The SNP is the only party to have secured a majority in the 22-year history of the Scottish Parliament and - given polling over the past year - is hoping to repeat the feat.
In doing so, it had hoped to reinvigorate the campaign for a second referendum on Scottish independence, having pledged to launch an 11-point roadmap if a majority was secured.
And despite Ms Sturgeon s failure to win an outright majority she immediately called for another referendum claiming it was the will of the country .
Last year polls began to detect a surge in the number of Scots backing independence, with many showing a majority in favour of leaving the UK for the first time in years, but more recent surveys have suggested support has declined.
HOLYROOD 2021: Motherwell & Wishaw list results
The constituency is one of nine in the Scottish Parliament s Central region
Clare Adamson celebrates her win with husband and election agent, John (Image: Stuart Vance/ReachPlc)
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Regional list votes for the Motherwell & Wishaw constituency have been published as counting continues in seats across the Central Scotland region.
HOLYROOD 2021: second term for Coatbridge MSP
Fulton MacGregor said his increased majority showed constituents had put their trust in me
Fulton MacGregor retained the Coatbridge & Chryston seat (Image: Stuart Vance/ReachPlc)
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Fulton MacGregor more than doubled his majority as he retained his Coatbridge & Chryston seat, and says issues including healthcare and child poverty will be key priorities during his second term at the Scottish Parliament.
Boris Johnson has set himself on course for a constitutional clash with Nicola Sturgeon if she pushes ahead with plans for a second Scottish independence referendum - which the PM has called irresponsible and reckless .
Counting continues in the Scottish parliamentary contest, with the SNP leader s hopes of achieving a majority on a knife edge, after a poll predicted the party could miss out by just one seat.
But it is still highly likely the SNP will win its fourth term in power at Holyrood, and Ms Sturgeon said when the time is right she will offer Scots the choice of a better future in a second independence referendum.
Scottish election results 2021: the charts and maps that show how Scotland voted telegraph.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from telegraph.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.