BBC News
Play video BBC News ChannelVideo
BBC News Channel
And we ll keep you signed in.
Sign in or Register
Got a TV Licence?
You need one to watch live TV on any channel or device, and BBC programmes on iPlayer. It’s the law.
Summary
The SNP continues to pick up seats but it remains unclear whether an overall Holyrood majority will happen
Of the 53 constituencies declared so far, the nationalists have taken 44
The SNP is on course to being the largest party and Nicola Sturgeon is set to continue as first minister and form a new government
The fortunes of the Scottish Green Party, which fielded few constituency candidates, will emerge when the list results come later
Another Scottish independence referendum is the “will of the country”, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said in a victory speech.
The SNP and Scottish Greens have won a total of 68 seats in Holyrood, with more gains expected as further regional list results are announced.
Speaking on Saturday, the First Minister said her first focus would be on the coronavirus pandemic, but that the people of Scotland should be able to decide on the constitutional question “when the time is right”.
An independence referendum was pledged in the manifesto of both the SNP and the Scottish Greens, who have already picked up an extra seat on the Central Scotland list.
Tory MSP Alexander Burnett has expressed his pride at the party retaining the Aberdeenshire West seat and dashing SNP hopes for a majority in the Scottish Parliament election.
Mr Burnett returns for another term at Holyrood with 19,709 votes while SNP candidate Fergus Mutch received 16,319 votes.
Also on the ballot were Labour’s Andrew Philip Brown (2,382 votes) and Rosemary Bruce of the Lib Dems (3,363).
Votes cast: Andrew Philip Brown (Scottish Labour Party) – 2,382 votes (5.69% share)Rosemary Bruce (Scottish Liberal Democrats) – 3,363 (8.03%)Alexander Burnett (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party) – 19,709 (47.05%)Fergus Mutch (Scottish National Party) – 16,319 (38.96%)
When asked about stopping the SNP majority, Mr Burnett said: “There were a few comments about that which I’d seen on social media – I tried to stay away from it most of last night to do my nerves some good.
Nicola Sturgeon tells Boris Johnson there is no democratic justification for refusing indyRef2
First Minister warns Prime Minister that blocking a vote would mean the UK was no longer a voluntary union of nations
8 May 2021 • 7:54pm
Nicola Sturgeon insisted this evening that there was simply no democratic justification for Boris Johnson refusing a second independence referendum despite the SNP falling short of a majority in the Holyrood election.
Speaking before a lectern bearing the slogan Scotland s Choice , Ms Sturgeon said there was a fundamental democratic principle that a referendum should be staged after the SNP and pro-independence Greens together won most of Holyrood s 129 seats.