1. [5], The Conservatives considerably increased their vote share to 25%, an increase of 12%, as they became the largest party outright in six council areas and joint largest in another. In the early hours of the 6th May 2016 I watched as the Holyrood election results began to come in for the election of MSPs to the Scottish Parliament Reform The Holyrood Electoral System - Our Scotland - www.our-scotland.org Holyrood’s voting system is specifically designed to avoid this. The Tories know that there is about as much chance of them winning the Scottish elections and installing Douglas Ross as first minister as there is of Jacob Rees-Mogg performing backing vocals on a Primal Scream track, so they are not campaigning in order to win. [19][16], Under the Scotland Act 1998, an ordinary general election to the Scottish Parliament would normally have been held on the first Thursday in May four years after the 2016 election, i.e. Tuesday March 16 2021, 12.01am, The Times. [23] This draft legislation stated that while the next election is intended to be held on 6 May 2021, powers would be given to the Presiding Officer to postpone the election by up to six months if the spread of COVID-19 made that date impractical. At the 2016 election, the ruling Scottish National Party (SNP) lost their parliamentary majority but were able to continuing governing under Nicola Sturgeon as a minority government. The Scottish Parliament constituencies have not been coterminous with Scottish Westminster constituencies since the 2005 general election, when the 72 former UK Parliament constituencies were replaced with a new set of 59, generally larger, constituencies (see Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004). In 2017 Kezia Dugdale resigned as Leader of Scottish Labour and was replaced by Richard Leonard. [20] This would have clashed with the proposed date of a UK general election, although this became a moot point when a snap UK general election was held in June 2017 (a further UK general election was held in December 2019). Wiki notwithstanding. ", "Two MSPs quit Scottish Labour front bench team", "It has been an honour to be a Member of the Scottish Parliament and I am proud of the work I have done on equalities and for constituents in West Scotland. SP 2021 Hub Labour Leadership 2021 . The total number of Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) elected to the Parliament is 129. For example, if a party has 5 MSPs elected from the constituencies, but its fair share is 8 MSPs, then the first 3 candidates from its list become MSPs. This is the elector's 'first vote'. Due to Scottish Green Party gender-balancing policies, half of our list is formed by female candidates and our top candidate had to be a woman. [7], The SNP increased their vote share to 45% at the 2019 general election, only 5% behind their 2015 performance, reclaiming thirteen of the seats they lost in 2017. share. Some SNP politicians, such as Angus MacNeil MP and Councillor Chris McEleny have even suggested using the Holyrood elections as a proxy indyref - that simply delivering a pro … This is a guest post from one of our readers. Just like the Westminster elections, the voter chooses ONE preferred candidate and marks the ballot paper with a cross. Note that as Holyrood is still quite a young parliament, we don’t have a settled idea of what a “normal” level of retirement looks like as yet. Thank you to every person I have worked with and to people in West Scotland for this fantastic opportunity to serve", "John Finnie to stand down at 2021 Scottish Parliament election", "Central Scotland MSP to stand down from Scottish Parliament before next election", "Ruth Davidson reveals she will not stand as an MSP again in 2021", "Bruce Crawford to step down at 2021 Scottish election", "SNP MP Richard Lyle to stand down ahead of 2021 election", "Fourth SNP MSP quits at Holyrood election", "Two leading SNP figures to step down from Holyrood", "Former minister Mark McDonald to stand down at next election", "SNP minister Aileen Campbell quits for better 'work-life balance, "Central Scotland Conservative MSP Margaret Mitchell will not seek re-election", "Former Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray to quit Holyrood", "Tory MSP Adam Tomkins to stand down at 2021 Scottish Parliament election", "Clydebank MSP Gil Paterson to retire at next election", "East Kilbride MSP Linda Fabiani to step down at next Holyrood election", "SNP minister Roseanna Cunningham to stand down as MSP", "Former SNP minister Alex Neil to stand down as MSP", "Jeane Freeman to stand down at Scottish election", "Sandra White becomes 13th SNP politician to stand down", "Aberdeen SNP MSP Maureen Watt to stand down from Holyrood in 2021", "Holyrood's presiding officer Ken Macintosh to stand down next year", "Lewis Macdonald: MSP is stepping down from Holyrood next year", "I am definitely standing down. Elisabeth. The Scottish Parliament, which was opened in 2004, features an electronic voting system which allows members to vote quickly and efficiently from their desks. Holyrood Election 2016 Many of us are impatiently looking forward to next year’s Holyrood election. Published by