The 2011 Scottish Parliament election was held on Thursday, 5 May 2011 to
elect 129 members to the
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyr ...
.
The election delivered the first
majority government
A majority government is a government by one or more governing parties that hold an absolute majority of seats in a legislature. This is as opposed to a minority government, where the largest party in a legislature only has a plurality of seats ...
since the opening of Holyrood, a remarkable feat as the
Additional Member System used to elect
MSPs was allegedly originally implemented to prevent any party achieving an overall parliamentary majority. The
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party (SNP; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from th ...
(SNP) won a
landslide
Landslides, also known as landslips, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, deep-seated slope failures, mudflows, and debris flows. Landslides occur in a variety of environmen ...
of 69 seats, the most the party has ever held at either a Holyrood or Westminster election, allowing leader
Alex Salmond
Alexander Elliot Anderson Salmond (; born 31 December 1954) is a Scottish politician and economist who served as First Minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014. A prominent figure on the Scottish nationalist movement, he has served as leader ...
to remain as
First Minister of Scotland
The first minister of Scotland ( sco, heid meinister o Scotland; gd, prìomh mhinistear na h-Alba ) is the head of the Scottish Government and keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland. The first minister chair ...
for a second term. The SNP gained 32 constituencies, twenty two from
Scottish Labour
Scottish Labour ( gd, Pàrtaidh Làbarach na h-Alba, sco, Scots Labour Pairty; officially the Scottish Labour Party) is a social democratic political party in Scotland. It is an autonomous section of the UK Labour Party. From their peak of ...
, nine from the
Scottish Liberal Democrats
The Scottish Liberal Democrats ( gd, Pàrtaidh Libearal Deamocratach na h-Alba, sco, Scots Leeberal Democrats) is a liberal, federalist political party in Scotland, a part of the United Kingdom Liberal Democrats. The party currently holds 4 of ...
and one from the
Scottish Conservatives
The Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party ( gd, Pàrtaidh Tòraidheach na h-Alba, sco, Scots Tory an Unionist Pairty), often known simply as the Scottish Conservatives and colloquially as the Scottish Tories, is a centre-right political par ...
. Such was the scale of their gains that, of the 73 constituencies in Scotland, only 20 came to be represented by
MSPs of other political parties. Scottish Labour lost seven seats and suffered their worst election defeat in Scotland since
1931, with huge losses in their traditional
Central Belt
The Central Belt of Scotland is the area of highest population density within Scotland. Depending on the definition used, it has a population of between 2.4 and 4.2 million (the country's total was around 5.4 million in 2019), including Gre ...
constituencies and for the first time having to rely on the
regional lists to elect members within these areas. They did, however, remain the largest opposition party. Party leader
Iain Gray announced his resignation following his party's disappointing result. The
Scottish Liberal Democrats
The Scottish Liberal Democrats ( gd, Pàrtaidh Libearal Deamocratach na h-Alba, sco, Scots Leeberal Democrats) is a liberal, federalist political party in Scotland, a part of the United Kingdom Liberal Democrats. The party currently holds 4 of ...
were soundly defeated; their popular vote share was cut in half and their seat total reduced from 16 to 5.
Tavish Scott announced his resignation as party leader shortly after the election. For
Scottish Conservatives
The Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party ( gd, Pàrtaidh Tòraidheach na h-Alba, sco, Scots Tory an Unionist Pairty), often known simply as the Scottish Conservatives and colloquially as the Scottish Tories, is a centre-right political par ...
, the election proved disappointing as their popular vote dropped slightly and their number of seats fell by 2, with party leader
Annabel Goldie also announcing her resignation.
During the campaign, the four main party leaders engaged in a series of televised debates, as they had in every previous general election. These key debates were held on 29 March (
STV), 1 May (
BBC), and 3 May (STV). The results of the election were broadcast live on BBC Scotland and STV, on the night of the election.
It was the fourth
general election
A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
since the devolved parliament was established in 1999 and was held on the same day as elections to the
National Assembly for Wales
The Senedd (; ), officially known as the Welsh Parliament in English and () in Welsh, is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Wales. A democratically elected body, it makes laws for Wales, agrees certain taxes and scrutinises the Welsh Go ...
and the
Northern Ireland Assembly
sco-ulster, Norlin Airlan Assemblie
, legislature = Seventh Assembly
, coa_pic = File:NI_Assembly.svg
, coa_res = 250px
, house_type = Unicameral
, house1 =
, leader1_type = S ...
