Read about our approach to external linking. Ms Sturgeon would rather defer hard questions over currency, banks, the English border, trade and EU membership until any referendum campaign. In the regional ballot, people vote for a party. The Scottish government is formed from the party that hold the most seats in the parliament, or alternatively a coalition of more than one party. Barring an unforeseen event of seismic proportions, the SNP are on course to win their fourth consecutive term in power. That is another ill-defined feature in this debate. A total of 129 MSPs are elected to the Parliament - often referred to as Holyrood, after the area of Edinburgh where the parliament building stands. Social distancing has spared political candidates from much of the potential jeopardy of facing the public in community hustings or TV debate studios. Scottish Parliamentary elections use the Additional Member System (AMS). Voters are choosing who will run the Scottish government for the next five years and lead Scotland's recovery from coronavirus. THE leaders of five of Scotland's main political parties go head-to-head tonight in the last Leaders' Debate of this Holyrood election campaign.… There's broad consensus on NHS investment, recruiting more teachers, doubling the child payment to £20, expanding free childcare and the provision of free school meals. Video, Big Chinese rocket segment set to fall to Earth, Girl, 5, stuck in India while parents in Australia, Under 40s to be offered alternative to AZ vaccine, Australia Olympic team photo sparks diversity row, Chinese rocket debris could crash back on to Earth, German call to ban 'Jewish star' at Covid demos, Zulu queen buried amid bitter succession row, Get extra updates on BBC election coverage. Who is young Republican rising star Elise Stefanik? Much of the campaign is likely to play out online instead, with BBC Scotland planning to hold two virtual debates. Due to coronavirus restrictions, results won't be known as quickly as normal. Read about our approach to external linking. The controversy surrounding his administration has ensured he's featured in the campaign anyway. Scottish Parliament election 2021 media caption Nicola Sturgeon was speaking on The Sunday Show Nicola Sturgeon has said she is the only politician in this election … The SNP, led by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, lost its overall majority in the 2016 election, but continued in power after forming a minority government. Most of the pollsters listed are members of the British Polling Council (BPC) and abide by its disclosure rules.. There are eight electoral regions, each with seven regional MSPs. Images capture the buzz, excitement and tension as Scotland awaits the election results. Scottish election 2021: Who can I vote for? What happens to your body in extreme heat? None of that is to suggest the Scottish election does not matter. The SNP increased its vote share to 45% at the 2019 general election, only 5% behind its 2015 performance, reclaiming thirteen of the seats they lost in 2017. The parties are then allocated a number of MSPs depending on how many votes they receive - once the number of constituencies already won in that region is taken into account - to make the overall result more proportional. Quiz of the week: What's Meghan's children's book called? Officials have extended the state of emergency in several regions until the end of the month. News Politics Scottish election 2021: Who won the BBC leaders' debate? The 2016 Scottish parliament election was held on Thursday, 5 May 2016 to elect 129 members to the Scottish Parliament. It is led by the first minister, who appoints a number of ministers to be in charge of departments such as education, health and finance. What issues are important to young voters? It absolutely does. The main ambition of Conservative leader Douglas Ross is to deny the SNP that majority - a goal he shares with Labour's Anas Sarwar and the Liberal Democrats' Willie Rennie. SCOTLAND ALERTS: Get extra updates on BBC election coverage. 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. In previous elections, votes were counted as soon as the polls closed at 22:00, with the results being announced overnight. © 2021 BBC. © 2021 BBC. Anyone who lives in Scotland and is registered to vote is eligible, so long as they are aged 16 or over on the day of the election and have not been legally excluded from voting (for example because they are serving a prison sentence of longer than 12 months). The SNP has already said it wants to hold a vote once the Covid pandemic ends - if the election returns another pro-independence majority. Use our concise manifesto guide to compare where the parties stand on key issues like Covid-19, independence and the environment. The ALBA Party has protested their 'exclusion' from televised election debates by projecting their party's symbol on to BBC Scotland's headquarters. There are 73 Constituency MSPs, each elected on a first-past-the-post system similar to the UK general election - the winner is the candidate who receives the most votes in each constituency. Which candidates