Orkney News Ltd., KW16 3HY, Orkney. It is has been suggested by many commentators that if the Holyrood elections in 2021 were to produce a pro independence majority, that the mandate for an independence referendum would be beyond all doubt. The present much-vaunted ‘progressive’ PR system clearly isn’t working. There are 129 MSPs in total, 73 constituency MSPs, “topped up” by eight regions each with seven MSPs. Hi Helen! Orkney) Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP). The voter chooses ONE PARTY and marks the ballot paper with a cross. By Gerry Hassan @GerryHassan analysis. The pro-remain Liberal Democrats won 14% of the vote and were the largest party in the two Northern Isle councils. By Magnus Gardham Scottish Parliament. It is quite simply voting in the proper manner stipulated to achieve one’s political aims. [5] Labour fell 11% to 20% and became the largest party outright in only three councils, compared to fifteen in 2012. With just days to go until the Scottish Parliament election on Thursday 5 May, we look at what you need to know about the electoral system used to elect Members of the Scottish Parliament. [22], On 16 November 2020, the Scottish General Election (Coronavirus) Bill was introduced. The constituency MSP is elected under the First Past the Post system. Menu. On the second ballot paper (orange) is a list of political parties who want seats in parliament. Next year’s Holyrood elections are a chance to see the clear difference in operation of different voting systems at Westminster and in the Scottish Parliament. Whilst it is an improvement over the First Past the Post system, parties still have a lot of control over who gets elected. This was intended to give the advantage of ensuring that as many opinions as possible have a parliamentary representation in principle to achieve a greater degree of … However, the list MSPs provide an additional layer of representation should the voter feel their MSP does not represent them. The Lib Dems won four seats, up three, but lost nearly 1% of their national vote share. These are known as constituency MSPs and are elected by 'first past the post' in exactly the same way as MPs are elected to Westminster. Future parliamentary election to be held in Scotland, Scottish General Election (Coronavirus) Bill, Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions from 2011, Scottish Parliament's constituencies and regions, Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004, Sixth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, Opinion polling for the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, "Douglas Ross to stand for Scottish Tory leadership", "Holyrood 2016: SNP claims 'historic' win but no majority", "Council election results: Sturgeon hails victory despite Tory surge", "General election 2017: SNP lose a third of seats amid Tory surge", "EU Elections 2019: SNP secures three seats as Labour vote collapses", "Scotland election results 2019: SNP wins election landslide in Scotland", "Election results 2019: Boris Johnson returns to power with big majority", "Election results 2019: Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson to step down", "Richard Leonard wins Scottish Labour leadership in decisive victory", "Richard Leonard quits as Scottish Labour leader", "Jackson Carlaw elected leader of Scottish Conservatives", "Jackson Carlaw quits as Scottish Conservative leader", "Douglas Ross confirmed as Scottish Conservative leader", "MSPs back plans to give refugees in Scotland the vote", "Scottish Elections (Franchise and Representation) Bill", "Prisoners' voting rights: developments since May 2015", "Scottish Elections (Franchise and Representation) Bill – Explanatory Notes", "Scotland Act 1998 – Section 2 Ordinary General Elections", "Scottish Elections (Dates) Bill published", "Scotland Act 1998 – Section 3 Extraordinary General Elections", "Scottish General Election (Coronavirus) Bill", "Holyrood 2021 election: Which MSPs are standing down? [5] For the first time since the move to STV voting in local government, no mainland council had a majority government. New pro-Indy and pro-Union parties approved for Holyrood election 50 comments A NEW independence party which was dogged by paperwork problems has … Thursday, 18th February 2021, 5:33 pm. It was the first parliamentary election in Scotland in which 16 and 17 year olds were eligible to vote, under the provisions of the Scottish Elections (Reduction of Voting Age) Act. On behalf of the constituency and regional returning officer, forms are now available for candidates seeking election to Holyrood. [16][17] In 2005, the United Kingdom was found in breach of Protocol 1, Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights in regards of prisoner voting rights in the European Court of Human Rights as a result of Hirst v United Kingdom (No 2); the Act brings Scotland inline with the court ruling. The existence of regional ‘top-up’ seats aims to even out the winner-takes-all attitude of first-past-the-post. It was the fifth election held since the devolved parliament was established in 1999. The 2016 Scottish parliament election was held on Thursday, 5 May 2016 to elect 129 