Tag: Holyrood elections

Letter: The D’Hondt Disaster

How the Independence Movement is Mathematically Defeating Itself

Dear Editor,

For years, the Scottish independence movement has been shackled by a fundamental misunderstanding of Holyrood’s Additional Member System.

The persistent rallying cry of “SNP 1, SNP 2” has not only failed to maximise our representation, but it has actively handed parliamentary power to unionist MSPs. The electoral facts prove that millions of pro-independence votes are being routinely wasted.

In the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, the SNP dominated the constituency ballot, winning 59 seats. However, the regional list system mathematically penalises parties that win heavily in the constituencies.

Consequently, the SNP’s 953,587 regional list votes yielded a mere 4 list seats.

The D’Hondt formula rendered nearly a million peach ballot votes virtually worthless, allowing the Scottish Conservatives and Scottish Labour to use their regional votes to sweep 24 and 21 list seats, respectively.

In 2021, this electoral tragedy repeated itself. Pro-independence voters dutifully followed the dual-vote strategy, helping the SNP win a record 62 constituency seats.

Yet, despite securing over a million votes on the regional list, the SNP returned just 2 regional MSPs. Over a million independence votes were essentially torched. This inefficiency directly enabled unionist parties to comfortably fill the regional lists, artificially inflating their influence in parliament.

I argue that some still argue for an “Indy 1, Indy 2” approach, assuming that backing the same dominant independence party on the peach ballot paper will secure victory. It fundamentally does not work for the Scottish Independence movement. Continuing to pile list votes onto a party that has already swept the constituencies is mathematically self-defeating.

To break this deadlock and secure a genuine pro-independence supermajority, our strategy must evolve. We must stop throwing our regional votes into the D’Hondt trap. The formula for success is clear: it has to be Indy 1 on the constituency ballot, and Alliance to Liberate Scotland 2 on the regional vote on the peach ballot paper.

Only by splitting our votes strategically can we capture the regional lists, lock unionist MSPs out of Holyrood, and finally deliver the parliament Scotland needs to secure its independence.

Yours for Scotland,

Dhruva Kumar
Glasgow Region List Candidate
Alliance to Liberate Scotland
Former MP Candidate, Glasgow, ALBA Party

The next Scottish Government must tackle the country’s shocking rise in accidental deaths 

  • Accidental deaths in Scotland have risen by 61% over the last decade, now exceeding 2,500 fatalities each year, the highest death rate of all the UK nations  
  • Falls account for 42% of all accidental deaths, with people in Scotland 45% more likely to die from a fall than those elsewhere in the UK 
  • The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) launches manifesto for the next Scottish Government to tackle the accident crisis  

Safety charity the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has warned that Scotland is experiencing a severe and worsening accidental death crisis, with fatalities rising by 61% over the past decade. 

Calling on the next Scottish Government to prioritise accident prevention as an urgent public health and economic issue, the charity has published an action plan of policy recommendations to tackle the crisis. 

RoSPA’s new Towards a Safer Scotland manifesto sets out evidence-led measures to reduce deaths and serious injuries across roads, homes, workplaces, and water environments, and is urging ministers and candidates to treat accidental harm with the same seriousness as other major health threats. 

Accidents now claim more than 2,500 lives annually in Scotland, with the nation recording an accidental death rate 56 per cent higher than the UK average. Falls are the leading cause, while transport-related fatalities and drowning incidents remain significantly above UK-wide levels.

The impact extends beyond personal tragedy: accidents cost the NHS billions each year and remove thousands from the workforce. People in deprived communities are also more likely to suffer an accident, compounding other health inequalities. 

RoSPA is proposing a series of targeted interventions including safer home design standards, mandatory driver eyesight testing, strengthened motorcycle safety provision, and mandatory water safety education in schools. 

Drawing on RoSPA’s experience working in partnership with the Scottish Government on projects such as the Scottish Occupational Road Safety Alliance (ScORSA) and Water Safety Scotland, the charity believes that these measures could prevent avoidable deaths while easing pressure on Scotland’s public services. 

Rebecca Hickman, Chief Executive Officer, said: “Scotland is facing a silent epidemic of accidental deaths, and the scale of harm is now impossible to ignore. Every statistic represents a person whose life could have been saved with proven interventions.