are standing in your area? Babies spared the kisses of publicity-hungry politicians. News Sport Region Music Person Profession. Turn on push notifications and don't miss anything! If a majority of those elected to Holyrood back indyref2, a major political wrangle between the Scottish and UK governments is likely to follow. That set a precedent but there is no agreed definition of the political circumstances that should prevail for indyref2 to happen. These are questions her Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat opponents think must be raised in the discussion over whether or not there should be another referendum. The deadline to register for a postal vote is 6 April. VideoInside Myanmar's Spring Revolution, The agony of watching a catastrophe from afar, Eurovision welcomes back fans despite pandemic. The BBC previewed tonight’s final live and televised Scottish election debate, and attempted to explain why leaders of “smaller parties” are not taking place. Scottish election 2021: Behind the scenes at BBC Scotland BBC News. The Scottish Conservatives - led by Ruth Davidson - finished second after overtaking Scottish Labour for the first time, while the Scottish Greens were fourth - ahead of the Scottish Liberal Democrats. Boris Johnson's unpopularity in Scotland may go some way to explaining his absence. The minister could see how it might be possible to win a majority of Holyrood's 129 seats by cleaning up in the constituency vote, but equally how that might be prevented. Scottish election debate LIVE: BBC shamed as Sturgeon mocked ; BBC SNP Nicola Sturgeon. The agony of watching a catastrophe from afar, Rio police accused of executing suspects in raid, Inside Myanmar's Spring Revolution. It was the fifth election held since the devolved parliament was established in 1999. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. There has been an SNP/Green majority for independence at Holyrood since the last election and their calls for a referendum have been resisted by the UK government. Scottish election 2021: Who won the BBC leaders' debate? Alex Salmond setting up the Alba party. Inside Myanmar's Spring Revolution. However low energy this election might be, the political stakes are extremely high. Anyone who … The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. There are eight electoral regions, each with seven regional MSPs. These are: This means that people in Scotland are each represented by eight MSPs - one representing their constituency and the other seven representing their region. Taking an invention from idea to the marketplace. A really simple guide to the Scottish election, Scottish election 2021: Compare the parties, Japan extends Covid restrictions as Olympics loom. It was established in 1999 to debate issues and make laws for Scotland. The Conservatives aspire to reduce personal taxation over time. Scottish election 2021: Behind the scenes at BBC Scotland Close Behind the scenes: BBC Scotland HQ in Glasgow has been transformed into several studios to cover the Scottish election. Taking an invention from idea to the marketplace, The violent judo class that put a boy in a coma, BBC Culture: TV shows that reveal the real France. Anas Sarwar's dance moves. The SNP has won every Scottish Parliament election since 2007. None of the other parties dispute that. Scottish Parliament election 2021 As Holyrood campaigning comes to an end, pictures from the 2021 Scottish election trail show it has been a campaign like no other. The SNP insists the referendum would only go ahead if it was within the law. They debate and pass laws on devolved issues - these include most aspects of day-to-day life in Scotland, such as education, health and transport. The 2019 United Kingdom general election was held on Thursday 12 December 2019, two-and-a-half years after the previous general election in June 2017.The Scottish National Party (SNP) received the most votes (45%, up 8.1% from the previous election) and won 48 out of 59 seats — a gain of 13 over those won in 2017, and 81% of the Scottish seats in the House of Commons. For the first time in Holyrood's short history, the UK prime minister has not appeared on the Scottish campaign trail. Tuck in! They are also deciding whether or not there will be a big push for another independence referendum in the next parliament - something that affects the whole UK. In devolved policy areas, the Holyrood parties have remarkably similar plans for Covid recovery. One senior SNP minister told me it was just too hard to predict the outcome, not least because the lack of doorstep campaigning means they have poorer data than usual. When the SNP won an outright majority in 2011, the then prime minister David Cameron accepted that as a mandate. The electorate have now cast their votes to elect members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). The list vote is usually for a party rather than an individual. She has tried to focus hard on the principle of what she calls "Scotland's right to choose" its own future. Eurocrats give green … Use our concise manifesto guide to compare where the parties stand on key issues