John Swinney declares victory for SNP in Holyrood elections
John Swinney said the SNP won emphatically as Labour tied for second with Reform UK and the Greens posted record gains.
- On Friday, the Scottish National Party secured a record fifth consecutive term in the Scottish Parliament, with John Swinney set to continue as First Minister. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar conceded defeat.
- Labour's defeat followed a campaign where the party failed to overcome a 'national wave of disappointment,' Sarwar acknowledged. The SNP emerged as the largest party in Holyrood despite falling short of the 65-seat majority target.
- Constituency results reinforced SNP dominance as Swinney retained Perthshire North with 16,414 votes and a majority exceeding 6,000. The Scottish Greens achieved a 'historic day' with breakthrough constituency wins in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
- Downing Street has 'a lot of listening to do,' Swinney declared, signalling demands for respect between governments. Sarwar vowed to remain leader despite his party 'hurting,' telling reporters he intends to hold Labour together.
- With MSPs returning to Holyrood next week, the SNP maintains a 'significant mandate' for independence despite falling short of the 65-seat majority threshold. The party's dominance leaves Labour politically vulnerable and increases scrutiny of Sarwar's leadership.
29 Articles
29 Articles
The SNP are still in power – but Scotland has changed
Five more years. A quarter-century of Nationalist rule. The SNP have emerged from yet another Holyrood election undefeated, seemingly undefeatable. After an underwhelming campaign that failed to capture the national imagination, Scotland has got what Scotland seemingly wants. John Swinney back in Bute House, but without the majority he set as the trigger for a second independence referendum. An enlarged and empowered group of radical Green MSPs.…
Glasgow Times
Swinney fails to win majority but says SNP ‘emphatically’ won Holyrood election
John Swinney declared the SNP has “emphatically” won the election, and a fifth term in power in Scotland, as Labour recorded its worst ever Holyrood result and tied for second place with Reform UK.
Historic win for SNP but change and challenges ahead at Holyrood
John Swinney will return as first minister after a fifth Scottish election victory for the SNP. Source link : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9364lvpz2lo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss Author : Publish date : 2026-05-09 06:55:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
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