“We are urging the next Scottish Government to make accident prevention a national priority, because the evidence shows that coordinated action will save lives, protect communities and relieve pressure on the NHS.

“Accidents are not inevitable. With clear national leadership and consistent standards across Scotland, we can significantly reduce preventable harm. RoSPA’s proposals give policymakers the tools they need to act quickly and effectively.” 

Key recommendations from the manifesto:

1. Road Safety 

RoSPA calls for three priority actions to reduce road deaths and serious injuries: 

  • Empower local authorities to set safe speed limits, including wider use of 20mph zones where appropriate to protect pedestrians, cyclists and communities.  
  • Introduce mandatory eyesight testing for all drivers every three years, addressing declining vision as a major but under‑recognised collision risk.  
  • Continue dedicated motorcycle‑safety funding, supporting advanced rider training and targeted safety campaigns due to Scotland’s disproportionately high motorcyclist fatality rates.  

2. Home and product safety 

To tackle Scotland’s high rate of home‑based injuries and deaths, the manifesto recommends: 

  • Establish permanent national home‑safety programmes, including home‑risk assessments, safety advice and provision of essential equipment for vulnerable households.  
  • Mandate Safer by Design standards, including embedding BS 5395‑1 stair‑safety principles into Scottish building regulations for all new homes.  
  • Reestablish Home Safety Scotland to provide national leadership and coordinate preventative work across partners.  

3. Leisure safety & drowning prevention 

RoSPA is urging the adoption of three key measures to improve water safety and reduce the number of drowning fatalities: 

  • Endorse and support the next Scotland Drowning Prevention Strategy (from 2026) to sustain national progress.  
  • Make classroom water‑safety education mandatory using Water Safety Scotland and Education Scotland resources.  
  • Mandate Drowning and Incident Reviews (DIR), ensuring all relevant agencies participate in consistent post‑incident learning.  

4. Occupational safety and health 

To address changing work patterns, data gaps and emerging hazards, RoSPA calls for: 

  • A comprehensive study into the gig economy, examining scale, conditions and fair compensation for work‑related risks.  
  • Development of Scotland‑specific transferable health and safety qualifications to maintain skills as workers move between sectors.  
  • Improved data‑sharing between Police Scotland and the Health and Safety Executive, via a formal Memorandum of Understanding for clearer referral criteria and timely evidence-sharing. 

The rising accidental death rate is a major strategic challenge for Scotland, affecting health, productivity, and inequality. Addressing it will require coordinated action across government, emergency services, local authorities, and industry. 

“Vote for what Scotland wants” call by European Movement in Scotland for Scottish general election campaign

Scots European Movement general election social media campaign

The European Movement in Scotland (EMiS) has launched its Scottish Parliament election campaign with a call for voters to ask party leaders and candidates where they stand on Scotland and the EU.

EMiS urges voters “to do what Scotland wants.” A recent opinion survey that found 73% of Scottish voters want to reverse Brexit.

“Reversing Brexit is what the Scottish people want,” says David Clarke, chair of EMiS. “So do what Scotland wants and vote for pro-EU parties on 7th May.

“Voters and the media should check where the parties stand on Brexit. The economic damage is undeniable and is delivering a country in the doldrums, with young people in particular losing out.”

EMIS’ campaign will run mainly on social media. It focuses on a poll by Survation for the business consultancy True North Advisors, published in January. It found that 73% of voters in Scotland want to go back into the EU.

EMiS says the SNP, Scottish Greens, Scottish LibDems and Scottish Labour all favour closer ties with the EU. While favouring the UK reestablishing ties with the EU, the SNP and Scottish Greens want to see an independent Scotland inside the EU.

The poll found that 73% of Labour voters, 88% of SNP voters, 70% of Lib Dem voters and 89% of Scottish Greens voters want to rejoin. Eighty percent of under 35-year-olds want to return to the EU.  

EMiS points out that it is only the minority parties of Reform and the Conservatives that favour Brexit. The Survation survey found that 34% of Reform voters want to reverse Brexit.

