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Home , Adam Tomkins, Aileen Campbell, Alan Reid (politician), Alasdair Allan, Alexander Stewart (MSP), Alex Rowley

HALOGEN COMMUNICATIONS – BRIEFING – APRIL/MAY 2021

Halogen Communications Guide to the 2021 Election

Introduction

On 6 May, Scottish voters will go to the polls for an election like no other against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic. This is the sixth Holyrood election since devolution, one which the SNP hope to win a remarkable fourth term in office, but one in which their dominance may be challenged, not necessarily by the main opposition unionist parties, but through the continued fallout from the Salmond inquiry and the emergence of the pro-independence led by .

This election will not only have wide ranging implications for Scottish politics but will also have consequences for the UK’s constitutional future if the SNP win an outright majority, or if there is an increased presence of pro-independence MSPs. Opinion polls have shown that the previous lead for independence has narrowed in recent weeks, with some even indicating that the No side is in front.

It is highly probable that the SNP will be the largest party in and it would take a truly remarkable reversal of fortunes for this not to happen. As neither Douglas Ross or will hold the keys to Bute House, a more realistic objective for the unionist parties would be to prevent an SNP overall majority, or even pro-independence majority of MSPs. After all, it was the SNP’s majority in 2011 that provided the catalyst for the independence referendum three years later.

All of the parties have put forward ambitious policies to the electorate in their manifestos, but there has been some criticism from the Institute for Fiscal Studies for the unrealistic levels of public spending from the main three parties. Amidst the glut of lofty promises, voters may simply decide whom they trust the most to deliver and guide the country towards its recovery.

Whatever happens on 6th May will have implications for businesses and organisations in terms of their public affairs strategies in Scotland but also from the continuing to ‘lead the way’ on the domestic agenda – particularly on public health and the environment – and consequently affecting the policy debate elsewhere in the UK.

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To help you understand the main issues in this important election and better prepare for its aftermath, Halogen have provided a comprehensive guide on what you need to know, including:

• The main themes of the campaign;

• An analysis of the state of the parties; • A list of target seats, MSPs at risk, retiring MSPs, and candidates to watch; • The likely scenarios in forming the next Scottish Government; and • A full list of constituency and regional candidates.

The Basics of the 2021 Election

• Voters aged 16+ will go to the polls on 6 May to elect 129 MSPs using the Additional Members System. In this election, they will have two votes: one for their local constituency MSP, the other for a regional party list. • There are 73 Constituency MSPs, each elected on a first-past-the-post system similar to the UK General Election – the winner is the candidate who receives the most votes in each constituency. • In the regional ballot, people vote for a party. The parties are then allocated a number of MSPs depending on how many votes they receive – once the number of constituencies already won in that region is taken into account – to make the overall result more proportional. • There are eight electoral regions, each with seven regional MSPs. These are: Central Scotland, , Highlands and Islands, Lothian, Mid-Scotland and , North East Scotland, South Scotland and West Scotland. This means that people are each represented by eight MSPs; one representing their constituency and the other seven representing their region. • Due to Covid-19 restrictions, traditional electioneering – town hall meetings, canvassing, street stalls – have been curtailed, with much of the campaign being fought online and, on the airwaves, particularly on social media, virtual hustings and televised debates. Many voters have already voted by post, with postal ballots having increased to a record level. • The results will not be known until the weekend of 8/9th May as votes will not be counted until the morning after the election.

Main Election Themes

There are two overriding main issues dominating the campaign: Scotland’s recovery from the pandemic and Scotland’s constitutional future.

Pandemic Leadership

The SNP are attempting to link the two, arguing that the First Minister has demonstrated strong and decisive leadership throughout the pandemic, and that only through gaining the powers through independence could Scotland shape its post-pandemic recovery, while a led government at Westminster would hold Scotland back.

However, the Scottish Government have suffered many of the same problems as their Westminster counterparts in responding to Covid-19 but there remains a widespread perception that Nicola Sturgeon and her government have handled events well. Indeed, the public often credit the SNP

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Government for successful measures that were introduced by the UK Government, be it funding for Covid-19 grant support, furlough or the vaccine roll out.

The SNP will have hoped they could have framed the election around the leadership of the First Minister but the return of Alex Salmond to frontline politics will mean that Nicola Sturgeon will not be able to move on from her role in the Scottish Government’s handling of harassment complaints against the former First Minister – this is despite winning a vote of confidence in parliament and being cleared of breaching the Ministerial Code in James Hamilton QC’s report. Polling undertaken before and after her Committee appearance in March showed that the Salmond affair was having an impact on support for the SNP as well as independence, meaning that she was unable to draw a line under the issue.

Nonetheless, Sturgeon still manages to retain reasonably high levels of public approval according to the polls, which the SNP will be looking to capitalise on when faced by two rookie leaders in Douglas Ross of the and Anas Sarwar of .

Constitutional Battles

While criticising the SNP for their focus over a second independence referendum, the unionist parties have highlighted that indyref2 would be a distraction from the day job of preparing Scotland’s recovery from Covid-19, which will form a crucial part of the Scottish Conservatives’ campaigning strategy.

For Scottish Labour, they can attack both administrations at Holyrood and Westminster for their obsession over the constitution while putting forward their own detailed recovery plan. The Lib Dems will also continue to oppose a second independence referendum, even if there is a pro- independence majority of MSPs, but have also set out plans for a federal UK as a third way between unionism and .

The emergence of Alba reminds pro-independence minded voters that they can use their vote tactically, backing the SNP or even a Scottish Green candidate on the constituency ballot, but supporting Alba on the regional list, in an attempt to secure even more pro-independence MSPs and keep the constitutional battle front and centre of Scottish politics.

Analysis: State of the Parties

All opinion polls consistently point to the fact that the will be the largest party following May’s election – the question remains as to whether they will form a majority government, or will enter into a coalition with the , or continue as a minority administration with the support of pro-independence parties for their Budget and key pieces of legislation. A majority SNP Government, elected with a manifesto commitment to hold a second independence referendum, would in their eyes constitute a mandate for indyref 2. The SNP have been in government for 14 years, and will therefore face a challenge in convincing voters that they have a fresh and compelling vision for Scotland. They will need four additional MSPs in order to form a majority.

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Given the fact that the SNP will be the largest party is a foregone conclusion, the more intriguing battle will be the battle for second place. The Scottish Conservatives will once again hope to be the second largest party at Holyrood. In 2016, led an impressive campaign focusing on opposition to a second independence referendum, pushing ’s Labour into third. However, Douglas Ross – an MP who intends to return to Holyrood via the regional list – has thus far failed to make much of an impact and lacks the appeal of Ruth Davidson who has featured prominently in the campaign despite the fact that she will step down as an MSP and take a seat in the . Realistically, the party will be aiming to increase its number of seats and remain second largest party and prevent the SNP winning a majority.

Scottish Labour once reigned supreme in Scottish politics, dominating the Scottish political scene at Westminster and Holyrood. It formed the first devolved Scottish Executive in coalition with the Lib Dems from 1999 to 2007. Since being ejected from office, the party has been in decline, going through numerous leaders, and failing to challenge the SNP. The party suffered further difficulties as a consequence of being part of Better Together, the pro-union alliance during the independence referendum, with many traditional Labour voters switching their allegiance to the SNP. Anas Sarwar, the new Scottish Labour leader, intends to arrest the decline and position the party as the leading opposition in Scotland. Sarwar, a centrist and moderate, has won plaudits for his parliamentary debating skills, his slick messaging, and his performances during the televised debates. However, despite Anas Sarwar fairing reasonably well with the public, a sizeable proportion of voters still don’t know enough about him and numerous polls have stubbornly placed Scottish Labour in third place behind the Scottish Conservatives.