members to the Scottish Parliament. Holyrood magazine provides a daily morning roundup as well as weekly newsletters on ICT, health, education, local government, justice and environment. The goal is to provide a proportional parliament but to also keep a single local MSP. Holyrood election result may take days as overnight count scrapped due to Covid. The list MSPs also ensure that every party can potentially win seats in every area. (Scotland) Act 1994. Of the 129 MSPs elected at the first ever Scottish Parliament election in 1999, there are currently 26 still serving in Holyrood. THE SCOTTISH Tories have called prisoners voting in the Holyrood elections this May "appalling". If you have news, views, writing, music, or artwork that you think people need to know about, get in touch using the contact form on this site, or Facebook or Twitter. They designed Holyrood and the voting system to prevent a united front – don’t let them win. Holyrood Election Polling * Despite the spin from the Record ... Yep; from a purely democratic point of view, we do need to reform the voting system in order to preclude such majorities and the tyranny thereof. Trend lines are a 10-poll centred moving average. The boundaries of the 73 constituencies last changed as of the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, as did the configuration of the electoral regions used to elect "list" members of the Scottish Parliament,. Sir John Curtice: Holyrood election delay may depend on UK-wide decision. 0 comments. There are a total of 73 constituencies. [7], The Brexit Party, led by former-UKIP leader Nigel Farage, finished second on 15% - 4% higher than UKIP achieved in 2014. [8][9], The Liberal Democrats made no net losses, but Jo Swinson, the party's UK leader, lost her seat to the SNP. Talking defeat to TV cameras with less than 60,000 Indy votes counted. Vote. The Holyrood Voting Mechanism Explained. We invite submissions on any topic relevant to the people of Orkney. [23], James Dornan announced in February 2020 his intention to retire at the next Holyrood election,[55] but reversed this decision some months later.[56]. In Scotland, voters elect 73 MSPs from the first ballot paper (purple) and 56 MSPs from the second ballot paper (orange). [4], The 2017 local elections saw the SNP hold their first preference vote share compared to 2012 at 32%, finishing as the largest party in half of councils (sixteen). Scotland urged to 'vote for the country it wants' as Scottish Greens kick off Holyrood election campaign. [59] These revisions were the outcome of the First Periodical Review of the Scottish Parliament's constituencies and regions conducted by the Boundary Commission for Scotland; the Review was announced on 3 July 2007 and the Commission published its final report on 26 May 2010. [21] In November 2015, the Scottish Government published a Scottish Elections (Dates) Bill, which proposed to extend the term of the Parliament to five years. There are 8 regions, each sub-divided into smaller constituencies. The election delivered the first majority government since the opening of Holyrood, a remarkable feat as the Additional Member System used to elect MSPs was originally implemented to prevent any party achieving an overall parliamentary majority. 4. [5], A month after, at 2017 UK election, the SNP lost twenty-one of their MPs, winning thirty-five seats on 37% of the vote (down thirteen percentage points).   Scottish Labour 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament will be elected in the sixth election since the parliament was re-established in 1999. 13 of the announced retirements are from the class of 1999. Under the system used in Scotland, voters have two votes. Jock Campbell says: in May 2020. Those arrangements were set up by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. Each region elects 7 additional MSPs using an additional member system. 3. So, should the Holyrood elections be postponed or should we prepare for another SNP victory, aka Best Actress Award, Hollywood style? Here I will try to detail in as simple terms as possible how the election works. IT is less than 90 days till the May 6 Holyrood election. There are strict rules on how much each party can spend in an election in the UK. Updated April 15, 2016 This is the first part of a two part blog on the system used to decide who is elected to the Scottish Parliament. [6], The 2019 European election was dominated by the impending Brexit-deadline and was won in Scotland by the SNP. Each constituency elects one MSP by the plurality (first past the post) system of election. Holyrood elections 'should go ahead', says Nicola Sturgeon The Holyrood elections “should go ahead” in May, Nicola Sturgeon has said. Labour recorded their worst general election result in Scotland since 1910, as they were reduced to a single Scottish seat again and achieved a 19% share of the vote. The system was designed to minimise the likelihood of any one party gaining a substantial majority as often happens at Westminster. Elections for the Scottish Parliament were amongst the first in Britain to use a mixed member proportional representation (MMP) system. The chart shows the relative state of the parties since polling began from the last election. It also doesn’t solve the problem of ‘safe seats’ that rarely change hands. On the first (purple) ballot paper will be a list of candidates who want to be the local (i.e. Miles Briggs in Holyrood (PA Wire) As the campaign period for May’s Holyrood election nears, Scottish Tory chief whip Miles Briggs has written to the head of the civil service to urge the publication of the report before the beginning of campaigning, or at least for a time scale to be set out. Why we must own our independence in run-up to Holyrood election. 