamber, MSPs will have taken part in the first part of an induction programme in the parliament building. The programme aims to welcome MSPs to their roles and will:
allow MSPs to establish a temporary office within the Parliament
help MSPs establish their constituency or regional offices
inform MSPs about what support is available to them to help their constituents
give MSPs information about how to take part in debates and votes in the Chamber
let MSPs know more about the parliamentary roles and responsibilities
Speaking ahead of the MSPs arriving at the Scottish Parliament, David McGill, the Parliament’s Clerk/Chief Executive, said:“It is great to be able to welcome new MSPs into the Parliament, where our dedicated staff team will be on hand to help them get acquainted with their roles and responsibilities.
“This Parliament’s first formal meeting, on Thursday 14 May, will be particularly significant for those performing their first duties as MSPs, and for those seeking to become Presiding Officer and Deputy Presiding Officers.
“The first sitting day has an important role in formally introducing MSPs to the public, but the election of the Presiding Officer in particular starts to set the agenda for the session ahead.”
The first sitting day will be able to be view live on the Parliament’s website.
The results for Edinburgh’s six city constituencies, along with the seven seats for the Edinburgh and Lothians East region were announced at the Royal Highland Centre yesterday (Friday 8 May).
The declarations were made by Paul Lawrence, Returning Officer for the Edinburgh constituencies, and Regional Returning Officer for Edinburgh and Lothians East.
The newly elected Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) are listed below, with further details of the results available on the city council’s website:
Edinburgh Central: Lorna Jane Slater, Scottish Green Party (4,582 majority)
Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith: Ben Macpherson, Scottish National Party (3,071 majority)
Edinburgh North Western: Alex Cole-Hamilton, Scottish Liberal Democrats (13,016 majority)
Edinburgh Northern: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, Scottish Liberal Democrats (2,493 majority)
Edinburgh South Western: Simita Kumar, Scottish National Party (3,289 majority)
Edinburgh Southern: Daniel Guy Johnson, Scottish Labour Party (4,963 majority)
Edinburgh and Lothians East (Region):
Kate Nevens – Scottish Green Party
Angela Ross – Reform UK
Irshad Ahmed – Scottish Labour Party
Miles Briggs – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Q Manivannan – Scottish Green Party
Katherine Sangster – Scottish Labour Party
Kayleigh Ferguson Kinross-O’Neill – Scottish Green Party
Paul Lawrence, Constituency and Regional Returning Officer said: “I’d like to thank our colleagues in the Elections team and across the Council for their hard work and many months of planning in delivering this election.
“This is one of the most important duties that we carry out and truly is public service at its very best. I’d also like to thank Police Scotland, the candidates, agents, and media for working with us throughout the process.
“I wish our new MSPs the best of luck and I have no doubt they will represent our city, our region, and its residents with great pride.
“Finally, I’d like to thank our residents for taking the time to cast their votes and make their voices heard.”
The total electorate for the city constituencies was 387,355, total votes cast 223,815, and turnout 57.8%.
For the region, the electorate was 564,571, total votes cast 320,286 and turnout 56.7%.
In a first for a Scottish Parliamentary election, the majority of major parties have endorsed tenement law reform.
Ahead of the Holyrood election, the SNP, Liberal Democrats, Labour, and Greens have explicitly mentioned supporting reforms to help tenement flat owners organise repairs in their 2026 manifestos.
Obligation for tenements to be inspected every five years
Establishment of building reserve funds
TAG members, whose membership includes architects, surveyors, flat owners, and other housing professionals from across the sector, believe that enacting these recommendations will result in well-maintained buildings providing warm homes, affordable maintenance bills, and enhanced resilience to deal with future repairs.
BEFS, the umbrella body for organisations working in Scotland’s built environment and TAG member, has published a party manifesto round-up which summarises the positions of each major political party on issues related to BEF’s 2026 Manifesto for the Built Environment.
The SNP have committed to reform the Tenements (Scotland) Act, while the Liberal Democrats specifically mention support for the introduction of mandatory owners’ associations, building reserve funds, and building inspections.
