BBC News
Published
The first woman of colour has been elected to the Scottish Parliament in its 22-year history.
Kaukab Stewart, of the SNP, has run for election five times having been a campaigner for more than 20 years.
The 53-year-old teacher takes over the Glasgow Kelvin constituency seat from the party s Sandra White, winning with a majority of 5,458 over the Greens.
She thanked voters, saying it was an honour to be the first woman of colour to become an MSP.
Giving her acceptance speech, Ms Stewart, who is also the first Muslim woman to be elected in Holyrood, said: It has taken too long but to all women and girls of colour out there - the Scottish Parliament belongs to you too.
Updated: 08/05/2021, 6:39 pm
The SNP’s Kaukab Stewart has become the first woman of colour elected to the Scottish Parliament after securing a win in Glasgow Kelvin.
The seat was always set to be a history maker at this election as Ms Stewart aimed to hold on to the seat vacated by retiring SNP MSP Sandra White against Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie who sought to become the party’s first constituency MSP.
In the end, it was the SNP hopeful who secured victory by a majority of more than 5,000 after securing 14,535 votes against Mr Harvie’s 9,077.
Labour finished in third place with Pam Duncan-Glancy winning 8,605 votes and Grahame Cannell, of the Conservatives, came in fourth on 2,850 votes. David McKenzie of the Lib Dems finished in fifth place, with 977 votes.
play-icon
Video report by ITV News Scotland Correspondent Peter Smith
The SNP has won an emphatic victory in the Holyrood elections, but did not gain an overall majority.
Nicola Sturgeon’s party took 64 seats in Thursday’s vote – 62 in constituencies and one on the Highlands and Islands and another in the South Scotland regional list – one shy of a majority but well ahead of the Tories on 31 seats.
With the failure to return 65 MSPs, the case for another independence referendum is weakened, but the Scottish Greens provide an overall pro-independence majority of 72 seats.
In a televised victory speech, Ms Sturgeon said another vote was “the will of the country”.
The SNP has won an emphatic victory in the Holyrood elections, but did not gain an overall majority.
Nicola Sturgeon’s party took 64 seats in Thursday’s vote – 62 in constituencies and one on the Highlands and Islands and another in the South Scotland regional list – one shy of a majority but well ahead of the Tories on 31 seats.
With the failure to return 65 MSPs, the case for another independence referendum is weakened, but the Scottish Greens provide an overall pro-independence majority of 72 seats. Highest number of Constituency seats ever won by single Party Most votes ever cast for a single Party in history of DevolutionLargest % share of the vote in Holyrood electionFirst Woman of Colour ever elected to the Scottish Parliament