, as well as
English local elections and the UK-wide
referendum on the alternative vote.
Date
Under the
Scotland Act 1998
The Scotland Act 1998 (c. 46) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which legislated for the establishment of the devolved Scottish Parliament with tax varying powers and the Scottish Government (then Scottish Executive). It was o ...
, an ordinary general election to the Scottish Parliament was held on the first Thursday in May four years after the
2007 election.
Because of the problems of voter confusion and a
high number of spoilt ballots in 2007 due to holding Scottish parliamentary and local elections simultaneously and under different voting systems, the next Scottish local elections were held in
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
instead of 2011. This policy decision was contradicted, however, by the staging of the
Alternative Vote referendum on 5 May 2011 as well.
Labour MP
Ian Davidson expressed opposition to the referendum being staged on the same date as other elections.
Scottish Secretary
The secretary of state for Scotland ( gd, Rùnaire Stàite na h-Alba; sco, Secretar o State fir Scotland), also referred to as the Scottish secretary, is a Secretary of State (United Kingdom), secretary of state in the Government of the Unit ...
Michael Moore
Michael Francis Moore (born April 23, 1954) is an American filmmaker, author and left-wing activist. His works frequently address the topics of globalization and capitalism.
Moore won the 2002 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for ' ...
stated that having the referendum on another date would cost an additional £17 million.
British,
Irish,
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
and
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are located primarily in Europe, Europe. The union has a total area of ...
citizens living in Scotland who were aged 18 or over on election day were entitled to vote. The deadline to
register to vote in the election was midnight on Friday 15 April 2011, though anyone who qualified as an
anonymous elector had until midnight on Tuesday 26 April 2011 to register.
It was held on the same day as elections for Northern Ireland's 26
local councils, the
Northern Irish Assembly and
Welsh Assembly
The Senedd (; ), officially known as the Welsh Parliament in English and () in Welsh, is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Wales. A democratically elected body, it makes laws for Wales, agrees certain taxes and scrutinises the Welsh ...
elections, a number of local elections in England and the
United Kingdom Alternative Vote referendum.
Boundary Review
The table below shows the notional figures for seats won by each party at the last election. The Conservatives have been the biggest gainers as a result of the boundary changes, winning an extra three seats, while Labour has lost the most seats, losing two overall.
Election system, seats, and regions
The total number of
Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) elected to the Parliament is 129.
The First Periodical Review of the
Scottish Parliament constituencies and electoral regions by the
Boundary Commission for Scotland
The boundary commissions in the United Kingdom are non-departmental public bodies responsible for determining the boundaries of constituencies for elections to the House of Commons. There are four boundary commissions:
* Boundary Commission fo ...
was announced on 3 July 2007. The Commission published its provisional proposals for the regional boundaries in 2009.
The Scottish Parliament uses an
Additional Members System, designed to produce approximate
proportional representation
Proportional representation (PR) refers to a type of electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to geographical (e.g. states, regions) and political divis ...
for each region.
There are 8 regions each sub-divided into smaller constituencies.
There are a total of 73
constituencies.
Each constituency elects one (MSP) by the
plurality (
first past the post
In a first-past-the-post electoral system (FPTP or FPP), formally called single-member plurality voting (SMP) when used in single-member districts or informally choose-one voting in contrast to ranked voting, or score voting, voters cast thei ...
) system of election.
Each region elects seven additional member MSPs using an
additional member system.
A modified
D'Hondt method
The D'Hondt method, also called the Jefferson method or the greatest divisors method, is a method for allocating seats in parliaments among federal states, or in party-list proportional representation systems. It belongs to the class of highes ...
, using the constituency results, is used to calculate which additional member MSPs the regions elect.
The Scottish Parliament constituencies have not been coterminous with
Scottish Westminster constituencies
Scottish Westminster constituencies were Scottish constituencies of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain, normally at the Palace of Westminster, from 1708 to 1801, and have been constituencies of the House of Commons of the P ...
since the
2005 general election, when the 72 former Westminster constituencies were replaced with a new set of 59, generally larger, constituencies (see
Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004
The Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004 (c 13) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that amends the Scotland Act 1998 which established the Scottish Parliament.
Before it was amended by this Act, the Scotland Act 1998 pr ...
).