The Scottish Greens are confident that they can return a record number of MSPs and hold a kingmaker role in the next parliament, potentially entering government under an SNP-led administration in the year when Glasgow will host the COP26 conference (but have ruled out serving in any coalition that includes Alba). They will be troubled by the emergence of the Alba Party who will also be competing for the same pro-independence votes on the regional list. However, the party have failed to replicate the success of other Green parties in Europe, with their best performance coming in 2003, and they have been criticised by their opponents for focusing on the constitution over environmental matters. They currently have two co-leaders, who has been an MSP for Glasgow since 2003, and who is seeking election for Northern and Leith and the Lothian list and who performed well during the first televised debate which has helped to increase her profile.

For the Scottish Lib Dems, a good night would see them retain all of their existing constituency seats but as with the Lib Dems at Westminster, the pro-European party are struggling to find a post- role and narrative. Now the fourth party of Scottish politics, the Scottish Lib Dems had been part of the Labour-led Scottish Executive from 1999 until 2007, but are continuing to flatline. Their longstanding leader , known for his exuberant campaign photocalls, aims to increase their number of MSPs and be in a position to influence policy in the next session of parliament.

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The emergence of the Alba Party led by former First Minister Alex Salmond may reduce the opportunity for the SNP to gain an outright majority. The Alba Party want voters to support the SNP on the constituency ballot but then vote for them on the second regional ballot in order to secure a ‘supermajority’ of pro-independence MSPs in order to force the hand of Westminster to grant a second referendum. Their opponents have accused them of trying to game the electoral system. The party has been buoyed by a number of high-profile defections from the SNP, including two sitting MPs, and Kenny Macaskill, as well as former SNP parliamentarians Tasmina Ahmed Sheikh, Corrie Wilson and who are now standing as candidates. Polls have been mixed for Alba, some indicating the lack of a breakthrough and the fact that Salmond has a lower personal approval rating than the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson; but others highlighting that they could win 5-6 MSPs, therefore potentially depriving the SNP of a majority.

In terms of the other minor parties, Reform UK Scotland – the successor to the Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party – will hope that their leader , a former Scottish Conservative MSP and leadership contender – will hold her South Scotland seat but this remains unlikely due to their negligible poll ratings. Meanwhile, another pro-union party, All for Unity – led by former MP – aim to attract the votes of pro-UK voters on the list ballot but may end up simply contributing to the fractured unionist voice and undermining attempts to prevent further agitation for a second referendum.

Target Seats – Constituency

SNP

The SNP will be aiming to take a number of seats from the Scottish Conservatives in rural areas in the North East and South Scotland, while resources have been piled into Edinburgh Central to take the former seat of Ruth Davidson. Another significant boon for the party would be to take Dumbarton from , the Deputy Leader of Scottish Labour, who was one of the leading figures in the parliamentary committee inquiry into Alex Salmond affair and is unpopular among many in the SNP for her combative stance, as well as fellow inquiry member Alex Cole-Hamilton who holds Edinburgh Western for the Lib Dems.

Rank Constituency 2016 Incumbent Swing SNP’s 2016 Required Position 1 Dumbarton Scottish Labour 0.17% 2nd 2 Edinburgh Central Scottish Conservative 0.9% 2nd 3 Scottish Conservative 1% 2nd 4 West Scottish Conservative 1.28% 2nd 5 Scottish Labour 1.45% 2nd

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6 Edinburgh Southern Scottish Labour 1.47% 2nd 7 Dumfriesshire Scottish Conservative 1.7% 2nd 8 Eastwood Scottish Conservative 2.22% 2nd 9 Galloway and West Scottish Conservative 2.27% 2nd 10 Edinburgh West Scottish Lib Dems 3.73% 2nd

Scottish Conservatives

The Scottish Conservatives will predominantly focus their attention on rural SNP held seats, hoping to replicate their performance in such areas like South, Angus North and , as seen in their equivalent Westminster seats at the 2017 and 2019 General Elections. Their top target is South and Kinross-shire, now vacated by SNP stalwart , and a very good night for the party would see topple the Deputy First Minister in nearby Perthshire North.

Rank Constituency 2016 Incumbent Swing Con 2016 Required Position 1 Perthshire South and Kinross- SNP 1.97% 2nd shire 2 Edinburgh Pentlands SNP 3.68% 2nd 3 Angus North and Mearns SNP 4.21% 2nd 4 Aberdeen South and North SNP 4.26% 2nd Kincardine 5 Moray SNP 4.3% 2nd 6 Edinburgh Southern Scottish Labour 4.74% 3rd 7 Perthshire North SNP 4.9% 2nd

Scottish Labour

On paper, Scottish Labour should be in with a chance in both Tory-held Eastwood and Edinburgh Central but it is more probable that they will be squeezed out in the race between the SNP and Scottish Conservatives. Scottish Labour will look to increase their vote share in constituency seats – particularly in former strongholds in Glasgow, the central belt, and West Scotland, in order to further aid their recovery back from the political doldrums, but also boost their performance on the regional list while trying to catch the Scottish Conservatives and become the main opposition.

Rank Constituency 2016 Incumbent Swing Lab 2016 Required Position 1 Eastwood Scottish Conservative 2.56% 3rd 2 Edinburgh Central Scottish Conservative 4.19% 3rd

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Scottish Greens

The Scottish Greens target their efforts and resources on the regional list but are fielding twelve constituency candidates. Their best chance of winning their first constituency seat is in Glasgow Kelvin where their Co-Leader Patrick Harvie will hope to defeat the SNP in this relatively prosperous part of the city with its large student population.

Rank Constituency 2016 Incumbent Swing Required Green 2016 Position 1 Glasgow Kelvin SNP 7.1% 2nd

Scottish Lib Dems

The Scottish Lib Dems will wish to retain their four existing constituency seats, including that of their leader Willie Rennie in North East Fife, but will aim for a strong showing in Caithness, Sutherland and Ross where Molly Nolan will be up against Scottish Government Minister – they managed to win its Westminster equivalent seat in 2017 and 2019.

Rank Constituency 2016 Incumbent Swing Required LD 2016 Position 1 Caithness, Sutherland and SNP 6.1% 2nd Ross

Retiring MSPs

The 2021 Election will see a huge turnover of MSPs – 34 out of 129 will leave – with many longstanding and well-known politicians standing down from frontline politics, meaning that the Holyrood that returns will be very different from what has proceeded it. Nearly a quarter of the SNP and Scottish Conservative groupings, and over a third of Scottish Labour MSPs, will step down.

• 14 SNP MSPs will retire (23% of their total), including 4 serving Cabinet Secretaries (Campbell, Freeman, Russell, and Cunningham) two former Cabinet Secretaries (Neil and Stevenson) and one former Minister (Watt). 2 former members of the SNP and Scottish Government will also step down after having the party whip withdrawn (Mackay and McDonald) • 7 Scottish Conservative MSPs (23% of their total) will go, including their Leader in the Scottish Parliament Ruth Davidson who will now sit in the House of Lords, as well as 2011 leadership candidate Margaret Mitchell, and Professor who was highly regarded across the chamber for his legal and debating skills. • 9 Scottish Labour MSPs (35% of their total) opted to quit, including two former leaders (Lamont and Gray), Scotland’s leading Corbynite and former leadership candidate , the Presiding Officer , as well as who had once been tipped as a future leader. • 1 Scottish Green, – a defector from the SNP – and 1 Scottish Lib Dem, , a former leadership candidate, have also called time on their political careers.

