Holyrood Election 2026: The count begins…

The SNP’s former MP and leader at Westminster Stephen Flynn wins in Aberdeen Deeside with 11,788 votes.

The Scottish Conservatives Liam Kerr comes second with 10,544

Scottish Liberal Democrats leader Alex Cole-Hamilton is predicting that his party is poised to take a ‘big step forward’ in terms of seats at Holyrood.

Speaking at the Edinburgh count centre at the Royal Highland Centre – accompanied by wife Gill and daughter Darcy – he said a win for the party in Edinburgh Northern would be ‘astonishing’ given his party trailed the SNP by around 20,000 votes in 2021 in the old Edinburgh Northern and Leith constituency area.

However, he also acknowledged there was disappointment for the party in Shetland, where itlost its long-held seat to the SNP.

First Minister and SNP leader John Swinney gets 16,414 votes, holding his seat.

Scottish Conservative Murdo Fraser comes second securing 10,171 votes.

After being elected Aberdeen Central’s youngest MSP at the age of 30, Jack Middleton, has immediately taken a swipe at the UK Government.

He claims the ‘Westminster system…chose to bail out the bankers’ but ‘hasn’t lifted a finger for local families in the north-east of Scotland during a cost of living crisis’.

Scottish Greens Glasgow Southside candidate Holly Bruce says she is ‘really positive’ about taking three MSPs in Glasgow.

The party is optimistic she can take the seat previously held by former first minister Nicola Sturgeon.

She says: ‘On the regional ballot, we’re really hopeful we will get three MSPs for Glasgow.’

She addds: ‘I feel like we, the Greens, do push the SNP to do better in their politics.’

Scottish Greens candidate Lorna Slater is bouyant at the Edinburgh count today where it is expected she will win. When asked she says she is ‘feeling good’ about her chances

SNP candidate Katie Hagmann wins Carrick, Cumnock and Doon with 9,610 votes. Second is Reform UK’s Andrew Scott with 6,988 votes.

Ms Hagmann is also the resources spokesperson for COSLA.

Reform UK Scotland leader Malcolm Offord says he is ‘confident’ his party will have a good showing at the Holyrood election today.

Despite this, he believes it will be difficult to beat the incumbent SNP in the seat of Inverclyde, where he is standing.

Lord Offord, who is expected to become an MSP through the list vote if he does not win the seat, says he would ‘of course’ be disappointed if he is not elected in the seat where he grew up as he is ‘in it to win it’.

The SNP’s Stephen Gethins wins in Dundee City East with 12,969 votes. The win comes despite the fact the SNP is down 10 per cent on their result here at the last election.

Scottish Labour’s Cheryl-Ann Cruickshank comes second with 4,792 votes. Reform UK are close behind Labour with candidate Mark Simpson getting 4,135 votes.

The turnout was 47 per cent.

Speaking about his win in Aberdeen Central, SNP MSP Jack Middleton – a former special adviser to John Swinney – says his win is the ‘greatest honour of my life’.

John Swinney has arrived at Dewars Centre in Perth with his wife Elizabeth.

Douglas Ross reveals on TV that this isn’t the only important development today as Mr Swinney’s son has a Nat 5 maths exam on today.

Making very brief comments to the media as he walked onto the counting floor, the SNP leader said: ‘I’m feeling very well, very optimistic, very positive.

‘We fought a positive campaign, and look forward to a positive result today.’

The Nationalist has said that securing a majority at Holyrood would constitute a demand for another vote on the future of Scotland’s place in the Union.

Asked if he was on course for that majority, of which the SNP won in 2011 under Alex Salmond, a smiling Mr Swinney said: ‘We’ll keep an eye on the results. There’s not many have come out so far.