For details of the Revised proposals for constituencies at the Next Scottish Parliament election -
The Boundary Commission have also recommended changes to the electoral regions used to elect "list" members of the Scottish Parliament. The recommendations can be summarised below;
*
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...
was reduced from 10 constituency seats to 9.
Glasgow Govan was largely replaced by
Glasgow Southside. The seats of
Glasgow Maryhill,
Glasgow Springburn and
Glasgow Baillieston were abolished and their territory was divided between the newly created
Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn
Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament ( Holyrood), being one of eight constituencies within the Glasgow City council area. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the plurality (first p ...
and
Glasgow Provan, as well as the existing
Glasgow Shettleston seat which was moved eastwards.
*
Highlands and Islands
The Highlands and Islands is an area of Scotland broadly covering the Scottish Highlands, plus Orkney, Shetland and Outer Hebrides (Western Isles).
The Highlands and Islands are sometimes defined as the area to which the Crofters' Act of 1 ...
retained 8 constituency seats.
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross was replaced with the larger
Caithness, Sutherland and Ross seat.
Ross, Skye and Inverness West and
Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber were abolished with most of their area being divided between
Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch
Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament ( Holyrood) covering part of the Highland council area. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first past the post method of election. It is also one ...
and
Inverness and Nairn.
*
West of Scotland was renamed
West Scotland. It was increased from 9 constituency seats to 10, as
Cunninghame South was transferred from the South Scotland region. The seats of
Paisley North,
Paisley South and
West Renfrewshire were abolished and their area was divided between the new seats of
Paisley,
Renfrewshire North and West and
Renfrewshire South
*
Central Scotland was reduced from 10 constituency seats to 9, as the territory of
Kilmarnock and Loudoun was transferred to South Scotland. Some territory to the south was also transferred to South Scotland, reducing the land area of
East Kilbride
East Kilbride (; gd, Cille Bhrìghde an Ear ) is the largest town in South Lanarkshire in Scotland and the country's sixth-largest locality by population. It was also designated Scotland's first new town on 6 May 1947. The area lies on a rais ...
.
Hamilton North and Bellshill was largely replaced by
Uddingston and Bellshill.
Hamilton South was largely replaced by
Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse.
*
Lothians
Lothian (; sco, Lowden, Loudan, -en, -o(u)n; gd, Lodainn ) is a region of the Scottish Lowlands, lying between the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and the Lammermuir Hills and the Moorfoot Hills. The principal settlement is the Scot ...
was renamed
Lothian
Lothian (; sco, Lowden, Loudan, -en, -o(u)n; gd, Lodainn ) is a region of the Scottish Lowlands, lying between the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and the Lammermuir Hills and the Moorfoot Hills. The principal settlement is the Scott ...
and retained 9 constituency seats. The seat of
Midlothian
Midlothian (; gd, Meadhan Lodainn) is a historic county, registration county, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east- central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinbu ...
was split, with its southern areas transferred to South Scotland. Its northern parts merged with Musselburgh to form
Midlothian North and Musselburgh.
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh, thus with Musselburgh removed, was replaced by
Edinburgh Eastern. The seats of
Edinburgh North and Leith,
Edinburgh South and
Edinburgh West were respectively renamed
Edinburgh Northern and Leith,
Edinburgh Southern and
Edinburgh Western while redrawn. In West Lothian,
Livingston
Livingston may refer to:
Businesses
* Livingston Energy Flight, an Italian airline (2003–2010)
* Livingston Compagnia Aerea, an Italian airline (2011–2014), also known as Livingston Airline
* Livingston International, a North American customs ...
was replaced by
Almond Valley, which traded territory with the retained
Linlithgow seat.
*
Mid Scotland and Fife retained 9 constituencies.
North Tayside was mostly replaced by
Perthshire North, with some of the former's territory being transferred to North East Scotland.
Ochil was split, with its eastern parts merging with the former seat of
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
to form
Perthshire South and Kinross-shire.
Clackmannanshire and Dunblane was created, consisting mostly of the more populous western part of Ochil. In Fife,
Dunfermline West,
Dunfermline East and
Fife Central were respectively largely replaced by
Dunfermline
Dunfermline (; sco, Dunfaurlin, gd, Dùn Phàrlain) is a city, parish and former Royal Burgh, in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. The city currently has an estimated population of 58,508. Acco ...
,
Cowdenbeath and
Mid Fife and Glenrothes.