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SNP Conservative Labour Green Ruth Davidson Neil Findlay (Lothian) John Finnie () (Edinburgh Central) (Highlands and Islands) Margaret Mitchell (West Lib Dem (Uddingston & (Central Scotland) Scotland) Mike Rumbles (North Bellshill) East Scotland) (Caithness, Adam Tomkins Elaine Smith (Central Independents Sutherland & Ross) (Glasgow) Scotland) ( North and West) Peter Chapman (North David Stewart Mark McDonald (Banffshire and East Scotland) (Highlands and (Aberdeen Central) Buchan Coast) Islands) (Central (East (Clydesdale) Scotland) Lothian) Angus MacDonald Bill Bowman (North East Ken McIntosh (West ( East) Scotland) Scotland) Tom Mason (North East Jenny Marra (North (Clydebank and Scotland) East Scotland) Milngavie) (East Kilbride) (North East Scotland) Roseanna Cunningham (Glasgow) (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire (Airdrie and Shotts) Jeanne Freeman (Carrick, and Doon Valley) (Glasgow Kelvin) (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) Mike Russell (Argyll and Bute)

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MSPs at Risk

Several sitting MSPs face an uphill battle to retain their seats at Holyrood.

With the party continuing to poll well at constituency level, it is difficult to identify many at risk MSPs in the SNP camp. Two Scottish Government Ministers may be vulnerable in the rural North East battles between the SNP and Scottish Conservatives, with the Minister for Public Health and Sport defending a 2,472 majority in Angus North and Mearns, as well as the Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science with his 2,875 majority, and neither are standing on the list. Both areas have been gains for the Scottish Conservatives in recent years at their equivalents at Westminster. , Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands, may have some difficulty after being placed third on the regional list in South Scotland, meanwhile if the Lib Dems put in a strong showing in Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, the Minister for Children and Young People Maree Todd, could be in trouble.

For the Scottish Conservatives, ’s political career appears to be at an end after being placed low down the regional list by activists in West Scotland as he won’t manage to win a constituency battle in Dumbarton which a two-horse race between Labour and the SNP. His namesake , Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture faces a nerve-wrecking battle after deciding to switch from West Scotland to the North East and being placed fourth on the NE regional list and will have to rely on his colleague Alexander Burnett retaining his Aberdeenshire West seat to have any chance of making it back to Holyrood. may be at risk in the Highlands and Islands due to sitting fourth on the list as he is unlikely to wrestle Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance . , Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs and Natural Environment, must retain his constituency seat of Galloway and West Dumfries, where he is defending a 1,514 majority, after being placed seventh on the South Scotland list. , Shadow Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills, will have to win Edinburgh Pentlands from the SNP to stand any chance of returning to Holyrood due to his lowly list rank.

Scottish Labour’s Parliamentary Business Manager James Kelly looks certain to be another high- profile casualty, requiring an 11% swing in after being placed fifth on the Glasgow list. His colleague, , Scottish Labour’s COP26 Spokesperson, was placed fourth on the South Scotland list and is too far behind in Clydesdale to realistically mount a challenge.

Reform UK’s sole MSP, Michelle Ballantyne, will almost certainly fail to gain re-election after switching from the Scottish Conservatives and her only purpose may be to further split the pro- union vote in South Scotland.

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Candidates to Watch

SNP

Angus Robertson is aiming to take Ruth Davidson’s former Edinburgh Central seat back for the SNP. A former leader of the SNP Group at Westminster when he represented the Moray constituency until his defeat in 2017, he is widely tipped as a future leader of the SNP and First Minister and is likely to be given a ministerial role soon after the election given his considerable political experience.

Another former MP likely to join at Holyrood is , who represented Airdrie and Shotts from 2015 until his resignation in order to fight the equivalent seat at Holyrood, which was previously represented by SNP stalwart Alex Neil. In the House of Commons, Gray was the SNP Spokesperson for Work and Pensions and may be a candidate for a junior ministerial role.

Michelle Thomson, a former MP for Edinburgh Western who was previously the subject of a investigation into allegations of mortgage fraud, will mark her return to frontline politics after securing the nomination to the safe SNP seat of Falkirk East. When at Westminster, Thomson was the SNP Spokesperson for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Scottish Conservatives

Stephen Kerr is a former MP for Stirling from 2017-19 and has been touted as a future Scottish Conservative leader. While he won’t win Falkirk West, he was placed first on the Central Scotland list for the Scottish Conservatives so is certain to be elected to Holyrood. Born and raised on a council estate, Kerr is a Mormon and has held a number of positions within the church.

Sandesh Gulhane, an NHS GP and Head of Medicine at Queen’s Park FC, may become the first ethnic minority MSP for the Scottish Conservatives should the Tory vote hold up well in Glasgow after he was placed second on the list.

Sue Webber, an Edinburgh councillor who owns a healthcare business, managed to secure second spot on the Lothians list for the Scottish Conservatives, an impressive feat through beating sitting MSPs, virtually guaranteeing her place at the Scottish Parliament.

Scottish Labour

Michael Marra will likely replace his sister Jenny Marra – who stood down to spend more time with her young family – as Scottish Labour’s MSP for North East Scotland. He currently serves as a councillor in and previously attempted a run for the deputy leadership. Regarded as a moderate, he was appointed to Anas Sarwar’s ‘campaign cabinet’ ahead of the election.

Paul Sweeney, who represented Glasgow North East from 2017-19 at Westminster, is now planning a career at Holyrood and was placed third on the list in Glasgow. During his time in the House of Commons, he served as a Shadow Minister for Scotland and he made allegations of sexual assault against Scottish Conservative MP which were not upheld by the Parliamentary Commissioner. Following his defeat at the election, and the impact of the pandemic, Sweeney revealed that he was claiming Universal Credit. He was appointed as ‘Shadow Minister for Trade, Investment and Innovation’ by Anas Sarwar in 2021.

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Scottish Greens

Lorna Slater, who is standing in the Edinburgh Northern and Leith seat, will hope that her national profile will help get her elected through the Lothian list where she is ranked second behind . The Scottish Greens managed to secure two MSPs in Lothian in 2016 so will be hopeful of replicating that performance once again. Slater, who is originally from Canada, is an electro- mechanical engineer working in marine renewable energy.

Scottish Lib Dems

Molly Nolan, a graduate of Harvard, is regarded as a rising star of the Scottish Lib Dems where she was selected for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross. A native of the Highlands and only in her twenties, she will be hoping to win back this former Lib Dem seat for her party.

Alba

Alba have a host of familiar faces from Scottish politics as their leading regional list candidates, notably Alex Salmond who is standing on the North East list. If Alba perform at the upper end of their current polling trajectories, they could win 4-5 MSPs, which would include two other candidates who have previously held elected office.

Kenny MacAskill, the former SNP Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Justice from 2007 to 2014 under Alex Salmond, responsible for the early release of the Lockerbie bomber, but was later sacked by Nicola Sturgeon, heads up the party on the Lothian regional list, and he remains the MP for East Lothian.

Perennial political turncoat Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh OBE, formerly of Scottish Labour and the Scottish Conservatives, also joined Alba from the SNP. From 2015 to 2017, she was the SNP MP for Ochil and South Perthshire and following her defeat, she started working with Alex Salmond on his TV show hosted on Russian state-controlled network, Russia Today, and has also been embroiled in a number of legal difficulties relating at a law firm where she was previously a partner. She is the top list candidate for Alba in Central Scotland.

Independents

Andy Wightman, who represented the Lothian region in the Scottish Parliament, left the Scottish Greens during the last parliament due to a disagreement over transgender and women’ rights, but he is now standing as an independent candidate in the Highlands and Islands region. A campaigner for land reform, he will hope that this work will find resonance with people in the Highlands, as well as his focus on short-term lets.

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The Next Scottish Government: Likely Scenarios

Despite their internal difficulties and domestic policy challenges, opinion polls have persistently shown that the SNP will be the largest party in May and secure a remarkable fourth term in office. The only question remaining is the scale of their victory and whether they can govern alone, or must rely on other parties.