like Covid-19, independence and the environment. It is the most unusual Holyrood election. Scottish election 2021: Unusual - but extremely high stakes. In some ways, what has not happened is more notable. Most other parties are not proposing big tax changes, except the Greens - who want the wealthy to pay significantly more. SIGN UP FOR SCOTLAND ALERTS: Get extra updates on BBC election coverage. All sides have big spending plans despite the Institute for Fiscal Studies warning of a "disconnect from the fiscal reality". Do you want to stay up to date of all the news about Scotland? Both BBC and STV will provide coverage from the Scottish election Credit: Alamy. ... BBC Scotland's James Cook hears from those both for and against another referendum on independence. Big Chinese rocket segment set to fall to Earth1, Girl, 5, stuck in India while parents in Australia2, Rio police accused of executing suspects in raid3, Under 40s to be offered alternative to AZ vaccine4, Australia Olympic team photo sparks diversity row5, Japan extends Covid restrictions as Olympics loom6, Chinese rocket debris could crash back on to Earth7, German call to ban 'Jewish star' at Covid demos8, Australia to resume some India flights after backlash9, Zulu queen buried amid bitter succession row10. Quiz of the week: What's Meghan's children's book called? Hands left unshaken. In Scotland, voters will choose 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). Social distancing rules mean the campaign will look and feel very different to normal. Why are vaccines going to waste in Africa? Five unknowns which could decide the election. Inside Myanmar's Spring Revolution. What time is the Scottish election leaders' debate tonight? In the Scottish election people have two votes, one for a constituency MSP (like in the UK general election) and another for the regional ballot, often referred to as the "list vote". Scottish election 2021: Former Scottish Labour candidate for Glasgow Kelvin quits social media after being mentioned in BBC leaders’ debate A Scottish Labour activist and … The Scottish Greens also back independence, but the Scottish Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats are all opposed and say the country's focus should be on recovering from the pandemic rather than the constitution. She would use that to pass a referendum bill. People have two votes - one for a constituency MSP, and another for a regional ballot. The big question is whether she will have an overall majority in the next parliament - more seats than all the other parties put together - or fall a bit short. They think holding indyref2 at any point in the next five years would sap energy from efforts to rebuild the NHS, education and the economy. Get the latest Scottish political news from BBC Scotland: in-depth coverage includes latest headlines, comment and analysis on the politics scene across Scotland. Read more analysis here from Alex Brown on tonight’s leaders’ debate. The debate programme will be on May 4 on BBC One Scotland, starting at 19:50. Australia Olympic team photo sparks diversity row1, Rio police accused of executing suspects in raid2, Child shoots three at school in Idaho, police say3, Big Chinese rocket segment set to fall to Earth4, German call to ban 'Jewish star' at Covid demos5, Girl, 5, stuck in India while parents in Australia6, California condors swoop on home and 'declare war'7, Duterte apologises for taking unapproved China jab8, Under 40s to be offered alternative to AZ vaccine9, Concern increases over India Covid variant in UK10. All the latest news about Scottish Parliament election 2021 from the BBC. Without an overall majority, pro-UK parties think Ms Sturgeon will find it harder to press the case for an independence referendum. 2019 United Kingdom general election. Nicola Sturgeon has said she would use judgement to decide and would always put tackling Covid first. The leaders of Scotland’s five larger political parties will face off for the final time before Thursday’s Holyrood election. They want it to happen before the end of 2023, if the Covid crisis has passed. When exactly is the crisis over? The BBC comedy spoof show Scot Squad is airing a special episode tonight featuring political party leaders ahead of the election next week. Results of such polls are displayed in this list. In the Scottish election people have two votes, one for a constituency MSP (like in the UK general election) and another for the regional ballot, often referred to as the "list vote". Under this system, voters are given two votes: one for their constituency, which elects a single MSP by first-past-the-post; and one for their region, which elects seven MSPs by closed list.Five Scottish Parliamentary elections have been held since the reconvention of the Scottish Parliament in 1999. It is also expected that more people than ever before will choose to vote by post rather than going to a polling place. Why are vaccines going to waste in Africa? Nicola Sturgeon believes a simple majority at Holyrood - with or without Green support - should be enough. This said: “The BBC considers a number of factors when