Fact checkPoliticsPublished May 8, 2026
The claim
“Reform UK won its first-ever seats in a Scottish Parliament election.”
Coverage of the 2026 Scottish Parliament results.
Our verdict
True
Reform won 17 seats at Holyrood in May 2026, up from none in 2021.
What we found
The Scottish Parliament's research briefing says Reform returned 17 MSPs, mostly from regional lists, tying Labour for second place. The claim is accurate.
The evidence
- Supports the claim
Reform returned 17 MSPs, up from zero in 2021. [1]
How we checked
We checked the claim against Scottish Parliament SPICe. We reviewed 1 relevant source.
Sources
- [1]Scottish Parliament SPICe · Scottish Parliament election 2026: the result
Have evidence we missed?
If you know of a source that confirms or contradicts this claim, send us the link. We review every submission and update fact checks when new evidence changes the picture.
Measured Take updates fact checks when new evidence emerges. Corrections are noted on the page.
All fact checks