The four most likely electoral outcomes are as follows:

1. SNP majority government 2. SNP + support of Scottish Greens (pro-independence majority of MSPs) 3. SNP minority government 4. SNP + Scottish Green coalition government.

The first scenario would be akin to the second administration of Alex Salmond in 2011 which was the first and so far only single-party majority government in the history of the devolved parliament. The SNP are aiming to replicate this success in May, encouraging their supporters to vote SNP on both ballots, rather than being enticed away by smaller pro-independence parties on the regional list. Under a majority government, the SNP would have enormous freedom over the domestic policy agenda and could pass legislation without having to secure the backing of other parties; and a second majority government would also strengthen the hand of the nationalists as part of their agitation for another independence referendum.

The second scenario would repeat what has occurred in the 2016-2021 session whereby Nicola Sturgeon’s SNP Scottish Government were reliant on the votes of the pro-independence Scottish Greens in order to pass their annual Budget, key pieces of legislation, and also ward off votes of no confidence in Scottish Government ministers.

The third scenario would see the SNP acting as a minority government, like the first administration of Alex Salmond from 2007-2011, which saw the SNP enter into deals with opposition parties, including unionist parties like the Scottish Conservatives, to pass Bills and Budgets. It would be unlikely that the Scottish Conservatives would seek to assist any nationalist administration in the current political climate, but the Scottish Liberal Democrats, who backed Kate Forbes’ last Scottish Budget, and Scottish Labour, may be more amenable if they can spin that they got something worthwhile in return.

The fourth scenario would see the SNP enter into a formal coalition with another party for the first time. From 1999-2007, Scottish Labour and the Scottish Liberal Democrats ran the country as the Scottish Executive. The only realistic candidate for joining the SNP in government would be the Scottish Greens who are adamant that they will win a record number of MSPs. In the year where Scotland will host COP26, when the eyes of the environmental world will be on Glasgow, the prospect that Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater may gain access to a ministerial Toyota Prius is not as far fetched as it once may have sounded.

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The Next Scottish Cabinet

After the Scottish Parliamentary Election, a First Minister is formally nominated by the Scottish Parliament and then appointed by Her Majesty the Queen. The First Minister then appoints the Scottish Cabinet Secretaries (11) and Ministers (16) to make up the Cabinet with the agreement of the Scottish Parliament. The current First Minister is committed to ensuring a 50:50 gender balance in the Cabinet.

Following May’s election, the First Minister will have to undertake a wide-ranging ministerial reshuffle, both as a consequence of the large number of Ministers stepping down, but also to freshen up the Cabinet, take into account the election results, and also look to the future in terms of promoting emerging talent.

The First Minister had to carry out an unexpected reshuffle back in February 2020, following the resignation of Derek Mackay on the eve of the Scottish Government’s Budget. His replacement as Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Kate Forbes, remains an integral part of the First Minister’s team and is regarded as her potential successor alongside the Cabinet Secretary for Justice . Both are likely to retain their place in Cabinet.

With experienced Cabinet Secretaries like Mike Russell (Constitution), Roseanna Cunningham (Environment), (Health) and Aileen Campbell (Local Government) all standing down, the First Minister will be looking to promote figures from within her existing junior ministerial ranks, or perhaps some of those new MSPs, if elected, who have the necessary political capital from their time at Westminster such as Angus Robertson.

In terms of some of the potential replacements for outgoing Cabinet Secretaries, Mairi Gougeon (Public Health), (International Development) and Ben Macpherson (Rural Affairs and Natural Environment), all junior ministers tipped for higher office, may be the most likely promotional candidates vacancies. However, given the importance of the health brief for Scotland’s pandemic recovery, she may wish to utilise one of her existing Cabinet Secretaries like Michael Matheson, John Swinney, , for such a demanding role.

The Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Rural Affairs has been on record stating his desire to remain in post, while the Ministers Kevin Stewart (Local Government), (Community Safety), Ivan McKee (Trade and Innovation), and (Business) will be hoping to remain in government or even gain a promotion.

If the SNP gain an outright majority or lead a minority SNP administration, the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will have a relatively free hand in determining the makeup of her Cabinet. However, if the SNP reach an agreement with another party (e.g., the Scottish Greens), such as that seen with the Labour-Lib Dem Scottish Executive from 1999 to 2007, she will have to take this into account, and the junior partner in any coalition government will have their eyes on key ministerial roles.

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Full List of Candidates

The total number of candidates standing in this election is as follows – 357 Constituency Candidates: 342 across 16 parties and 15 Independents; and 701 Regional List Candidates: 689 across 24 parties and 12 Independents.

CENTRAL SCOTLAND

Constituency

Airdrie and Shotts and Chryston John Cole – Scottish Liberal Democrats Gordon Macdonald – Scottish Conservative and Jimmy Dowson – Independent Unionist Neil Gray – Scottish National Party (SNP) Mhairi Macdonald – Scottish Liberal Democrats Ross Lambie – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Fulton MacGregor – Scottish National Party (SNP) – Scottish Labour Michael McPake – Scottish Labour Leo Lanahan – Scottish Family Party and Kilsyth East Kilbride Elaine Ford – Scottish Liberal Democrats Monique McAdams – Scottish Labour Mark Griffin – Scottish Labour Paul McGarry – Scottish Liberal Democrats Jamie Hepburn – Scottish National Party (SNP) Graham Simpson – Scottish Conservative and Haroun Malik – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Unionist Collette Stevenson – Scottish National Party (SNP)

Falkirk East Falkirk West Neil Benny – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Monette Gordon – Scottish Labour Allyson Black – Scottish Labour – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Peter Krykant – Independent Michael Matheson – Scottish National Party (SNP) Paul Rolfe – Scottish Liberal Democrats Austin Reid – Scottish Liberal Democrats – Scottish National Party (SNP) Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse Motherwell and Meghan Gallacher – Scottish Conservative and – Scottish National Party (SNP) Unionist Daniel Lambe – Communist Party of Britain – Scottish Labour Mark Meechan – Scottish Libertarians Mark McGeever – Scottish Liberal Democrats Martine Nolan – Scottish Labour and Cooperative Christina McKelvie – Scottish National Party (SNP) Martin Veart – Scottish Liberal Democrats Nathan Wilson – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Neil Wilson – UK Independence Party (UKIP) Uddingston and Bellshill Dawn Marion Ferguson Allan – Scottish Liberal Democrats – Scottish National Party (SNP) Bryan Flannagan – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Frank McNally – Scottish Labour

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Regional List

Abolish the Scottish Parliament John Mortimer, Lee McLauchlan Alba Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, Lynne Anderson, Jim Walker, Margaret Lynch All For Unity Mary Devlin, Jonathan Stanley, Matt Alexander, Sandra Hill, Billy Ross, Sandy Smart, Lachlan MacNeil Freedom Alliance Dave Frankland, Claire McClaren, John Irvine, Louise Bannigan, Di Meechan, Colin McMillan Independent Green Voice John Robertson Reform UK Alan Melville, Hugh Skinner, Alexander MacGregor, Ann Murray Scottish Conservatives Stephen Kerr, Graham Simpson, Meghan Gallacher, Haroun Malik, Neil Benny, Ross Lambie, Nathan Wilson, Gordon Macdonald, Bryan Flannagan Scottish Family Party Leo Lanahan, Josh McGrory, Helen MacEachen, Christine MacIver, Christopher Hendry Scottish Greens , Rosemary McGowan, Clare Williams, Tom McLaughlin, Patrick McAleer, Kyle Davidson, James Stuart Duffin Scottish Labour Richard Leonard, Monica Lennon, Mark Griffin, Monique McAdams, Chris Costello, Michael McPake, Allyson Black, Martine Nolan Scottish Liberal Democrats Paul McGarry, Mark McGeever, Dawn Allan, Sir Graham Watson, Ewan McRobert, Karen Utting, Austin Reid Scottish Libertarian Party Mark Meechan, Katrina Angus Scottish National Party Danish Ashraf, Christina McKelvie, Neil Gray, Michelle Thomson, Fulton MacGregor, Stephanie Callaghan, Grant Ferguson, Iain Sinclair, Paul Welsh, Josh Wilson, Cameron McManus UKIP Neil Wilson, Yvonne Mackay, Steven Unwin, George Cowan Independent Paddy Hogg