*
North East Scotland was increased from 9 to 10 constituency seats. The seat of
Angus was split between two new seats:
Angus South, which included territory transferred from Mid Scotland and Fife, and
Angus North and Mearns. Both
West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine and
Gordon were split. The former was divided between the new seat of
Aberdeenshire West, Angus North and Mearns and an enlarged
Aberdeen South, which under new boundaries was named
Aberdeen South and North Kincardine. A redrawn
Aberdeen North was renamed
Aberdeen Donside. Gordon was split between Aberdeenshire West and another new seat:
Aberdeenshire East
Aberdeenshire East ( Gaelic: ''Siorrachd Obar Dheathain an Ear'') is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament ( Holyrood) covering part of the council area of Aberdeenshire. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first ...
. Some territory was also traded with
Banff and Buchan, which was largely replaced by
Banffshire and Buchan Coast. The two Dundee seats were redrawn and renamed from
Dundee West and
Dundee East to
Dundee City West and
Dundee City East.
*
South of Scotland was renamed
South Scotland
South Scotland is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament. Nine of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the ...
. It retained 9 constituencies, losing
Cunninghame South to West Scotland but gaining the new
Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley constituency, which replaced the previous constituency of
Kilmarnock and Loudoun. Some territory was transferred from
Galloway and Upper Nithsdale to
Dumfries
Dumfries ( ; sco, Dumfries; from gd, Dùn Phris ) is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is located near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth about by road from t ...
; the redrawn seats were then renamed
Galloway and West Dumfries and
Dumfriesshire
Dumfriesshire or the County of Dumfries or Shire of Dumfries (''Siorrachd Dhùn Phris'' in Gaelic) is a historic county and registration county in southern Scotland. The Dumfries lieutenancy area covers a similar area to the historic county.
I ...
.
Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale lost territory to
Roxburgh and Berwickshire but gained some from the Lothian area to the north. These seats were redrawn and renamed
Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale and
Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire.
Retiring MSPs
At the dissolution of Parliament on 22 March 2011, twenty MSPs were not seeking re-election.
Campaign
The parliament was dissolved on 22 March 2011 and the campaign began thereafter. The
Conservatives saw 3 of their candidates drop out of the election during the period 25–28 March: Malcolm McAskill from the
Glasgow regional ballot, Iain Whyte from the
Glasgow Maryhill & Springburn constituency ballot and David Meikle from the Glasgow regional ballot.
The
Liberal Democrat regional candidate for the
Central Scotland region
Hugh O'Donnell also withdrew on 27 March, citing discontent with the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition at Westminster. Another Liberal Democrat,
John Farquhar Munro
John Farquhar Munro ( Gaelic: ''Iain Fearchar Rothach''; 26 August 1934 – 26 January 2014) was a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician. He was the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Ross, Skye and Inverness West from 1999 until his ret ...
, came out in support of Alex Salmond for First Minister, even though he also claimed not to support the SNP. In the
Clydesdale constituency, the Liberal Democrat candidate John Paton-Day failed to lodge his papers in time for the nomination deadline, leaving the constituency as the only one in Scotland with no Liberal Democrat candidate. On 17 April, the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader
Tavish Scott described himself as 'uncomfortable' with his Scottish party being 'related' to the Conservatives due to the coalition at Westminster.
A televised debate between the four main party leaders was shown on STV on 29 March, with SNP leader
Alex Salmond
Alexander Elliot Anderson Salmond (; born 31 December 1954) is a Scottish politician and economist who served as First Minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014. A prominent figure on the Scottish nationalist movement, he has served as leader ...
and Conservative leader
Annabel Goldie identified as the strongest performers. The ''Scottish Sun'' newspaper came out in support of the SNP's campaign to win a second term, even though the newspaper does not back
independence
Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the stat ...
.
Whilst campaigning in
Glasgow Central station
, symbol_location = gb
, symbol = rail
, image = Main Concourse at Glasgow Central Station.JPG
, caption = The main concourse
, borough = Glasgow, City of Glasgow
, country ...
