Scottish Greens Win First Holyrood Constituency as SNP Loses Seat

The Scottish Greens won their first-ever constituency seat at Holyrood after ousting senior SNP politician Angus Robertson in Edinburgh Central. Lorna Slater, a former Green co-leader who previously served as a minister in the SNP-Green government, secured the seat with 12,680 votes.

Robertson finished third with 7,702 votes, a significant loss for the SNP's former deputy leader and culture secretary. Slater defeated Labour by a majority of 4,582 votes, or 13 percent. The result marks a milestone for the Greens, who had never before won a constituency contest at the Scottish Parliament.

The party is also hopeful of taking former first minister Nicola Sturgeon's former seat of Glasgow Southside. Robertson, who served as the Scottish government's culture and external affairs secretary in the last parliament, is expected to be the highest-profile casualty of the election.

He is standing on the Edinburgh and Lothians East regional list but is ranked fourth on the SNP slate, making his return as an MSP highly unlikely. Slater led the Scottish Greens alongside Patrick Harvie from 2019 until 2025. She entered government after the 2021 election under the power-sharing agreement between the SNP and Greens that ended in 2024.

Slater described her party's breakthrough as a significant milestone.

SNP leader John Swinney failed to secure an outright majority but stated his party had won the Holyrood election emphatically. The SNP held six seats and gained one in early results, including a gain from the Liberal Democrats in the Shetland Islands that one candidate called a remarkable result for the party.

Results are still being counted across Scotland, with turnout expected to fall from the record 63 percent seen in 2021. Polling had suggested participation in the low to mid-50s. A record 4.3 million voters registered, though postal vote registrations dropped by 150,000.

The electoral system combines 73 first-past-the-post constituency seats with 56 proportional representation regional seats. Swinney had targeted 65 seats to deliver an outright majority and advance the case for a new independence referendum. Whether the SNP can reach that threshold remains unclear as more results emerge.

Several prominent politicians faced uncertain fates as votes were tallied. Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie has held Dumbarton since 1999 but faced renewed pressure amid low turnout and a fragmented vote. Conservative leader Russell Findlay's position also hung in the balance depending on constituency outcomes elsewhere.

The Scottish Greens aimed to increase their influence after entering government for the first time in the last parliament. Co-leaders indicated they would support Swinney in a pro-independence majority but left open other possibilities if that threshold was not met.

Liberal Democrats sought gains in the Highlands and around major cities. Reform UK hoped for a breakthrough on the regional lists after polling strongly in recent national surveys. The party's performance could draw votes from the Conservatives and reshape the unionist side of the chamber.

Multiple party leaders had positioned themselves against Reform during the campaign. That pact had allowed the Greens to secure ministerial roles including Slater's. The current election will determine whether any similar arrangement returns or if a different coalition or minority government emerges.

Questions remain over who will become first minister. Labour leader Anas Sarwar has positioned himself for the role, though his party's path relies on complex post-election arithmetic. Unionist parties have discussed potential alignments, though Sarwar ruled out relying on Reform votes.

The results will shape Scotland's political direction for the next five years, including the balance between pro-independence and unionist forces. Further constituency and regional outcomes are expected throughout the day as counts conclude in remaining areas.

The Greens ran the SNP close in several other seats including Edinburgh North and Leith as well as Glasgow Kelvin and Maryhill. Robertson's defeat adds to previous setbacks in his political career that once saw him serve as SNP leader at Westminster.