deciding who takes part in its TV election debates. Close contact with voters and their unsuspecting offspring is not allowed under Covid rules and that has changed the character of this campaign. The pandemic means that the votes in this election will not start to be counted until the morning after, with a final result not expected until the weekend of 8/9 May. The Conservatives lost half the seats they gained in 2017, but retained a quarter of the vote - down 4%. Rio police accused of executing suspects in raid, Australia to resume some India flights after backlash, India Covid aid 'not reaching those in need', The violent judo class that put a boy in a coma, Inside Myanmar's Spring Revolution. Mr Sarwar is also trying to challenge the Tories for second place. In the run-up to the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, various organisations are conducting opinion polling to gauge voting intentions. The deadline to register for a proxy vote is 27 April. If that happens without Westminster agreement she would be prepared to defend the legislation in court in the likely event of a legal challenge. By Glenn CampbellPolitical editor, BBC Scotland. Health experts want the version B.1.617.2 to be made a "variant of concern", the BBC has been told. Nicola Sturgeon conceding she took her "eye off the ball" over drug deaths. The policy differences are there if you look closely enough but by far the biggest dividing line in this election is the constitution. The party that wins the most seats will form the Scottish government. Election 2021 Scotland, presented by Rebecca Curran, will air on Friday from 12 noon until 8.00 pm on BBC One Scotland (with the network news at 1.00 pm and 6.00 pm), and will also be on the BBC Scotland channel from 6.00 pm to 6.30 pm. THE leaders of Scotland's five biggest political parties are set to face off one last time tonight before voters go to the polls on May 6. The parties are then allocated a number of MSPs depending on how many votes they receive - once the number of constituencies already won in that region is taken into account - to make the overall result more proportional. Holyrood also has control over some taxes, most notably income tax, and some areas of the welfare system. Read about our approach to external linking. Tuesday, 04 May, 2021, 21:09 Voters across Scotland will go to the polls on 6 May to elect members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). She has been less keen to discuss the practicalities of delivering independence from the UK after Brexit. Read about our approach to external linking. The election campaign is likely to be dominated by the question of whether there should be another referendum on Scottish independence. Scottish Parliament election 2021 The campaign for the Scottish Parliament election resumes today, following the suspension agreed by the parties as a mark of respect for the Duke of Edinburgh. There have been some memorable moments. By Glenn Campbell Political editor, BBC Scotland They must also be a British or Irish citizen or a citizen of another country living in Scotland who has permission to enter or stay in the UK, or who does not need permission. Video, Australia Olympic team photo sparks diversity row, Child shoots three at school in Idaho, police say, Big Chinese rocket segment set to fall to Earth, German call to ban 'Jewish star' at Covid demos, Girl, 5, stuck in India while parents in Australia, California condors swoop on home and 'declare war', Duterte apologises for taking unapproved China jab, Under 40s to be offered alternative to AZ vaccine, Get extra updates on BBC election coverage. The pandemic has produced a more sanitised election - less eventful, even a little dull at times. Concern increases over India Covid variant in UK. The deadline to register to vote is Monday 19 April. VideoInside Myanmar's Spring Revolution, Eurovision welcomes back fans despite pandemic. Big time. They are not even trying to replace Nicola Sturgeon as first minister. in person at a polling station (often in places such as schools and community centres), by nominating someone to vote for you (a proxy vote). By Beth Murray Thursday, 29th April 2021, 6:11 pm Most read in Politics. While the pandemic has turned almost everything upside down, the perennial question in Scottish politics over independence and the union remains persistent in election 2021. Party campaigners will not be able to knock on doors, for example, and there will be no large gatherings for set-piece events such as TV debates or manifesto launches. The poll is now held every five years, and this will be the sixth election in its history. The UK Parliament at Westminster can pass laws on reserved matters, which are generally those with a UK-wide or international impact - such as defence, foreign policy and immigration. No thanks, just show me the news. Keep me up to date! Health, education, the environment and the economy are among the other important issues for voters, and all are likely to feature prominently during the campaign. It is expected to last 70 minutes. 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