Scottish Labour have promised to speed up progress on tenement maintenance reforms, and widen eligibility for financial help for retrofit, and the Scottish Greens have committed to make it easier for tenement flat owners to manage repairs, maintenance and retrofit, specifically supporting mandatory owners’ associations.
Mike Heffron, Chief Executive of Scotland’s tenement charity Under One Roof and TAG member, said:“The successful work of the Tenement Action Group to get a majority of Scotland’s major political parties to make explicit commitments on tenement law reform is an excellent outcome for the 900,000 tenement flat owners in Scotland.
“These flat owners will be expecting reforms to be quickly enacted to ensure their homes are warm, and their buildings well-maintained, for many decades to come.”
Hazel Johnson, Director of Built Environment Forum Scotland said:“Across the new term of the Scottish Parliament BEFS will continue to advocate for tenement reform and the recommendations of the Tenement Maintenance Working Group – and how these can deliver cross cutting benefits in addressing the climate emergency, achieving net zero, and keeping Scotland’s homes warm, comfortable, and wind and watertight.
“We look forward to supporting further cross-party efforts to leverage the value of the built environment and deliver tangible positive outcomes for our people and places.”
The final total of voters registered for the Scottish Parliament election is 4,320,981 – a record number for a Scottish Parliament election.
Those planning to vote in person on Thursday 7 May are being encouraged to check their polling place location and to exercise patience if queues form.
Voting should only take a few minutes and there is no requirement to bring photo ID.
Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm and anyone in the queue at their polling station at 10pm will be able to vote.
Malcolm Burr, Convener of the Electoral Management Board for Scotland said:“A significant amount of work has gone into preparing for this election and we are confident that polling day arrangements are robust and ready for this record number of voters.
“If anyone needs additional support on the day, polling staff are there to help. Please be patient and respectful as they carry out their jobs.
“As always, we are keeping the voter at the heart of all that we do and look forward to producing results in which everyone can have full confidence.”
Cahir Hughes, Acting Head of the Electoral Commission Scotland, said: “If you become unwell or have an emergency which prevents you from attending a polling place in person next Thursday, you don’t need to miss out on your vote.
“You can apply for an emergency proxy up until 5pm on polling day, so someone you trust can vote on your behalf. You can do this by contacting your local electoral registration office.”
The Forces Employment Charity is calling on all candidates to commit to meaningful, long‑term action to improve employment and justice support for veterans and their families across Scotland.
Long‑term, specialist employment and justice services deliver proven benefits for veterans, communities and Scotland’s economy.
The charity has created aVeterans Employment and Justice Pledge, urging those standing for election to back practical measures that would strengthen Scotland’s workforce, reduce reoffending and ensure veterans are supported with dignity and fairness.
With the Scottish Parliament election just weeks away, the Forces Employment Charity is calling on all parties to commit to meaningful, long‑term action to improve employment and justice support for veterans and their families across Scotland.
Veterans and their families make a significant contribution to communities and the economy. However, many face barriers to sustainable employment, while some veterans are at risk of becoming involved in the criminal justice system.
The charity has created a Veterans Employment and Justice Pledge, urging the political parties to back practical measures that would strengthen Scotland’s workforce, reduce reoffending, and ensure veterans are supported with dignity and fairness.
The Forces Employment Charity delivers specialist employment and career transition support to thousands of Service leavers, veterans, reservists and their families every year, helping them to succeed beyond service. In addition, through its justice service NOVA Scotland, the charity provides dedicated, trauma-informed support to vulnerable veterans in contact with the criminal justice system, enabling them to rebuild their lives and establish long-term stability.
The charity is urging parties to support three key commitments in their election campaign:
1. Fair Access to Employment
Support measures that ensure veterans, their families, and the families of those still serving can access meaningful employment opportunities. This includes:
Protecting long‑term funding for specialist employability programmes
Supporting skills development, career transition and employer engagement initiatives that recognise the value of military experience
These steps would help veterans thrive in civilian careers and contribute to Scotland’s economic growth.