NAS Scotland launches ‘Act Now for Autistic Rights’ Campaign

The National Autistic Society Scotland is calling for real change for autistic people, ahead of the Scottish Parliament election in May. 

The new campaign calls on the next Scottish Government to introduce the Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence (LDAN) Bill to parliament as soon as possible. 

Autistic people in Scotland are waiting months, if not years, for an assessment and experience poorer health outcomes than the general population. At school, autistic pupils face exclusion and isolation due to lack of support, and in community settings autistic people face discrimination stemming from a lack of understanding and access to services. 

The campaign is split into four key areas: diagnosis and support; accessible healthcare; support in schools; and inclusive communities. The LDAN Bill can play a transformative role in each of these areas by introducing national and local plans to tackle waiting lists, introducing mandatory training in healthcare and education, and addressing a glaring lack of accountability in the public services and systems meant to support autistic people in Scotland.

Rob Holland, Director of the National Autistic Society Scotland, said: ‘Too often we hear from autistic people and families that do not have the support they need to live fulfilled lives on their terms, and who are continually being driven into crisis.

“Despite many good laws, strategies and policies in Scotland, there remains a gap between the support people should receive and what they actually receive, whether in school, social care, healthcare or employment. 

“The importance of the Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill in tackling the inequalities faced by autistic people and their families cannot be underestimated. It is a vital opportunity to address systematic injustices and to improve outcomes for autistic people of all ages, and that is why we are calling on all political parties to commit to introducing the Bill in Government.”

Becca, NAS Campaigner, said: “We must be allowed to have equal access and opportunity. We are not a burden on society. We are useful, we are intelligent, we are creative. We are inspiring. We are contributors.

“We must be allowed the chance to belong, the chance to make a difference, to be educated and be educators, to be validated, taken seriously. We must be allowed to live in a fair and just society where we are not discriminated against and where we have the chance to live our lives fully and freely. 

“The LDAN bill will give autistic and neurodivergent people a chance to be involved in a fairer society. It will decrease the amount of discrimination and invalidation by making people aware, trained and knowledgeable.

“It will increase independence and choice, helping people to feel they are active in the decisions that affect their own lives whilst also receiving valuable support.”

You can read more about the campaign on the NAS website.

Act Now for Autistic Rights manifestoDownload

Verdict on 19 years of SNP power: Edinburgh Union hosts Election Debate

On Monday 19 January, the Edinburgh Union will host a landmark debate on the motion: This House Has No Confidence in the Scottish Government Ahead of the Holyrood Election.

With the Holyrood election fast-approaching, this debate will examine the legacy of nearly two decades of SNP governance and assess the Scottish Government’s record across key policy areas. The event will bring together MSPs and election candidates from across Scotland’s major political parties to debate the motion and put their arguments directly to the audience.

Alongside guest speakers including Paul McLennan MSP, Katherine Sangster, and Alex Cole Hamilton MSP, student speakers from the University of Edinburgh will also take opposing sides in the debate.

The audience, comprising students and academics from across Edinburgh’s universities, will have the opportunity to question speakers and ultimately vote on whether they retain confidence in the Scottish Government ahead of the upcoming election.

This debate marks the beginning of the Edinburgh Union’s summer term programme. Following a series of sold-out events last semester, the Union continues its mission to provide a platform for open, rigorous debate on contemporary political and cultural issues in Scotland’s capital.

The forthcoming term card includes debates on whether immigration is the biggest issue facing the UK, and if NATO can solve modern security challenges – as well as a Varsity debate against the Cambridge Union.

Each debate takes place in Rainy Hall, New College, and offers audience members the opportunity to engage directly with speakers from across the political spectrum in a traditional Union-style format.

Finn Tyson, President of the Edinburgh Union, said: “With the Holyrood election approaching, this debate gives students and the wider academic community the chance to assess the record of the Scottish Government and directly question candidates seeking to govern Scotland. 

“The Edinburgh Union exists to foster open, challenging, and respectful debate. Our events are open to all students, and we are proud to bring together voices from across the political spectrum to start this semester with an event centered on democratic engagement and rigorous discussion.”