, the Scottish Labour leader
Iain Gray was ambushed by a group of anti-cuts protestors who chased him into a nearby
fast-food outlet. The same protesters had already targeted Conservative leader
Annabel Goldie a month earlier. On 27 April, Iain Gray and SNP leader
Alex Salmond
Alexander Elliot Anderson Salmond (; born 31 December 1954) is a Scottish politician and economist who served as First Minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014. A prominent figure on the Scottish nationalist movement, he has served as leader ...
were both present simultaneously in an
Ardrossan
Ardrossan (; ) is a town on the North Ayrshire coast in southwestern Scotland. The town has a population of 10,670 and forms part of a conurbation with Saltcoats and Stevenston known as the ' Three Towns'. Ardrossan is located on the east shore ...
branch of the
Asda
Asda Stores Ltd. () (often styled as ASDA) is a British supermarket chain. It is headquartered in Leeds, England. The company was founded in 1949 when the Asquith family merged their retail business with the Associated Dairies company of Yorks ...
supermarket chain; both parties alleged that the other party's leader 'ran away' from the possibility of an encounter with the other.
Policy platforms
The main parties contesting the election all outlined the following main aims:
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party (SNP; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from th ...
* Legislate to give Scotland a
referendum
A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a Representative democr ...
on
independence
Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the stat ...
.
* Maintain the
council tax
Council Tax is a local taxation system used in England, Scotland and Wales. It is a tax on domestic property, which was introduced in 1993 by the Local Government Finance Act 1992, replacing the short-lived Community Charge, which in turn re ...
freeze throughout the next parliament.
* Attempt to generate 100% of Scotland's electricity from
renewable sources
A renewable resource, also known as a flow resource, is a natural resource which will replenish to replace the portion depleted by usage and consumption, either through natural reproduction or other recurring processes in a finite amount of ti ...
by 2020.
* Continue offering free university tuition to Scottish students.
* Maintain high police numbers.
Labour
* Introduce Scottish Living Wage of £7.15 an hour, starting in the public sector.
* Abolish youth unemployment and aim to create 250,000 jobs by 2020.
* Compulsory six-month jail sentences for people convicted of knife-carrying.
* Initiate two-year council tax freeze.
* Re-instate the proposed
rail link between
Glasgow Central station
, symbol_location = gb
, symbol = rail
, image = Main Concourse at Glasgow Central Station.JPG
, caption = The main concourse
, borough = Glasgow, City of Glasgow
, country ...
and
Glasgow International Airport
gd, Port-adhair Eadar-nàiseanta Ghlaschu
, image = Glasgow Airport logo.svg
, image-width = 200
, image2 = GlasgowAirportFromAir.jpg
, image2-width = 250
, IATA = GLA
, ICAO = EGPF
, type = Public
, owner = AGS Airports
, hub =
*easy ...
, which was cancelled in 2009.
*Continue free University tuition fees for all Scottish students.
Conservatives
* A council tax freeze during the period 2012–2013.
* Re-introduce prescription charges at 2009 standards (£5 for a single item).
* Consider building new nuclear power stations, but not on new sites.
* Bring in Variable University Graduate Fee, with no more than £4,000 being paid annually per student.
* Replace community service with short prison sentences.
* Centralising the Scottish police forces into a single police force.
Liberal Democrats
* Maintain free university tuition for Scottish students.
* Aim to create 100,000 new jobs through selling off
Scottish Water which would free £1.5 billion for investment purposes.
* Oppose moves to create a centralised Scottish police force.
* Maintain the Scottish bus pass, but progressively bring the qualifying age up to 65.
* Reform the council tax.
Greens
* Bring in large-scale ecosystem restoration projects.
* Replace council tax with
land value tax.
* Maintain free university tuition for Scottish students.
* Focus on bringing restorative justice within Scotland's justice system.
* Abolish the
Forth Replacement Crossing.
Parties contesting the election
Contesting constituency and regional ballot
Only the Scottish National Party, the Scottish Labour Party and the Scottish Conservative Party contested all constituencies.
*
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party (SNP; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from th ...
(SNP)
*
Scottish Labour
Scottish Labour ( gd, Pàrtaidh Làbarach na h-Alba, sco, Scots Labour Pairty; officially the Scottish Labour Party) is a social democratic political party in Scotland. It is an autonomous section of the UK Labour Party. From their peak of ...
*
Scottish Conservatives
The Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party ( gd, Pàrtaidh Tòraidheach na h-Alba, sco, Scots Tory an Unionist Pairty), often known simply as the Scottish Conservatives and colloquially as the Scottish Tories, is a centre-right political par ...
*
Scottish Liberal Democrats
The Scottish Liberal Democrats ( gd, Pàrtaidh Libearal Deamocratach na h-Alba, sco, Scots Leeberal Democrats) is a liberal, federalist political party in Scotland, a part of the United Kingdom Liberal Democrats. The party currently holds 4 of ...