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GLASGOW

Constituency

Glasgow Anniesland Glasgow Cathcart Ade Aibinu – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Euan Blockley – Scottish Conservative and Party Unionist – Scottish National Party (SNP) Craig Carson – Scottish Labour and Co-operative Eva Clark Murray – Scottish Labour and – Scottish National Party (SNP) Cooperative Joe McCauley – Scottish Liberal Democrats Mark Simons – Scottish Liberal Democrats Glasgow Kelvin Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn Grahame Cannell – Scottish Conservative and Andrew Scott Chamberlain – Scottish Liberal Unionist Democrats Pam Duncan-Glancy – Scottish Labour – Scottish National Party (SNP) Patrick Harvie – Scottish Green Alix Mathieson – Scottish Conservative and David McKenzie – Scottish Liberal Democrats Unionist – Scottish National Party (SNP) Keiran O'Neill – Scottish Labour and Co-operative Glasgow Pollok Glasgow Provan Zubir Ahmed – Scottish Labour Kim Long – Scottish Green Alan Findlay – Scottish Libertarian Martin Joseph McElroy – Scottish Labour Joseph Finnie – Independent Ivan McKee – Scottish National Party (SNP) Daryl Gardner – UKIP Nicholas Moohan – Scottish Liberal Democrats – Scottish Conservative and – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Unionist Nadia Kanyange – Scottish Green Leo Kearse – The Reclaim Party James Douglas Spiers – Scottish Liberal Democrats Humza Haroon Yousaf – Scottish National Party (SNP) Glasgow Shettleston Glasgow Southside Matthew James Clark – Scottish Liberal Carol Ann Dobson – Freedom Alliance – Integrity, Democrats Society, Economy Thomas Kerr – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Greg Energy Adviser John Mason – Scottish National Party (SNP) Carole Louise Ford – Scottish Liberal Democrats Pauline McNeill – Scottish Labour and Co- Jayda Fransen – Independent operative Party Derek Jackson – The Liberal Party Anas Sarwar – Scottish Labour and Co-operative Nicola Sturgeon – Scottish National Party (SNP) Kyle Thornton – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Rutherglen – Scottish National Party (SNP) James Kelly – Scottish Labour Lynne Nelson – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Sheila Thomson – Scottish Liberal Democrats

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Regional List

Abolish the Scottish Parliament James Dunsmore, Robert Pressley Alba Michelle Ferns, Ailsa Gray, Shahid Farooq, Lynn McMahon All for Unity Jean Mitchell, Ricky Morton, Christian McNeill, Khaleel Mohammed, Niall Fraser, Chris Creighton, Ian Mullholland Communist Party of Britain Johnnie Hunter Freedom Alliance Carol Dobson, Mary Steven, Diane Hodge, David Mills, Roderick Nicoll, Stephen Lonsdale Independent Green Voice Alistair McConnachie Reform UK Andrew Macmillan, Jamie-Lee McMillan, Christina Macmillan, Kirsty Macmillan, Ellen Macmillan Scottish Conservatives Annie Wells, Sandesh Gulhane, Ade Aibinu, Thomas Kerr, Kyle Thornton, Lynne Nailon, Alix Mathieson Scottish Family Party William Neeson, Joshua Hall, John Laird, David Tortolano, Margaret Paterson Scottish Greens Patrick Harvie, Kim Long, Nadia Kanyange, Jon Molyneux, Dan Hutchison, Elaine Gallagher, Emma Cockburn, Anthony Carroll, Blair Anderson, Holly Bruce, Ellie Gomersall, Calum Mcintosh Scottish Labour Pauline McNeill, Anas Sarwar, , Pam Duncan-Glancy, James Kelly, Eva Murray, Craig Carson, Willie Docherty Scottish Liberal Democrats Carole Ford, Andrew Chamberlain, James Speirs, Nicholas Moohan, Sheila Thomson, Mark Simons, Joe McCauley, David McKenzie, Matthew Clark Scottish Libertarian Alan Findlay, Cameron Milne Scottish National Party Roza Salih, Nicola Sturgeon, Clare Haughey, Ivan McKee, Bill Kidd, Alex Kerr, Suzanne McLaughlin, Kaukab Stewart, Katy Loudon, Christina Cannon, Abdul Bostani Scottish Renew Ben Meechan, Andrea Kozlowski Scottish Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition Brian Smith, Sinead Daly, Oisin Duncan, Maddie Jamieson Scottish Women's Equality Ruth Wilkinson, Suzanne Martin, Esthi Thurston, Anna Nordahl Social Democratic Party Anthony McGinley, Robin Dudfield, Robert Malyn, Richard Cameron The Reclaim Party Leo Kearse UKIP Daryl Gardner, Chris Ho, Amanda Ranaghan, David Hanna

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Individual regional candidate Daniel Donaldson Individual regional candidate Craig Ross

HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS

Constituency

Argyll and Bute Caithness, Sutherland and Ross Donald Cameron – Scottish Conservative and Harry Christian – Scottish Libertarians Unionist Marion Donaldson – Scottish Labour – Scottish National Party (SNP) Struan Mackie – Scottish Conservative and Alan Reid – Scottish Liberal Democrats Unionist Lewis Whyte – Scottish Labour Tina McCaffery – Freedom Alliance Molly Nolan – Scottish Liberal Democrats Maree Todd – Scottish National Party (SNP) and Nairn Moray – Scottish Greens Tim Eagle – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Fergus Ewing – Scottish National Party (SNP) Jo Kirby – Scottish Labour – Scottish Labour and Cooperative Richard Lochhead – Scottish National Party (SNP) David Gregg – Scottish Liberal Democrats Sheila Ritchie – Scottish Liberal Democrats Andrew McDonald – Restore Scotland Robert Stephenson – UK Independence Party Edward Mountain – Scottish Conservative and (UKIP) Unionist Na h-Eileanan an Iar – Scottish National Party (SNP) Sam Bown – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Gavin Berkenheger – Scottish Conservative and Coilla Drake – Scottish Labour Unionist Robert Leslie – Scottish National Party (SNP) Shaun Alexander Fraser – Scottish Labour Liam McArthur – Scottish Liberal Democrats Callum Ian MacMillan – Independent Neil Mitchison – Scottish Liberal Democrats Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch Martin Kerr – Scottish Labour John Erskine – Scottish Labour and Cooperative Brian Nugent – Restore Scotland Kate Forbes – Scottish National Party (SNP) Peter Tait – Independent Jamie Halcro Johnstone – Scottish Conservative Nick Tulloch – Scottish Conservative and Unionist and Unionist Tom Wills – Scottish National Party (SNP) Denis Rixon – Scottish Liberal Democrats – Scottish Liberal Democrats