Samaritans Scotland: Why Suicide Prevention Belongs at the Centre of Government Policy

“In an increasingly turbulent economic climate, people need the support of frontline services like Samaritans all the way down to local community services that outreach to the most rural areas of Scotland.” –  Joel Borseth

It’s a new year, and many people will think of a fresh start, a clean slate, and they may have some personal goals they’ve set for the year ahead. Whether they last longer than January is a different story. But this year, there’s a renewed opportunity for Scotland, and the people who call it home. A chance that we at Samaritans want to take with both hands. 

When politicians and parties bring their manifestos to the people of Scotland, with promises of a brighter future ahead, what kind of difference is really possible? 

The kind that saves lives. 

Life can be wonderful. Life can be tough. Relationships. Work. Money. Loneliness. Mental health. Self-harm. We can all struggle. Any place. Any time. One in four of us have had suicidal thoughts.  

Suicide is often viewed as a health issue only – but this isn’t the way we need to look at suicide to be able to save lives. Suicide is complex, and often suicidal feelings arise from a multitude of factors rather than one single issue. The next Scottish Government needs to treat suicide in the same way.  

We need to do more to help people before they reach crisis point. Suicide prevention needs to be embedded across government policy, from social care to finance to employment.  

We recently launched our manifesto, ‘Five Priorities to Save Lives’ ahead of the Scottish Parliament elections in May this year. We’re asking the next Scottish government to make prevention a priority. 

Our asks are based on research and evidence, and on the insight of people with lived and living experience of suicide. If delivered, we believe that it we will begin to see a fairer, more compassionate Scotland where fewer lives are lost to suicide. 

Our five priorities to save lives: 

·       Increase funding for frontline mental health services  

·       Deliver a Minimum Income Guarantee for Scotland  

·       End harmful stigma through workforce training  

·       Increase support for people in prison 

·       Increase resourcing for community services 

At the heart of our manifesto is our Lived Experience Advisory Group. This group of people come together with us to share their insights and perspectives as people with lived or living experiences related to suicide or bereavement by suicide.  

Joel Borseth, one of the group members, shared why these five asks are fundamental in helping others through suicidal crisis and into recovery: “As an individual who has had Lived Experience of crisis, mental health services – both in the local community and from frontline services – played a pivotal role in not just my recovery, but in enabling me to see my own worth in supporting others on their journey to recovery.  

“Committing to provide more funds to mental health services, both within the NHS and other national to local services, can enable some individuals, such as myself, to not just to have a better mental wellbeing, but to ‘pass on’ that support to other individuals both in a volunteer and employed setting. 

“It is with this experience and confidence that I am able to contribute to the Lived Experience Advisory Group at Samaritans Scotland. 

“If I had not had support from these services at the right time over ten years ago, I would have never been able to contribute to society and likely continued to struggle with my wellbeing for many years.  
 
“In an increasingly turbulent economic climate, people need the support of frontline services like Samaritans all the way down to local community services that outreach to the most rural areas of Scotland.  

“For myself, it was just one simple conversation from that made me believe I could have positive life experiences twelve years ago again that changed everything for the better.  

“I know that I have provided similar moments for others in their journey to recovery. Funding for mental health services does not vanish into a void – people like me can change their whole lives around from the support this funding provides.”   

Join us in calling for the next Scottish Government to make suicide prevention a priority. 

Visit www.samaritans.org/manifesto for more information and how to contact your local candidate. 

Donate to Samaritans | Donations | Samaritans Charity Donations 

Holyrood to host event to inspire the next generation of women in politics

Women from across Scotland are being invited to attend an event at the Scottish Parliament which aims to inspire them to get involved in politics.

Elect Her, in partnership with the Scottish Parliament, is organising a day to celebrate women in political power on Saturday 24 June and is calling on women from all ages and backgrounds from across Scotland to apply to be part of it.

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Moray, Perth and Kinross, Stirling and South Ayrshire have some of the lowest rates of women participating in politics and women from these areas in particular are encouraged to join us.

Rt. Hon Alison Johnstone MSP, Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament said: “The Parliament has made good progress on equal representation, but we can’t take anything for granted and there is still much more to do.

“We need women across Scotland to join us to learn from and inspire one another to become politically engaged and active.