– Contesting all constituencies except
Clydesdale
* All Scotland Pensioner's Party/
Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party
The Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party (SSCUP), later the All-Scotland Pensioners Party from March 2011, was a Scottish political party. It was formed on 3 February 2003, in time to contest that year's elections to the Scottish Parliament. The l ...
– Contesting
Mid Fife & Glenrothes and
Motherwell & Wishaw
*
Scottish Christian Party
The Christian Party (also the Scottish Christian Party and Welsh Christian Party ()) is a minor political party in Great Britain.
History
The party originated as Operation Christian Vote, founded by George Hargreaves, a Pentecostal minister and ...
– Contesting
Inverness & Nairn and
Motherwell & Wishaw
*
Liberal Party – Contesting
Argyll & Bute
Argyll and Bute ( sco, Argyll an Buit; gd, Earra-Ghàidheal agus Bòd, ) is one of 32 unitary authority council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area. The current lord-lieutenant for Argyll and Bute is Jane Margaret MacLeod (14 July 2020) ...
*
National Front – Contesting
Aberdeen Central,
Aberdeen Donside,
Aberdeen South & North Kincardine,
Almond Valley,
Linlithgow and only the
North East Scotland region
*
UK Independence Party
The UK Independence Party (UKIP; ) is a Eurosceptic, right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. The party reached its greatest level of success in the mid-2010s, when it gained two members of Parliament and was the largest par ...
(UKIP) – Contesting
Inverness & Nairn,
Moray
Moray () gd, Moireibh or ') is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with a coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland (council area), ...
and
North East Fife
Contesting regional ballot only
*
Scottish Greens
The Scottish Greens (also known as the Scottish Green Party; gd, Pàrtaidh Uaine na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Green Pairtie) are a green political party in Scotland. The party has seven MSPs in the Scottish Parliament as of May 2021. As of the ...
*
Solidarity
''Solidarity'' is an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes. It is based on class collaboration.''Merriam Webster'', http://www.merriam-webster.com/dicti ...
– all regions except
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...
*
Respect Party
The Respect Party was a left-wing to far-left, socialist political party active in the United Kingdom between 2004 and 2016. At the height of its success in 2007, the party had one Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons and nineteen ...
'Coalition Against Cuts' –
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...
only
*
Scottish Socialist Party
*
British National Party
The British National Party (BNP) is a far-right, fascist political party in the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in Wigton, Cumbria, and its leader is Adam Walker. A minor party, it has no elected representatives at any level of UK gover ...
(BNP)
*
Socialist Labour Party
* Scottish Homeland Party – contesting
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...
and
Central
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...
regions
*
Pirate Party
Pirate Party is a label adopted by political parties around the world. Pirate parties support civil rights, direct democracy (including e-democracy) or alternatively participation in government, reform of copyright and patent law, free shari ...
*
Scottish Unionist Party
*
Christian Peoples Alliance
* Ban Bankers Bonuses – contesting the Highlands and Islands and West of Scotland regional lists.
Contesting constituency ballot only
*
Communist Party of Britain
The Communist Party of Britain (CPB) is a communist party in Great Britain which emerged from a dispute between Eurocommunists and Marxist-Leninists in the Communist Party of Great Britain in 1988. It follows Marxist-Leninist theory and s ...
– Contesting
Glasgow Anniesland
* Land Party – Contesting
Cowdenbeath
Opinion polls
In March 2011, two months before the election, Labour held a double-digit lead over the SNP in the opinion polls,
44% to 29%. The SNP's support subsequently rallied, with the two parties level in April polling. In the final poll on the eve of the election, the SNP were eleven points clear of Labour.
The chart shows the relative state of the parties since polling began from 2009, until the date of the election. The constituency vote is shown as semi-transparent lines, while the regional vote is shown in full lines.
Result
The election produced a majority SNP government, making this the first time in the Scottish Parliament where a party had commanded a parliamentary majority. The SNP took 16 seats from Labour, many of whose key figures failed to be returned to parliament, although Labour leader
Iain Gray retained
East Lothian
East Lothian (; sco, East Lowden; gd, Lodainn an Ear) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, as well as a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area. The county was called Haddingtonshire until 1921.