2. Specialist Justice Support
Commit to protecting long‑term funding for specialist veterans’ services within the justice system. These services deliver:
Prevention, diversion and early intervention
Community‑based alternatives such as addiction treatment, volunteering and unpaid work
Rehabilitative support tailored to veterans’ needs
These interventions would address the underlying causes of offending and reoffending, ensure veterans receive the specialist help they need to rebuild their lives, and help to build safer communities.
3. Standardised Recording of Veteran Status
Support standardised recording of veteran status across the justice system so Scotland can design evidence-based, trauma-informed and cost-effective responses that improve outcomes and reduce reoffending. Improved identification would:
Strengthen throughcare
Reduce recalls and reoffending
Improve evidence‑based policy and prevention planning
Ensure Scotland meets its Armed Forces Covenant commitments
This change would not alter sentencing or create preferential treatment, but would ensure veterans receive appropriate, cost‑effective support.
Alistair Halliday, Chief Executive of the Forces Employment Charity, said:“Every day, Scotland benefits from the experience and dedication of its veteran community, yet too many still face barriers to establishing sustainable civilian careers or accessing tailored justice support; support which saves lives and transforms futures.
“In this election, we ask all parties to support practical measures that will strengthen Scotland’s workforce, create safer communities, and ensure fairness and opportunity for those who have given so much. We hope to see these commitments taken forward in the next parliamentary term so that veterans and their families receive the long-term specialist support they deserve.”
With just a few weeks to go before a pivotal election in Scotland, now is the time to urge our local representatives to address a major public health issue that has been overlooked for far too long.
As I write, the needs of the 1.5 million people in Scotland who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus are being neglected, and this must change.
It’s unacceptable that people with hearing loss in Scotland face routine waits of up to 18 months for audiology services, with some forced to wait even longer.
Too often, healthcare services in Scotland also fail to meet the communication needs of deaf people and those with hearing loss, such as providing an accessible alternative to the telephone, or a BSL interpreter for those who need one. This leaves people unable to fully understand or participate in decisions about their own care.
We want Scotland to be a country where the 1.5 million deaf people and people with hearing loss or tinnitus are fully included and treated with respect, dignity and understanding.
In the run up to the election, RNID is urging people to raise these issues with their local MSP candidates. You can contact your local candidates by visiting www.rnid.org.uk or by clicking here.
Regards,
Ruth MacLeod,
Health Policy Advisor, RNID – the national charity supporting people who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus.
The Electoral Commission is calling for the Scottish Parliament Election on May 7 to be free of abuse and intimidation.
In recent elections, candidates have faced unacceptable behaviour while campaigning, including harassment, threats and physical intimidation. Following the UK Parliament General Election in 2024, Commission research found over half (55%) of candidates felt that they had some kind of problem with harassment, intimidation, or abuse, with one in ten (13%) reporting it as a serious issue.
This led to more than half (56%) of respondents avoiding some kind of campaign activity due to fear of abuse. Women were also found to be twice as likely, and ethnic minorities three times more likely, to report serious abuse.
With the poll still six weeks away, the Electoral Commission is acting now to tackle the issue alongside partners including the Electoral Management Board for Scotland and Police Scotland. This includes supporting electoral administrators to ensure the safe and effective delivery of the election, including through providing guidance on their powers at polling stations and the count, so everyone can participate freely and without intimidation.
The Commission has published a set of principles to guide campaigning at the May elections, with a focus on maintaining respect, safety and honesty during robust debate. Created in response to recommendations made by the Speaker’s Conference on the security of MPs, candidates and elections, the principles build on common themes across parties existing codes of conducts, and aim to put in place a common, minimum standard of behaviour, to make sure that campaigners feel supported and protected.
Education also plays a critical role in tackling abuse by preparing young people to participate in democracy. The Commission is delivering democratic education for young people and New Scots to support media literacy and improve understanding of the role of the Scottish Parliament and its politicians.
Cahir Hughes, Acting Head of the Electoral Commission Scotland, said:“Abuse and intimidation should not be seen as part of the job for candidates , elected officials or electoral staff. This behaviour is unacceptable and harms democracy.
“Clear principles to help people take part in respectful campaigning are available, and we would encourage all parties and candidates to engage with the safety resources and briefings provided by Police Scotland.