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Regional List

Abolish the Scottish Parliament Party Jack Malcolm Alba Kirk Torrance, Craig Berry, Josh Robertson, Judith Reid All For Unity Moira Ramage, Patricia Watson, Robbie Munro, Donald Boyd, Paul Burrows, Alastair Kennedy, Paul Bradburn Freedom Alliance Tina McCaffery, Emma Idzidowska, Phil Breed, Gary Cheesman, Anne McCloskey Reform UK Sandra Skinner, Arthur Durance, Kate Brownlie, Catherine Mount Restore Scotland Brian Nugent, Andrew Macdonald Scottish Conservatives Douglas Ross, Edward Mountain, Donald Cameron, Jamie Halcro Johnston, Tim Eagle, Ella Robertson McKay, Struan Mackie, Sam Bown, Gavin Berkenheger, Nick Tulloch Scottish Family Party Michael Willis, Philipp Tanzer, Shena McLelland, Sophie Hendry, Dolores Hughes Scottish Greens Ariane Burgess, Anne Thomas, Fabio Villani, Steve Sankey, Debra Nicolson, Sand Owsnett, Topher Dawson, Lisa Mead, Chris Ballance, Isabella Sumsion, Phyl Meyer, Luna Martin Scottish Labour Rhoda Grant, John Erskine, Marion Donaldson, Jo Kirby, Coilla Drake, Lewis Whyte, Shaun Fraser Scottish Liberal Democrats Alan Reid, Molly Nolan, Denis Rixson, William Sinclair, Sheila Ritchie, David Gregg, Neil Mitchison Scottish Libertarian Party Harry Christian, Calum Liptrot Scottish National Party Emma Roddick, Kate Forbes, Maree Todd, Fergus Ewing, Tom Wills, Mike MacKenzie, Robert Leslie, Rhiannon Spear, Jamie Szymkowiak, Qasim Hanif, Ken Gowans, Sarah Fanet Scottish Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition Sean Robertson, Yolanda Piotrowicz, Luke Ivory UKIP Robert Stephenson, Robert Scorer, Michael Burger de Fremol, Duncan Geddes, Alan Breeze, Bryan Foster Independent Hazel Mansfield Independent

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LOTHIANS

Constituency

Almond Valley Edinburgh Central – Scottish National Party (SNP) Bonnie Prince Bob – Independent Damian Doran-Timson – Scottish Conservative Scott Douglas – Scottish Conservative and and Unionist Unionist Caron Lindsay – Scottish Liberal Democrats Alison Johnstone – Scottish Craig Smith – Scottish Labour Party Maddy Kirkman – Scottish Labour Party Tam Laird – Scottish Libertarian Party Donald Murdo Mackay – UK Independence Party (UKIP) Angus Robertson – Scottish National Party (SNP) Bruce Roy Wilson – Scottish Liberal Democrats Edinburgh Eastern Edinburgh Northern and Leith Bill Cook– Scottish Labour Party Rebecca Bell – Scottish Liberal Democrats Ash Denham – Scottish National Party (SNP) Katrina Faccenda – Scottish Labour Party Graham Hutchison – Scottish Conservative and Callum Laidlaw– Scottish Conservative and Unionist Unionist Jill Reilly – Scottish Liberal Democrats Ben Macpherson – Scottish National Party (SNP) Jon Pullman – Scottish Freedom Alliance Lorna Slater – Scottish Green Edinburgh Pentlands Edinburgh Southern Lezley Marion Cameron – Scottish Labour and Co- – Conservative and Unionist Party operative Philip Holden – Scottish Family Party Fraser John Ashmore Graham – Scottish Liberal Daniel Johnson – Labour and Co-operative Party Democrats Catriona MacDonald – Scottish National Party Gordon Lindhurst – Scottish Conservative and (SNP) Unionist Fred Mackintosh – Liberal Democrats Richard Crewe Lucas – Scottish Family Party Gordon MacDonald – Scottish National Party (SNP) Edinburgh Western Alex Cole-Hamilton – Scottish Liberal Democrats Fiona Hyslop – Scottish National Party (SNP) Daniel Fraser – Scottish Libertarian Party Charles Kennedy – Scottish Conservative and Margaret Arma Graham – Scottish Labour Unionist Sarah Masson– Scottish National Party (SNP) Sally Pattle – Scottish Liberal Democrats – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Kirsteen Sullivan – Scottish Labour and Co- operative Midlothian North & Musselburgh – Scottish National Party (SNP) Stephen Curran – Scottish Labour Charles Christopher Dundas – Scottish Liberal Democrats Iain Whyte – Scottish Conservative

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Regional List

Abolish the Scottish Parliament John Leckie, David Nichol Alba Kenneth MacAskill, Alexander Arthur, Christina Hendry, Irshad Ahmed All for Unity Charlotte Morley, Parvinder Singh, Alan Hogg, Andy Macaulay, David Hamilton, Mike Knox, Derek Clark Animal Welfare Vivienne Moir, Gavin Ridley Communist Party of Britain Matthew Waddell Freedom Alliance Jon Pullman, Cara Wase, Patricia McCann Reform UK Derek Winton, Mev Brown, Iain Morse, Lesley Macdonald Scottish Conservatives Miles Briggs, Sue Webber, , Rebecca Fraser, Malcolm Offord, Scott Douglas, Gordon Lindhurst, Marie-Clair Munro, Graham Hutchison, Iain Whyte, Callum Laidlaw, Charles Kennedy Scottish Family Party Richard Lucas, Philip Holden, Norman Colville, Gareth Kirk, Amy Ireland Scottish Greens Alison Johnstone, Lorna Slater, Kate Nevens, Chas Booth, Steve Burgess, Alys Mumford, Emily Frood, Ben Parker, Elaine Taylor, Bill Wilson, Evelyn Weston, Alex Staniforth Scottish Labour Daniel Johnson, , , Maddy Kirkman, Kirsteen Sullivan, Nick Ward, Frederick Hessler, Stephen Curran Scottish Liberal Democrats Alex Cole-Hamilton, Fred Mackintosh, Jill Reilly, Rebecca Bell, Sally Pattle, Fraser Graham, Caron Lindsay, Bruce Wilson, Charles Dundas Scottish Libertarian Tam Laird, Cameron Paterson Scottish National Party Graham Campbell, Angus Robertson, Fiona Hyslop, Ben Macpherson, Catriona MacDonald, Sarah Masson, Greg McCarra, Alison Dickie, Alex Orr, Andrew Ewen, Rob Connell Scottish Renew Heather Astbury, Anna Freemantle-Zee Scottish Women's Equality Emma Watt, David Renton, Lucy Hammond Social Democratic Party Alasdair Young, Neil Manson, Lawrence Edwards UKIP Donald Mackay, John Mumford, Steve Hollis, Kenneth Lowry Individual regional candidate Ashley Graczyk

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MID SCOTLAND AND FIFE

Constituency

Clackmannanshire and Dunblane Cowdenbeath Keith Brown – Scottish National Party (SNP) – Scottish National Party (SNP) Craig Millar – Scottish Labour Mags Hall – Scottish Greens Iliyan Stefanov – Scottish Liberal Democrats – Scottish Labour Alexander Stewart – Scottish Conservatives Darren Watt – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Malcolm Alexander Wood – Scottish Liberal Democrats Kirkcaldy Aude Boubaker-Calder – Scottish Liberal – Scottish Labour and Co-operative Democrats Alan Beal – Scottish Liberal Democrats Julie MacDougall – Scottish Labour Kathleen Leslie – Scottish Conservative and Roz McCall – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Unionist Shirley-Anne Somerville – Scottish National Party Calum Paul – Scottish Libertarian (SNP) David Torrance – Scottish National Party (SNP) Mid Fife and North East Fife Altany Craik – Scottish Labour Rhuaraidh Fleming – Scottish National Party (SNP) Jenny Gilruth – Scottish National Party (SNP) Wendy Haynes – Scottish Labour Jane Ann Liston – Scottish Liberal Democrats Rhona Metcalfe – Scottish Conservative and David Macphee – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Unionist Willie Rennie – Scottish Liberal Democrats Steve Saunders – Scottish Family Party Perthshire North Perthshire South and Kinross-shire Peter Barrett – Scottish Liberal Democrats Julia Brown – Scottish Liberal Democrats Murdo Fraser – Scottish Conservative and – Scottish National Party (SNP) Unionist Janine Rennie – Scottish Labour Don Marshall – Scottish Family Party – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Ryan Smart – Scottish Labour John Swinney – Scottish National Party (SNP) Stirling Chris Kane – Scottish Labour – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Fayzan Rehman – Scottish Liberal Democrats – Scottish National Party (SNP)