“Only by inspiring and engaging those who would never have thought politics was for them will we create a more equal distribution of political power across all levels in Scotland.”

Hannah Stevens, Chief Executive of Elect Her said: “We are really excited to be returning to the Scottish Parliament on 24th June, following the success of our event in 2019.  If we want our democracy to truly work for all people in Scotland, we need women in all of their diversity represented across every sphere of politics.

“We’re not short of women who care and are working for change in Scotland, and it’s these women we need in the corridors of power.  We’re hoping you’ll join us at Scotland’s Women GatHER to explore your role in Scotland’s democracy, come together in celebration with fellow women to discover how we can lead the change in politics.”

The day will consist of a programme of free workshops and activities as well as hearing from stories of women already in elected office.  For those unable to travel, there will also be regional hubs based across Scotland and online workshops to enable women from across the country to take part remotely.

The event comes on the back of the publication of the Gender Sensitive Audit which aims to increase representation and participation of women in the Scottish Parliament.

Campaign group urges tactical vote to oust Nicola Sturgeon

Campaign group Scotland Matters has erected another billboard calling for voters to vote tactically for Anas Sarwar and oust Nicola Sturgeon from her Glasgow Southside constituency.

The billboard is part of a wider tactical voting campaign backing Anas Sarwar in Ms Sturgeon’s seat. Thousands of voters in the Southside constituency have also been reached with paid-for social media posts.

The new image is entitled “Education not Separation” and focuses on the SNP’s ‘failed education policies’.

Scotland Matters, the Electoral Commission-registered campaign group, was also instrumental in the #ResignSturgeon billboards along with The Majority and UK Union Voice, and additional billboards in Inverclyde calling for the SNP to concentrate on “Vaccination and not Separation”.

Allan Sutherland, Scotland Matters Director and spokesman, said: “This is the second in a series of billboards we will be erecting across Scotland in support of pro-UK parties and their candidates.

“Scotland needs to focus on what matters: health, jobs, education, and housing; not separation and we urge people to vote tactically for the pro-UK candidates most likely to best the SNP/Green candidate and avoid splitting the vote.”

This is the first time in British history that two party political leaders have gone head-to-head in a constituency in a major election. Scotland Matters are working to encourage and help pro-UK parties to get the SNP/Greens out of Government in the 2021 Holyrood elections and are advocates of tactical voting to achieve this.

Scotland Matters believes that many ‘No’ voters will back Anas following a YouGov survey showing 550,000 voters across Scotland are considering voting tactically against the SNP. That is around 22% of the Scottish electorate.

According to research by the Electoral Commission, 24% of Scots tactically voted in the 2017 General Election resulting in 21 SNP MPs losing their seats.

Mr Sutherland added: “If we can persuade five percent of voters to vote tactically in the constituency part of the Holyrood Elections there is every chance many SNP constituency seats will fall. As our YouGov poll showed, there is a growing determination among pro-UK people to tactically vote against the SNP.”

It’s early days, but it does seem that this Holyrood election – just like the last – is being turned into one-issue Union vs Independence choice all over again …

Scottish Tories ‘pro-Union’ plans rebuffed

Scottish Labour and the Liberal Democrats have rebuffed a Conservative invite to work together to defeat the independence movement.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1375542962029989892

The offer was launched in the wake of Friday’s announcement of the formation of the new Alba Party, to be led by fomer First Minister Alex Salmond.

The new party aims to deliver a ‘supermajority’ for independence in May’s Holyrood elections.

The Scottish Conservatives said: “Labour have refused our offer to work with pro-UK parties against the new threat of an independence super-majority. They’re in coalition with the SNP in six councils. They abstained in the vote against Nicola Sturgeon. They supported the SNP’s Hate Crime Bill.

“You can’t trust them to stand up to the nationalists anymore.”

Rejecting the Tory offer, Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: “We deserve better than your desperate attempts to take us back to old arguments and the politics of the past.  

“In case you hadn’t noticed Scotland is in the middle of a pandemic. 

“This election is not some kind of game, it is about focussing on a national recovery.

“This election cannot be about an SNP psychodrama.  It cannot be about Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond settling old scores. And it cannot be about your petty agenda of game playing.

