SNP Targets Holyrood Majority, Promises New Independence Referendum

Scotland heads to the polls for the first Holyrood election since 2021. Voters can cast ballots from 7 am to 10 pm, and the earliest results are expected early Friday afternoon. All 129 seats are up for grabs, with 73 constituency seats elected by first‑past‑the‑post and 56 regional seats allocated through proportional voting.

In the 2021 election the Scottish National Party (SNP) fell one seat short of a majority, winning 64 of the 129 seats. The party now seeks to add the missing seat and secure a governing majority for the first time in four consecutive victories. SNP leader and First Minister John Swinney has said a majority would trigger a second independence referendum, echoing the party’s long‑standing goal of Scottish self‑determination.

The election landscape has shifted due to boundary changes: some constituencies have been renamed, reshaped or eliminated, while new seats have been created. Despite these adjustments, the total seat count remains at 129. The Conservatives currently hold 31 seats, Labour 22, the Greens eight and the Liberal Democrats four, based on the last election’s results.

Polling stations will close at 10 pm on Thursday, after which ballot verification and counting will begin. Early declaration times vary by constituency, with results expected to start flowing from around midday on Friday and the full picture emerging by late afternoon. Delays could arise from recounts or verification issues, but officials anticipate a smooth process compared with the pandemic‑affected 2021 count.

If the SNP secures a majority, the next step will be to negotiate the terms of a new independence referendum, a move that could reshape the United Kingdom’s political map. The outcome will also determine the balance of power among the other parties and set the agenda for Holyrood’s legislative term.

Watch for the first batch of results on Friday afternoon and for any statements from party leaders as the vote count progresses.