“We will also continue to speak out against online harassment and threats directed at those taking part in elections and have made recommendations to social media companies to strengthen their response to abusive content.”
Malcolm Burr, Convener of the Electoral Management Board for Scotland, said: “Returning Officers and their staff will not hesitate to exclude anyone from polling places or the count if they disrupt proceedings.
“Any poor behaviour from candidates and agents undermines trust in the whole system. Voters must have confidence that the election will be run in a free, fair and safe manner for all.”
Chief Superintendent Neil MacDougall, Police Scotland, said:“Advice and briefings are being provided by Police Scotland to maximise the safety of candidates, minimise any risk of disruption and ensure a peaceful democratic process. All reports of criminality will be subject to an investigation.
“We continue to work with partners, including the Electoral Commission, and will liaise closely with local authority returning officers across Scotland regarding security at polling places.”
NO such problems at the Edinburgh Northern Hustings organised by Drylaw Telford Community Council at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre last night.
It was all very civilised – we even had a Conservative candidate agreeing with his Communist opponent! – Ed.
A new youth-led broadcast project is set to tackle misinformation and disinformation during the upcoming Scottish Elections, giving young people across the country a platform to investigate claims and engage voters with fact-checked reporting.
Launched yesterday (25 March 2026) Future Proof is an innovative initiative led by the Scottish Youth Film Foundation (SYFF). Six young journalists from across Scotland have been recruited to report on election campaigns through the lens of misinformation, disinformation and AI-generated content.
One of the six journalists is Rory Kirkpatrick from Portobello. Rory said: “As misinformation seems to get more and more prevalent, bringing attention to the truth only becomes more important.
“I believe we all must adapt to the ways that the spread of misinformation is changing in the age of social media.
“I’m joining SYFF’s Future Proof newsroom with the aim of helping people stay informed so that they can make decisions based off facts.”
Also joining Rory will be Emilie from Fort William, Robert from Kiltarlity, Rachel and Santi from Glasgow, and Tom from Kirkcaldy. Together, they offer a broad and diverse perspective on the issues affecting young people across the country.
Starting from 8 April, the team will produce four weekly live shows on YouTube, broadcasting every Tuesday at 6pm until 29 April. Each programme will investigate misleading claims, fabricated facts and AI generated content circulating during the campaign, while highlighting the issues that matter most to young voters.
Following each broadcast, the team will host a companion interactive webinar, allowing young people across Scotland to question the journalists directly and engage with expert guests on the key topics shaping the election.
The sessions aim to support engagement among young and first-time voters, while also providing relevant discussion material for teachers and pupils in schools.
David Barras, co-founder of the Scottish Youth Film Foundation, said: “It’s fantastic that Rory is supporting this really important project. Future Proof puts young people at the heart of one of the most important conversations in modern democracy – how we recognise truth in an age of misinformation.
“By giving young journalists the tools to investigate claims and question narratives, we’re helping ensure that the next generation of voters is informed, confident and ready to engage.
“The project was inspired by a discussion on media literacy and disinformation at the Scottish Parliament’s Festival of Politics in summer 2025. Building on that conversation, Future Proof invites young people to articulate the issues that go beyond party political priorities and bring their perspectives to the centre of election debate.”
The post-show webinars are being delivered with support from Scotland’s Development Education Centres, working collectively on media literacy as part of global citizenship education under the umbrella of Scotland’s International Development Alliance (SIDA).
The project is being advised by Huw Owen, a former BBC Scotland News Editor who is also the Co-Chair of the Education Committee of SIDA.
Huw Owen said: “The impact of malicious and careless communication via digital and social media is now having a profound effect on all our lives. Supercharged by AI fakes, it is fuelling polarisation and fear within and between many of our communities here in Scotland and beyond. It is a clear threat to civilised debate and long shared democratic values.
“Across the globe, the distortion or misinterpretation of facts about conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and now Iran, or the undermining of well-established research on the climate crisis, must be combated with up-to-date guidance and support to help us turn the tide towards truth, honesty and decency in our politics.
