First Minister of Scotland and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon makes an affirmation at the Scottish Parliament NICOLA Sturgeon was the first politician to be sworn into the sixth session of Holyrood as the new parliament formally got under way, with affirmations and oaths taken in a record number of languages. Returning and new members took an oath or affirmation following last week’s election in which the SNP was returned as the biggest party for the fourth consecutive term. Many MSPs made their vows yesterday in second languages, including Urdu, Canadian French, Scots, Gaelic, Orcadian, Doric, Welsh, Arabic and Punjabi.
ALEX Salmond has conceded that Alba will not win any seats in Holyrood as some of the regional votes were revealed. The National spoke to the former First Minister outside the P&J arena in Aberdeen, just after the regional results for Donside were released, but as more results were revealed Salmond became more realistic. The Alba Party won 743 votes (2.07%) for the regional list in Donside. Later in the evening the Banffshire and Buchan regional results were announced – with Alba gathering 1135 votes (3.43%). In Aberdeen Central, Alba only won 597 votes. It came as the SNP swept up on the constituency list, winning Aberdeen Donside and Banffshire and Buchan Coast.
The SNP will be the “leading and largest party” in the new Scottish Parliament, Deputy First Minister John Swinney has declared – though he said it is still too early to say if the party will win an overall majority at Holyrood.
Mr Swinney, also the Education Secretary in the Scottish Government, comfortably held his Perthshire North seat, increasing his majority over the Tories.
His was among the first handful of seats to declare as votes were counted after polling day on Thursday.
The coronavirus pandemic meant that traditional overnight counting was impossible, with the results instead being announced over the course of Friday and Saturday.
The SNP’s newest MSP has said concerns that accusations against her predecessor Mark McDonald could have impacted the party’s majority were “not something that crossed my mind”.
Jackie Dunbar, an Aberdeen City councillor who will keep that role until the next local election, won the Aberdeen Donside seat in the Scottish Parliament in the second result announced on Friday.
Taking 18,514 votes – a 51.6% share – she beat Conservative Harriet Cross and Labour’s Heather Herbert, who secured 9,488 votes and 5,505 respectively.
Mr McDonald won the seat for the SNP five years ago but quit the party in 2018 and was briefly suspended by Parliament after being accused of inappropriate behaviour by three women.
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon is “extremely confident” the party is heading back into power at Holyrood – although she conceded winning an overall majority of MSPs there is a “very, very long shot”.
As early results started to come in from Thursday’s Scottish Parliament elections, the Scottish First Minister downplayed the prospect of winning a majority.
However, she insisted it was an “extraordinary achievement” for her party to win an historic fourth term in power.
The First Minister spoke out as she arrived at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, where votes are being counted.
The coronavirus pandemic means that traditional overnight counting was abandoned, with the results of seats instead being announced over Friday and Saturday.