In 1975, the his ...
by 151 votes. The SNP took a further eight seats from the Liberal Democrats and one seat from the Conservatives. The SNP overall majority meant that there was sufficient support in the
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyr ...
to hold a referendum on
Scottish independence
Scottish independence ( gd, Neo-eisimeileachd na h-Alba; sco, Scots unthirldom) is the idea of Scotland as a sovereign state, independent from the United Kingdom, and refers to the political movement that is campaigning to bring it about.
...
.
Labour's defeat was attributed to several factors: the party focused too heavily on criticising the Conservative-led coalition at Westminster, and assumed that former Lib Dem voters would automatically switch their vote to Labour, when in fact they appeared to have haemorrhaged support to the SNP.
Jackie Baillie compared the result to Labour's performance in the
1983 UK general election.
Iain Gray
conceded defeat to Alex Salmond and announced his intention to resign as leader of the Labour group of MSPs that autumn.
The election saw a rout of the Liberal Democrats, with no victories in mainland constituencies
and 25 lost deposits (candidates gaining less than five per cent of the vote).
Leader
Tavish Scott said their performance was due to the Liberal Democrats' involvement in the
Westminster Government, which had been unpopular with many former LibDem supporters.
Scott resigned as leader two days after the election.
For the Conservatives, the main disappointment was the loss of
Edinburgh Pentlands, the seat of former party leader
David McLetchie, to the SNP. McLetchie was elected on the Lothian regional list and the Conservatives only made a net loss of five seats, with leader
Annabel Goldie claiming that their support had held firm.
Prime Minister
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron (born 9 October 1966) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2005 to 2016. He previously served as Leader o ...
congratulated the SNP on the result, but vowed to campaign for the Union in any independence referendum.
The
Scottish Greens
The Scottish Greens (also known as the Scottish Green Party; gd, Pàrtaidh Uaine na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Green Pairtie) are a green political party in Scotland. The party has seven MSPs in the Scottish Parliament as of May 2021. As of the ...
won two seats, including their co-convenor
Patrick Harvie.
Margo MacDonald again won election as an independent on the Lothian regional list.
George Galloway
George Galloway (born 16 August 1954) is a British politician, broadcaster, and writer who is currently leader of the Workers Party of Britain, serving since 2019. Between 1987 and 2010, and then between 2012 and 2015, Galloway was a Member o ...
, under a Unionist anti-cuts banner, failed to receive enough votes to be elected to the
Glasgow regional list.
The SNP's overall majority assured Salmond of another term as First Minister, and he was reelected unopposed on 18 May.
, -
, style="background-color:white" colspan=15 ,
, -
! rowspan=2 colspan=2 , Party
! colspan=5 , Constituencies
! colspan=5 , Regional
additional members
! colspan=5 , Total seats
, -
! Votes !! % !! ± !! Seats !! ± !! Votes !! % !! ± !! Seats !! ± !! Total !! ± !! %
, -
, -
, style="text-align:left"; colspan="2" , Valid votes , , 1,989,276 , , 99.7 , , 3.8 , , colspan="2", , , 1,990,836 , , 99.7 , , 2.0 , , colspan="5",
, -
, style="text-align:left"; colspan="2" , Spoilt votes , , 6,363 , , 0.3 , , 3.8 , , colspan="2", , , 5,987 , , 0.3 , , 2.0 , , colspan="5",
, -
!style="text-align:left"; colspan="2" , Total , , 1,995,639 , , 100 , , , , 73 , , – , , 1,996,823 , , 100 , , , , 56 , , – , , 129 , , – , , 100
, -
, style="text-align:left"; colspan="2" , Electorate/Turnout , , 3,950,626 , , 50.5 , , 3.4 , , colspan="2", , , 3,950,626 , , 50.5 , , 3.5 , , colspan="5",
Votes summary
Constituency and regional summary
Central Scotland
, -
! colspan=2 style="width: 200px", Constituency
! style="width: 150px", Elected member
! style="width: 300px", Result
, -
! colspan="2" style="width: 150px", Party
! Elected candidates
! style="width: 40px", Seats
! style="width: 40px", +/−
! style="width: 50px", Votes
! style="width: 40px", %
! style="width: 40px", +/−%
, -
Glasgow
, -
! colspan=2 style="width: 200px", Constituency
! style="width: 150px", Elected member
! style="width: 300px", Result
, -
