This article originally appeared in the National Newspaper, 12/05/2026, offering SSP national co-spokesperson Colin Fox’s analysis of the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections
THE Holyrood election results largely confirmed what the polls predicted. The “Starmageddon” election was indeed won by the SNP, albeit with a much-reduced vote amid a cost of living crisis that threatens to get a good deal worse.
Scotland’s “left-of-centre” voters also opted, albeit unenthusiastically, for John Swinney’s party in order to stop Reform UK. The SNP’s victory was tempered by the fact they secured just 38% of the vote, down from 48% last time. On a turnout of 52.5%, this means only 19% of the electorate backed them.
Voters are clearly not optimistic about the SNP’s ability to solve the looming crises whether that is the intense economic uncertainty, the NHS/social care emergency, threatened cuts to already endangered public services or the impasse regarding the national question.
The other much-anticipated outcome of the election was Reform doing well, gaining as many MSPs as Labour. It confirmed that their hard right politics are not confined to down south. They divided the Unionist vote and saved several seats for the SNP.
Reform have a chequered past and an uncertain future. Their membership is made up largely of former Tories, yet their electoral base is increasingly made up of former Labour voters. Something there has got to give. And it will.
Labour lost further ground, again just as the polls had suggested. The antipathy toward Kier Starmer is palpable and his party has no political compass.
Outmanoeuvred by the SNP and Greens on the left, the LibDems in the centre, and Reform on the right, a night of the long knives undoubtedly awaits. The sense of betrayal felt toward Starmer is akin to that Nick Clegg faced after the LibDems ratted on their promise not to implement the huge increase in university tuition fees in 2010.
That did for Clegg. And Starmer will go the same way. His premiership has been catastrophic. He is seen as both untrustworthy and weak – and only more so after last week’s results.
Labour’s losses were catastrophic. They lost 1500 councillors in England. For example, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire – a Labour bastion for 100 years – they were routed. Before last Thursday, Reform had no councillors there at all. Now they run the town hall.
The election was won by the SNP, albeit with a much-reduced vote amid a cost of living crisis that threatens to get a good deal worse.
Labour were annihilated in Wales, too, where they suffered their worst result ever. And in London they lost councils to Reform, the Greens, LibDems and even the Tories.
Starmer’s humiliation was total. He will not survive. Despite his proclamation at the weekend that he intends to stay on for another 10 years, it is not a question of if he is ousted, but when.
While “progressive” voters in Scotland largely stayed loyal to the SNP, people hold few illusions about them.
There will be fierce battles ahead on many issues as the cost of food, petrol, energy, rent and Council Tax soar while wages, pensions and benefits do not. Millions are facing real hardship.
And the business pages are full of reports of substantial job losses in the retail, hospitality and banking sectors. The SNP are not a party to defend the interests of working people in the acute circumstances that lie ahead.
All in all, it was a turgid Holyrood election. Dire TV debates, cliched media coverage and over-scripted, wooden politicians dulled the electorate once again. In most places you would not have known there was an election on and the turnout reflected that.
Perhaps only the bloopers will be remembered – foolhardy predictions, inept TV interviews, ludicrous polling claims and idiotic pronouncements.
Who can forget the “man of the people” Malcolm Offord boasting about his “six houses, six boats and five cars”? It gave a whole new meaning to the demand to “stop the boats”!
Let’s be clear however, Scotland’s economic and social problems have not somehow vanished with this election. Far from it.
Yet we can expect only more managerialism from the SNP, exhibiting their usual neoliberal conservatism while they ignore the real problems working people face
The independence struggle will remain imprisoned in its SNP corralled limbo.
Cuts to vital public services are on the way with a £5 billion Scottish Government budget “black hole” according to the economists at the Fraser of Allander Institute, meaning that as many as 20,000 jobs are at risk in public services alone.
Many voters clearly saw the Scottish Greens as the left alternative to the SNP, with their opposition to the genocide in Gaza and their anti-capitalist rhetoric. It remains to be seen how they deploy their increased representation at Holyrood, however.
They built a broad coalition of support that is in many ways conflicted and yet all its elements are now looking to them for a lead.
They will be in deep water soon if they vote for cuts to public services and oppose militarism while supporting Nato membership.
For the Scottish Socialist Party, these elections were tough. We knew they would be. We hadn’t contested them for 15 years and our resources, human and financial, were stretched to their limits.
While our vote was below what we had hoped for, it was also undoubtedly an inaccurate reflection of our support.
Over the past month, we met tens of thousands of people who wished us well and expressed sympathy for our ideas, but felt voting for the SNP or Greens would better stop Starmer and Farage.
Nonetheless, we benefited immensely from the experience and that will stand us in good stead for the political struggles that lie ahead.
Our executive committee met over the weekend to reflect on the campaign and the lessons we can learn from it.
That process will continue in the weeks and months to come as we build our unique case for an independent socialist Scotland and a modern democratic republic.