Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has acknowledged that his party is “hurting” after failing to “win the argument” in the Holyrood election. His remarks came as SNP leader John Swinney expressed confidence that his party would secure an unprecedented fifth consecutive term in power at the Scottish Parliament.
Early Results and Reactions
Speaking after being re-elected as the MSP for Perthshire North, John Swinney stated: “We are at the very early stages of the election counts across the country. But it is becoming clear that the Scottish National Party is going to emerge as the largest party in this election campaign.”
In contrast, Anas Sarwar told journalists: “Those who seek to divide us and use people with frustrations to divide us are going to win the day today.” However, he hinted that he would not resign, adding: “My party is hurting – we’re disappointed. We advocate for change, we didn’t win that argument, but it’s my job to hold us together and that’s a job I intend to do.”
Key Wins and Changes
Early results saw Stephen Flynn, formerly the SNP’s Westminster leader, elected as the MSP for Aberdeen Deeside and North Kincardine. Another SNP MP, Stephen Gethins, was elected for Dundee City East, swapping Westminster for Holyrood. The SNP also made an early gain by winning the Shetland constituency, which had been held by the Liberal Democrats since the first Scottish Parliament elections in 1999.
Liberal Democrat Liam McArthur was re-elected in Orkney with 70% of the vote, the largest share in the Scottish Parliament’s history. Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton expressed delight at McArthur’s return with such a strong mandate.
Counting Process and Future Projections
Results began coming in from the 73 constituency seats across Scotland, with the 56 regional list MSPs to be announced later. Unlike previous elections, counting took place the following day, abandoning the traditional overnight count.
Former Scottish finance secretary Shona Robison, who did not stand for re-election, said the SNP is “optimistic that we’ll win the election for the fifth time in a row, which would be absolutely unprecedented.” Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s Breakfast, she added: “We have fought hard in this campaign and have fought for every single vote – and we need to see what that adds up to today.”
Liz Lloyd, former chief of staff to Nicola Sturgeon, suggested the SNP could finish 30 seats ahead of their nearest rival. She noted that John Swinney’s leadership over the past two years has transformed the party, steadying the ship and reviving its campaigning machinery. “I don’t think anyone in the SNP if they fall a few short of a majority will think somehow they have failed, if they have won the election in that manner,” she said.
Challenges for Labour and Rise of Reform UK
Former Scottish Labour communications director Alan Roden said Anas Sarwar and his party had been “dealt a very challenging hand” in the Holyrood campaign, primarily due to the deep unpopularity of Keir Starmer’s UK Government. He expected Scottish Labour to achieve its best result in the UK, but acknowledged it would be a challenging day.
Labour also faced competition from Reform UK, with Nigel Farage’s party poised to win its first group of MSPs. If successful, Reform UK could become the second-largest party in the Scottish Parliament. The Liberal Democrats and Greens were also hoping to make gains, while the Conservatives faced the prospect of their worst Holyrood result since devolution.