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Regional List

Abolish the Scottish Parliament Ian Mann, John Duff Alba Eva Comrie, Neale Hanvey, James Eadie, Stephanie Reilly All for Unity Linda Holt, Imam Manzoor Khan, Brian Henderson, Ian Stewart, James Glen, Graham Dawson, Michael Saint Freedom Alliance Lisa Brackenridge, Eren Sinclair, Stuart Cairns, Kathleen Elliot Reform UK Kenneth Morton, Victoria McCann, George Inglis, Alexander Black, Guy Addison, Karen Morton Scottish Conservatives Murdo Fraser, Liz Smith, Dean Lockhart, Alexander Stewart, Roz McCall, Angus Forbes, Rhona Metcalfe, Darren Watt, Moira Benny, Kathleen Leslie, David Macphee Scottish Family Donald Marshall, Stephen Saunders, Davina Saunders, Anil Alexander, George Carratt, Linda Mair, Paul Lynch Scottish Greens , Mags Hall, Marion Robertson, Fiona McOwan, Scott Rutherford, Jeroen van Leeuwen, Elspeth MacLachlan, Paul Vallot, Amy Smith, Craig McCutcheon Scottish Labour Claire Baker, Alex Rowley, Julie MacDougall, Craig Miller, Chris Kane, Ryan Smart, Ewan Dillon Scottish Liberal Democrats Willie Rennie, Peter Barrett, Aude Boubaker-Calder, Julia Brown, Jane Ann Liston, Fayzan Rehman, Aisha Mir Scottish Libertarian Calum Paul, George Morton Scottish National Party Stefan Hoggan-Radu, John Swinney, Keith Brown, Annabelle Ewing, Jim Fairlie, David Torrance, Ross Cunningham, Fiona Sarwar, Moraig Henderson, Lee Robb, Rosemary Hunter Scottish Renew Bruce Henderson, Stefan Diesing UKIP Lynda Davis, Douglas Watters, George Cormack, Edward McNally Individual regional candidate Mercy Kamanja Individual regional candidate Martin Keatings

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NORTH EAST SCOTLAND

Constituency

Aberdeen Central Aberdeen Donside Barry Black – Scottish Labour Harriet Cross – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Desmond Bouse – Scottish Liberal Democrats Isobel Davidson – Scottish Liberal Democrats Guy Ingerson – Scottish Greens – Scottish National Party (SNP) – Scottish Conservative and Lucas Grant – Trade Unionist and Socialist Unionist Coalition Kevin Stewart – Scottish National Party (SNP) Heather Herbert – Scottish Labour Aberdeen South and North Kincardine Aberdeenshire East Stephen Jamieson – Scottish Libertarian Graeme Downie – Scottish Labour – Scottish Conservative and Unionist – Scottish National Party (SNP) – Scottish National Party (SNP) Stewart Whyte – Scottish Conservative and Lynn Thomson – Scottish Labour Unionist Ian Yuill – Scottish Liberal Democrats Conrad Wood – Scottish Liberal Democrats Aberdeenshire West Angus North and Mearns Andrew Philip Brown – Scottish Labour Braden Davy – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Rosemary Bruce – Scottish Liberal Democrats Cindy Douglas – Scottish Labour Alexander Burnett – Scottish Conservative and Mairi Gougeon – Scottish National Party (SNP) Unionist Michael John Turvey – Scottish Liberal Democrats Fergus Mutch – Scottish National Party (SNP) Angus South Banffshire and Buchan Coast – Scottish National Party (SNP) – Scottish National Party (SNP) Maurice Golden – Scottish Conservative and Jason Duncan – Freedom Alliance Unionist Mark Findlater – Scottish Conservative and Ben Lawrie – Scottish Liberal Democrats Unionist Graeme McKenzie – Scottish Labour David Philip McHutcheon – Restore Scotland Alison Simpson – Scottish Liberal Democrats Georgia Strachan – Scottish Labour Dundee City East Dundee City West Michael Crichton – Scottish Liberal Democrats Daniel Coleman – Scottish Liberal Democrats – Scottish National Party (SNP) Joe FitzPatrick – Scottish National Party (SNP) Philip Scott – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Ewan Gurr – Restore Scotland Wayne Scott – Trade Unionist and Socialist Jim McFarlane – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition Coalition Owen Wright – Scottish Labour – Scottish Labour – Scottish Conservative and Unionist

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Regional List

Abolish the Scottish Parliament Party Callum Buchanan Alba Alex Salmond, Heather McLean, Brian Topping, Dot Jessiman All For Unity Arthur Keith, Scott Fenwick, Bobby Ferguson, Danielle Millar, Richard Kelbie, Ben Stones, John McPhee Freedom Alliance Kirsty Miller, Jason Duncan, Diane Mathieson, Sadie Cubitt Independent Green Voice Richard Tallach Reform UK John Cox, James Whitelaw, Greig Mair, Samantha Evans, Carol MacDonald Renew Colin McFadyen Restore Scotland David McHutchon, Ewan Gurr Scottish Conservatives Liam Kerr, Alexander Burnett, Douglas Lumsden, Maurice Golden, Tess White, Gillian Tebberen, Stewart Whyte, Mark Findlater, Harriet Cross, Philip Scott, Mason Mcllreavy, Alan Fakley Scottish Family Party David Bestwick, John Donaldson, William Strachan, George Arthur, Shehla Arthur Scottish Greens , Guy Ingerson, Rachel Shanks, Lewis Leòdhas, Sylvia Hardie, Peter Kennedy, Bradley Booth Scottish Labour Michael Marra, Mercedes Villalba, Barry Black, Lynn Thomson, Richard McCready, Georgia Strachan, Kamaal Bola, Heather Herbert, Owen Wright Scottish Liberal Democrats Rosemary Bruce, John Waddell, Ben Lawrie, Ian Yuill, Conrad Wood, Isobel Davidson, Alison Simpson, Michael Crichton Scottish Libertarian Party Bryce Hope Scottish National Party Fatima Joji, , Fergus Mutch, William Duff, Nadia El-Nakla, John Cooke, Lynne Short, Gillian Al-Samarai, Joshua Mennie UKIP Duncan Odgers, David Mackay, William Morren, Gerald Haddrell, Albert Emery, Kathleen Rowham Independent Geoffrey Farquharson Independent Laura Marshall