“As a global citizenship community across Scotland and beyond, we firmly believe this effort must start in our schools and other places of learning. We need to reaffirm universal values of fairness and tolerance along with up-to-date tools and techniques to actively combat disinformation.
“This must be an overarching priority for whichever government is elected at Holyrood. It’s not too late to future proof our democracy.”
The initiative also brings together a range of national partners supporting young people’s participation in democratic debate.
Global fact-checking organisation Full Fact will provide training to the young journalists. The organisation has warned about the growing threat of AI-driven misinformation during election campaigns and continues to call for stronger responses to protect democratic processes.
Mark Frankel from Full Fact says: “These elections are taking place against a backdrop of an unprecedented distortion of facts. The public feels ill-equipped to deal with the manipulation of information they see before them and the threat of AI as they see it.
“Things are emerging online which are being pushed to them and they don’t know whether to believe it. It’s clear that this is undermining trust in our politicians, trust in the political system and the future of our democracies.”
Additional partners include Young Scot and the Scottish Youth Parliament, whose report “Young People and Politics” has informed the project and whose networks will help bring young voices into the conversation through guest speakers and participation opportunities.
The John Smith Centre will also contribute guest speakers and provide access to a youth hustings event taking place at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh on 26 April.
Future Proof will stream live on YouTube at 6pm on 8, 15, 22 and 29 April. Each broadcast will be followed by an interactive webinar open to schools, youth organisations and young people across Scotland.
ROYAL COLLEGE of EMERGENCY MEDICINE RELEASES NEW REPORT
Without a sustained political focus on reducing extreme long waits in Scotland’s Emergency Departments, it could take more than 200 years to reduce the number of people enduring these waits down to levels seen in 2016.
That’s the warning from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine following new analysis published today (24 March).
Last year, more than 75,077 people waited 12 hours or more to be admitted, discharged or transferred from major EDs in Scotland.
While this number is an ever so slight improvement from 2024 (76,510), at the current rate (a reduction of 1.8% a year) it would take 237 years to reduce these extreme long waits to their 2016 levels (1,005).
These statistics and latest analysis are contained in RCEM’s ‘State of Emergency Medicine in Scotland’ report, published today. It sets out what patients and staff faced in Emergency Departments across the country last year, including the very real impact long waits are having on patients.
Further analysis for the previous year (2025) reveals of those patients who waited 12 hours or more, 58,870 were waiting to be admitted to a hospital ward for further care.
Using the Standard Mortality Ratio – a method which calculates that there will be one additional (excess) death for every 72 patients that spend eight–12-hours in ED prior to their admission – RCEM conservatively estimates that there were 818 associated excess deaths related with long waiting times in 2025.
That’s the lives of 16 people lost every week. And remains unchanged from the previous year.
Dr Jayne McLaren, RCEM’s Vice Chair in Scotland, said: “It’s deeply concerning, and put bluntly, a national disgrace, that over the course of a year, there has been no meaningful improvement in the number of patients waiting 12 hours or more in Emergency Departments across the country.
“A small reduction of just over 1,400 patients waiting this long in the space of a year is nothing to celebrate. Because look at the sheer scale who still waited this long – 75,077. These are people not just numbers. And more often than not, they would’ve experienced this extreme wait on a trolley in a corridor, or another inappropriate space that was never designed to deliver care in.
“But what’s most upsetting, as an Emergency Medicine consultant, whose whole profession is to help people in their time of need, is seeing how many people died because of the system not working as it should.
“Ultimately, because there wasn’t an inpatient bed for them when they needed to be moved to a ward.
“People are losing their lives. And today’s figures suggest that the same number of people died in association with long waits as in 2024.
“This is a conservative estimate too. We know there may well be many more tragic deaths linked to long stays because this methodology only applies to one group of patients.
“That needs to spark anger and upset from those in power to bring about the changes that are desperately needed in our hospital system.
“Our State of Emergency Care report should serve as essential reading for ministers, NHS leaders and policymakers. It sets out clear, practical recommendations to make our emergency care system something that we can be proud of once again.
“Patients, and those working within our Emergency Departments deserve so much better – a service that is safe, timely, and fit for purpose.”
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.
