SNP Leader Rules Out Talks with Reform UK Amid Seat Shortfall and Declining Vote Share – Fact Check

Claim John Swinney, leader of the Scottish National Party, said he will not hold negotiations with Reform UK after the Holyrood election, noting that the SNP fell seven seats short of a majority and that its vote share has dropped sharply compared with 2021.

Evidence The SNP won 58 seats in the latest Holyrood election, seven fewer than the 65 needed for an outright majority. Labour and Reform UK each secured 17 seats, the Greens 15, the Conservatives 12, and the Liberal Democrats 10. Swinney stated at a news conference that the SNP would invite leaders of all other parties to individual talks except Reform UK’s leader, Malcolm Offord. He cited the need to keep the parliament “Farage‑proofed” and reiterated his goal of a second independence referendum by 2028. No official vote‑share percentages for the 2024 election were provided in the sources consulted; only seat totals were reported.

Verdict The part of the claim about ruling out talks with Reform UK and the seat shortfall is true. The claim about a nearly 10‑point constituency vote‑share drop and a over‑13‑point regional vote‑share drop is unverifiable.

Analysis Multiple BBC reports confirm the SNP’s 58‑seat result and the seat totals for other parties, supporting the truth of the seat‑shortfall assertion and the decision to exclude Reform UK from negotiations. However, the same sources do not contain constituency or regional vote‑share numbers, nor do they compare them to the 2021 election. Without those figures, the vote‑share decline cannot be confirmed or refuted. Therefore, while the political stance and arithmetic of seats are factual, the vote‑share element remains pending official election statistics.

Watch for the release of the full vote‑share data from the Scottish Electoral Commission, which will clarify whether the SNP’s support has indeed declined as suggested.