Scottish Election 2021 results LIVE: SNP finish one short of a majority on 64 | Scottish Conservatives hold key seat of Aberdeenshire West | Alex Salmond fails to win seat | Kaukab Stewart becomes first woman of colour elected to Scottish Parliament | Full regional vote list announced

Updates from the Scottish Parliament elections 2021.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

As Day Two of the election count continues, stay up-to-date with The Scotsman election live blog.

Scottish Parliament elections 2021 LIVE: SNP win election with 64 seats - one short of majority

Key Events

  • SNP win election with 64 seats - one short of majority
  • Sturgeon hails ‘emphatic’ victory
  • Tories second with 31 seats, Labour third with 22
  • No seats for Salmond’s Alba party
  • Police investigate possible voter fraud in Edinburgh
  • Kaukab Stewart becomes first woman of colour elected

A message from the Editor:

We’re more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven’t already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription

BBC seat prediction

The SNP is set to fall short of an overall majority, according to the BBC’s new seat prediction.

Professor Sir John Curtice, of the University of Strathclyde, said Nicola Sturgeon’s party would likely take 63 of Holyrood’s 129 seats.

Meanwhile the Scottish Conservatives would trail on 31, followed by Scottish Labour on 22, the Scottish Greens on nine, and the Scottish Lib Dems on four.

The result would be disappointing for the Greens, who had been projected to win around a dozen seats based on polling during the campaign.

But it would also be bitterly disappointing for the Lib Dems.

If the BBC’s prediction proves accurate, Willie Rennie’s party will fall short of the five seats needed to secure a guaranteed question at FMQs - and a host of other significant benefits given to parties with more than five seats.

SNP hold Edinburgh Pentlands

Gordon MacDonald has been re-elected in Edinburgh Pentlands for the SNP.

Tories hold key seat of Aberdeenshire West

Aberdeenshire West has been held by the Scottish Conservatives, as Alexander Burnett is re-elected.

The seat was crucial to SNP hopes of securing a majority in Holyrood.

The result means Nicola Sturgeon’s party is likely to fall short of the 65 seats needed to form a majority Scottish Government.

Tories not confident of fourth Lothian list seat

Scottish Conservatives are not said to be confident of a fourth seat in the Lothian regional list.

A party source suggested the seat would likely fall to the Scottish Greens by a handful of votes instead, and blamed the All For Unity Party for splitting its support.

SNP ‘concede’ Aberdeenshire West

The BBC’s Nick Eardley reports that SNP sources have privately conceded the contest in Aberdeenshire West.

The seat was a key to the party’s chances of winning an outright majority.

The official result is yet to be announced.

Why winning at least five MSPs is an important threshold

Scotland’s smaller parties will be hoping they can secure at least five MSPs in Holyrood.

That is the number needed for a party to solidify its standing in the Scottish Parliament, getting representation on the business bureau, as well as a guaranteed question at FMQs.

The Lib Dems, currently sitting on four MSPs, will hope they can reach that threshold with at least one additional list seat.

Former MP John Mason has been re-elected for the SNP in Glasgow Shettleston.

Mairi McAllan has been newly elected in Clydesdale, replacing her outgoing SNP colleague Aileen Campbell, who did not seek re-election.