0. Since 1995, local elections in Scotland have been generally held every four years for all the 32 unitary authorities created under the Local Government etc. SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has declared that her party has won a "historic" victory in the Holyrood election but it did not manage the overall majority it had in the last parliament. The system is a form of the additional member method (AMS) of proportional representation, and is better known as such in Britain. Mike Wade. In both cases these are the most marginal opportunities for these parties. It has also been argued that the Additional Member System creates two classes of MSPs, with constituency MSPs receiving local casework, whilst the party list MSPs do not. [12] The 2021 Scottish Labour leadership election was held in February 2021, and was won by Anas Sarwar. [7], The Brexit Party, Lib Dems and Conservatives each won a single seat, in addition to the SNP's three. Scotland is divided into 73 constituencies and each constituency elects one MSP. The second ballot paper, which will be coloured peach, is used to elect the regional MSPs. By Helen Woodsford-Dean (Co-Convener of Orkney Scottish Green Party). The Tories fared relatively better in Scotland than elsewhere in the UK, achieving 12% (down 6% on 2014) in Scotland compared to 9% elsewhere. The Westminster-style ballot papers for the local MSPs are counted first. Holyrood Hub – 2021 Scottish Parliament Election. Leader Douglas Ross slammed what he called the SNP's "soft-touch justice system". Graeme Dey told MSPs that "positive action" is being taken "to ensure the safe delivery of the election" in an update this afternoon. [18], This act also allows all foreign nationals resident in Scotland to vote and all those with indefinite leave to remain or equivalent status including pre–settled status in the United Kingdom to stand as candidates. ... Our first two by-elections of 2021 saw Labour victorious in both wards ... giving me another opportunity to dunk on how terrible STV is as a system. The party won a majority of seats in the House of Commons across the UK; their biggest majority since 1987. The total number of Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) elected to the Parliament is 129. Measure of the man. [10] The Greens managed 1% of the vote, as they stood in twenty-two seats.[8]. AS the Holyrood elections loom, the Conservative strategy is starting to become clear. The Additional Member System has become popular as some see it as a compromise to First Past the Post. Money talks. By Jane Bradley. They have 31 MSPs. Labour (two) and UKIP (one) lost the seats they won in 2014. A modified D'Hondt method, using the constituency results, is used to elect these additional MSPs.[57][58]. In the election, their leader Douglas Ross hopes to win a seat in the Scottish Parliament. THE BBC has been accused of 'giving in' to the SNP by allowing Nicola Sturgeon to continue to hold televised briefings in the run-up to the Holyrood election. On 1 August 2019, Lorna Slater became co-leader of the Scottish Greens alongside Patrick Harvie. [5], Independent candidates won 10% of the vote, down 1%, as the Lib Dems were marginally up, winning 7% of votes. Any extraordinary general elections would be in addition to ordinary general elections, unless held less than six months before the due date of an ordinary general election, in which case they supplant it. Most notably, former-First Minister Alex Salmond and Angus Robertson, the party's Westminster leader, lost their seats. I confirm that I accept the terms and conditions and privacy policy . The Scottish Elections (Dates) Act does not affect the legal possibilities for the Parliament to be dissolved earlier, those being; Nevertheless, no extraordinary general elections have been held to date. ahundredthidiot says: 23 August, 2015 at 8:17 pm. The minister for parliamentary business is "confident" the Holyrood election can go ahead as planned on Thursday 6 May. The Scottish Parliament uses an Additional Members System, designed to produce approximate proportional representation for each region. Because of the way Holyrood's electoral system works, with regional list seats assigned on the basis of constituency results, it could be days before the outcome of the election becomes clear. We can only advise that everyone votes for the candidate/party of their choice and is fully aware that TACTICAL VOTING DOES NOT WORK IN THIS SYSTEM - and in the case of the SNP, there is a real risk of compromising the ability of the party to get a majority in Holyrood.