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SOUTH SCOTLAND

Constituency

Ayr Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley – Scotia Future – Scottish Conservative and Siobhan Brown – Scottish National Party (SNP) Unionist Esther Clark – Scottish Labour Kirsten Herbst-Gray – Scottish Liberal Democrats Jamie Ross – Scottish Liberal Democrats – Scottish Labour John Scott – Scottish Conservative and Unionist – Scottish National Party (SNP) Clydesdale Dumfriesshire Claudia Beamish – Scottish Labour Richard Brodie – Scottish Liberal Democrats Eric Holford – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Joan McAlpine – Scottish National Party (SNP) Amanda Jane Kubie – Scottish Liberal Democrats – Scottish Conservative and Mairi McAllan – Scottish National Party (SNP) Unionist – Scottish Labour East Lothian Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire Euan Robert Davidson – Scottish Liberal Ian Davidson – Scottish Labour and Co-operative Democrats – Scottish Conservative and – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Unionist Paul Stewart McLennan – Scottish National Party Barbara Harvie – Scottish Greens (SNP) Jenny Claire Marr – Scottish Liberal Democrats Martin David Whitfield – Scottish Labour Party Jesse Rae – Independent Paul Wheelhouse – Scottish National Party (SNP) Galloway and West Dumfries and Irvine Valley Finlay Carson – Scottish Conservative and – Scottish National Party (SNP) Unionist Stef Johnstone – Scottish Libertarian Archie Dryburgh – Scottish Labour Kevin McGregor – Scottish Labour – Scottish National Party (SNP) Stephen McQuistin – Scottish Liberal Democrats Iain McDonald – Scottish Liberal Democrats – Scottish Conservative and Laura Moodie – Scottish Greens Unionist Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale Dominic Ashmole – Scottish Greens Michael James Banks – Vanguard Party – Scottish National Party (SNP) Shona Haslam – Scottish Conservative and Unionist AC May – Scottish Liberal Democrats Katherine Sangster – Scottish Labour and Co- operative

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Regional List

Abolish the Scottish Parliament Party John Ferguson, Simon Bellord Alba Cynthia Guthrie, , Suzanne Blackley, Laurie Flynn All For Unity George Galloway, Jamie Blackett, Bruce Halliday, Jim Grindlay, Kirsteen Michell, Elspeth Grindlay, Malcolm MacDonald Freedom Alliance Mandy Blackman, Amanda McConechy, Gillian Jamieson, Joy Rivett-Gill Independent Green Voice Maxwell Dunbar Reform UK Michelle Ballantyne, David Kirkwood, James Corbett, William Luke Scotia Future Chic Brodie Scottish Conservatives Oliver Mundell, Rachael Hamilton, Craig Hoy, Brian Whittle, Sharon Dowey, Shona Haslam, Finlay Carson, Scott Hamilton, Alex Allison, Eric Holford, Alexandra Herdman, John Denerley Scottish Family Party Charles McEwan, Dorothy Yost, Sophie Hendry, Theresa Gavin, Elizabeth Fabisiak Scottish Greens Laura Moodie, Barbra Harvie, Dominic Ashmole, Katherine Malone, Charles Strang, Ciara Campbell, Peter Barlow, James Puchowski, Tristan Gray Scottish Labour Colin Smyth, Carol Mochan, , Claudia Beamish, Kevin McGregor, Katherine Sangster, Ian Davidson Scottish Liberal Democrats Catriona Bhatia, Jenny Marr, Richard Brodie, Adrian May, Euan Davidson, Amanda Kubie, Kirsten Herbst-Gray Scottish Libertarian Party Stef Johnstone Scottish National Party Emma Harper, Joan McAlpine, Paul Wheelhouse, Màiri McAllan, Richard Walker, Heather Anderson, , Stacy Bradley, Paul McLennan, Ali Salamati, Stephen Thompson, Laura Brennan- Whitefield UKIP Richard Elvin, Julia Searle, Patricia Mountain, Patricia Bryant, Nick Hollis, David Blaymires Vanguard Party Michael Banks

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WEST SCOTLAND

Constituency

Clydebank and Milngavie Cunninghame North Katy Gordon – Scottish Liberal Democrats – Scottish Labour – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Kenneth Gibson – Scottish National Party (SNP) Douglas McAllister – Scottish Labour – Scottish Conservative and Marie McNair – Scottish National Party (SNP) Unionist Alexander Robertson – Independent Ruby Kirkwood – Scottish Liberal Democrats Cunninghame South Dumbarton Tom Armstrong – Scottish Liberal Democrats Jackie Baillie – Scottish Labour Maurice Campbell – Independent Maurice Corry – Scottish Conservative and – Scottish National Party (SNP) Unionist Louise McPhater – Scottish Labour Andy Foxall – Scottish Liberal Democrats David Rocks – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Toni Giugliano – Scottish National Party (SNP) James Morrison – Independent Andrew Muir – Independent Jonathan Rainey – Scottish Libertarians Eastwood Greenock and Inverclyde – Scottish Conservative and Francesca Brennan – Scottish Labour and Unionist Cooperative Tahir Jameel – Scottish Liberal Democrats John Burleigh – Independent Janice MacKay – Independence Caroline Hollins – Scottish Conservative and Party (UKIP) Unionist David Macdonald – Independent Stuart McMillan – Scottish National Party (SNP) Colm Merrick – Scottish National Party (SNP) Jacci Stoyle – Scottish Liberal Democrats Katie Pragnell – Scottish Labour Paisley Renfrewshire North and West – Scottish National Party (SNP) Johanna Baxter – Scottish Labour Scott Bevan – Scottish Greens Marty Bell – Scottish Family Party – Scottish Labour and Cooperative – Scottish National Party Russell Findlay – Scottish Conservative and Julie Pirone – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Unionist Ross Stalker – Scottish Liberal Democrats Eileen McCartin – Scottish Liberal Democrats Renfrewshire South Strathkelvin and Tom Arthur – Scottish National Party (SNP) – Scottish National Party (SNP) Christine Cosh – Scottish Liberal Democrats Liam McKechnie – Scottish Family Party Andy Doig – Scotia Future Callum McNally – Scottish Labour and Paul O’Kane – Scottish Labour and Cooperative Cooperative Derek Stillie – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Susan Murray – Scottish Liberal Democrats Andrew Polson – Scottish Conservative and Unionist

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Regional List

Abolish the Scottish Parliament Robert Watson Alba Chris McEleny, Caroline McAllister, Ellen McMaster, Delia Henry All for Unity David Griffiths, Catherine McCall, Paul McLafferty, Senol Jason Ali, Calum Robertson, Rhona Cameron, Robert Aikman Freedom Alliance Jill McGowan, Maria Smith, Grant Stirling, Mark Turnbull Independent Green Voice Ian Inkster Reform UK John McCallum, Wayne Darnell, Peter Sievwright, Martyn Greene Scotia Future Andy Doig Scottish Conservatives Jackson Carlaw, Russell Findlay, Jamie Greene, Pam Gosal, Julie Pirone, Andrew Polson, Derek Stillie, Maurice Corry, Caroline Hollins, David Rocks Scottish Family Liam McKechnie, Martin Llewellyn Bell, Matthew Lynch, Mary Toal, Cecilia Tortolano Scottish Greens , Carolynn Scrimgeour, Scott Bevan, Erin Crawley, Ross Collins, Emma Sheppard, Charley O'Hear Scottish Labour Jackie Baillie, Neil Bibby, Katy Clark, Paul O'Kane, Johanna Baxter, Matt Kerr, Francesca Brennan, Douglas McAllister, Katie Pragnell, Gurpreet Singh Johal, Edward Grady, Nairn McDonald Scottish Liberal Democrats Katy Gordon, Jacci Stoyle, Susan Murray, Ross Stalker, Rod Ackland, Eileen McCartin, Ruby Kirkwood Scottish Libertarian Jonathan Rainey Scottish National Party Michelle Campbell, Stuart McMillan, Kenneth Gibson, Rona Mackay, Colm Merrick, Lorna Douglas, Annette Ireland, Debra Torrance, Gavin Lundy, Jonathan McColl, Daniel Kennedy Scottish Renew Peter Morton Scottish Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition Jim Halfpenny, Lynda McEwan, Ian Kerr UKIP Janice MacKay, Eunice Normansell, Robert Hill, Sharon Boyle, Ian Emery Individual regional candidate Maurice Campbell Individual regional candidate James Morrison

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THE POWER OF COMMUNICATION

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