This election must be about the people of Scotland, their families and a national recovery.

“As you have recognised yourself, one of the largest threats to the Union is the leader of your own party.

“Scotland has had enough of divisive politics which you and Nicola Sturgeon share. Both you and the SNP want to waste time and energy on the imagined conflicts that divide us.

“But in Scotland, child poverty has risen – and was rising before the pandemic hit.

“This is among countless issues where the blame lies at the feet of both your party in Westminster and the SNP at Holyrood.

“A heartbreaking example of how the obsession with past disagreements fails people today.

“Rather than entertain your latest desperate plea for attention, I am focusing our energy on what matters – guaranteeing a fairer recovery and a stronger Scotland.

“Scotland deserves a better government and – as your letter demonstrates – it deserves a better opposition.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat campaign chair Alistair Carmichael MP said: “Lib Dems will work with others to deliver a constructive and ambitious plan for recovery but Douglas Ross’s politics are far too dark and divisive.

“We will focus on winning seats and ensuring that the next government is focused on putting the recovery first, not independence.

“As a football referee Douglas Ross has a knack for uniting the fans of opposing teams.  As a party leader he seems to do the exact opposite.”

Salmond Inquiry: Lessons will be learned, says Swinney

Scottish Government comments on Committee report

The Scottish Government says lessons will be learned from the Scottish Government’s handling of harassment complaints, following the publication yesterday of the parliamentary inquiry’s report.

Responding to the findings of the Committee on the Scottish Government’s Handling of Harassment Complaints (SGHHC), Deputy First Minister John Swinney said it was clear that the women who had raised complaints had been let down.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “I welcome the report of the Committee, which, alongside the independent report produced by James Hamilton and externally led review by Laura Dunlop QC, will assist the Scottish Government’s in learning lessons for the future.

“I also welcome the Committee’s acknowledgement that the Scottish Government was motivated by doing the right thing – creating a culture and procedure for investigating any claims of harassment.

“I agree with the Committee’s finding that James Hamilton’s report is the most appropriate place to address the question of whether or not the First Minister breached the Ministerial Code. He found there was no breach.

“The Scottish Government has acknowledged that it made mistakes and that these led to the Judicial Review being conceded, and I know that this had a real, and damaging, impact for the women who raised the complaints. We have apologised for this and we do so unreservedly again today.

“I remain absolutely determined that the Scottish Government should ensure this does not happen again and that together we create a culture where these behaviours do not arise.

“Given the timing of the report it is not possible to respond fully and in detail, not least because the three reports have overlapping areas of interest, and some recommendations are in conflict with those in other reports.

“Together, all three reports highlight a range of important issues and provide the basis for improvement work which now be taken forward in consultation with others including the Parliament, Trades Unions, and those with lived experience.

“The Scottish Government will carefully consider the recommendations from the Committee, alongside the other two review reports, in order to put improvements and an implementation plan in place.”

Mr Swinney chose not to address the committee’s contention that the First Minister mislead parliament, referring instead to Mr Hamilton’s findings.

But the Hamilton report clearly states: “It is for the Scottish Parliament to decide whether they were in fact misled”.

The committee DID decide … and found the First Minister guilty.

Mr Hamilton also expressed ‘deep frustration’ at redactions made to his report.

In a note accompanying the published report he stated: “A redacted report that effectively erases the role of any such individual in the matters investigated in the report cannot be understood by those reading it, and presents an incomplete and even at times misleading version of what happened.

“It is therefore impossible to give an accurate description of some of the relevant events dealth with in the report while at the same time complying with the court orders.

“I am deeply frustrated that applicable court orders will have the effect of preventing the full publication of a report which fulfils my remit and which I believe it would be in the public interest to publish.”

The Conservatives, the biggest opposition party at Holyrood, initiated a vote of No Confidence in the First Minister, but with the Greens supporting the government – and both Labour and the Lib Dems abstaining – the Tory motion was doomed to failure.

Nicola Sturgeon will face her final First Minister’s Questions session of this parliament later today; I wonder what the questions will be about!

Then, the next test comes in six weeks time when Scotland goes to the polls in the Holyrood elections.

Report of the Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints | Scottish Parliament