! colspan="2" style="width: 150px", Party
! Elected candidates
! style="width: 40px", Seats
! style="width: 40px", +/−
! style="width: 50px", Votes
! style="width: 40px", %
! style="width: 40px", +/−%
, -
Highlands and Islands
, -
! colspan=2 style="width: 200px", Constituency
! style="width: 150px", Elected member
! style="width: 300px", Result
, -
! colspan="2" style="width: 150px", Party
! Elected candidates
! style="width: 40px", Seats
! style="width: 40px", +/−
! style="width: 50px", Votes
! style="width: 40px", %
! style="width: 40px", +/−%
, -
Lothian
, -
! colspan=2 style="width: 200px", Constituency
! style="width: 150px", Elected member
! style="width: 300px", Result
, -
! colspan="2" style="width: 150px", Party
! Elected candidates
! style="width: 40px", Seats
! style="width: 40px", +/−
! style="width: 50px", Votes
! style="width: 40px", %
! style="width: 40px", +/−%
, -
Mid Scotland and Fife
, -
! colspan=2 style="width: 200px", Constituency
! style="width: 150px", Elected member
! style="width: 300px", Result
, -
! colspan="2" style="width: 150px", Party
! Elected candidates
! style="width: 40px", Seats
! style="width: 40px", +/−
! style="width: 50px", Votes
! style="width: 40px", %
! style="width: 40px", +/−%
, -
North East Scotland
, -
! colspan=2 style="width: 200px", Constituency
! style="width: 150px", Elected member
! style="width: 300px", Result
, -
! colspan="2" style="width: 150px", Party
! Elected candidates
! style="width: 40px", Seats
! style="width: 40px", +/−
! style="width: 50px", Votes
! style="width: 40px", %
! style="width: 40px", +/−%
, -
South Scotland
, -
! colspan=2 style="width: 200px", Constituency
! style="width: 150px", Elected member
! style="width: 300px", Result
, -
! colspan="2" style="width: 150px", Party
! Elected candidates
! style="width: 40px", Seats
! style="width: 40px", +/−
! style="width: 50px", Votes
! style="width: 40px", %
! style="width: 40px", +/−%
, -
West Scotland
, -
! colspan=2 style="width: 200px", Constituency
! style="width: 150px", Elected member
! style="width: 300px", Result
, -
! colspan="2" style="width: 150px", Party
! Elected candidates
! style="width: 40px", Seats
! style="width: 40px", +/−
! style="width: 50px", Votes
! style="width: 40px", %
! style="width: 40px", +/−%
, -
Top target seats of the main parties
Below are listed all the constituencies which required a
swing
Swing or swinging may refer to:
Apparatus
* Swing (seat), a hanging seat that swings back and forth
* Pendulum, an object that swings
* Russian swing, a swing-like circus apparatus
* Sex swing, a type of harness for sexual intercourse
* Swing ri ...
of less than 5% from the 2007 result to change hands. Because the election was fought under new boundaries, the figures are based on notional results from 2007.
SNP targets
Conservative targets
Labour targets
Liberal Democrat targets
Incumbents defeated
See also
*
Arbuthnott Commission
The Arbuthnott Commission on Boundary Differences and Voting Systems was set up in July 2004 by Alistair Darling, then Secretary of State for Scotland, under the chairmanship of Sir John Arbuthnott, to examine various consequences of having four d ...
*
2011 National Assembly for Wales election
Eleven or 11 may refer to:
*11 (number), the natural number following 10 and preceding 12
* one of the years 11 BC, AD 11, 1911, 2011, or any year ending in 11
Literature
* ''Eleven'' (novel), a 2006 novel by British author David Llewellyn
*''E ...
*
2011 Northern Ireland Assembly election
*
Murphy and Boyack review of the Labour Party in Scotland
*
2011 Scottish Labour Party leadership election
The 2011 Scottish Labour Party leadership election was an internal party election to choose a new leader of the Scottish Labour Party. The election followed the announcement by Iain Gray that he would stand down as leader in the autumn of 2011 fo ...
*
2011 Scottish Conservative Party leadership election
*
2011 Scottish Liberal Democrats leadership election
References
External links
Election 2011, a Briefing by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre
Scottish Election Study
Party manifestos
British National Party ManifestoCommunist Party of Britain ManifestoPirate Party UK Scottish ManifestoScottish Christian Party ManifestoScottish Conservative Party ManifestoScottish Green Party ManifestoScottish Labour Party ManifestoScottish Liberal Democrats ManifestoScottish National Party ManifestoScottish Socialist Party ManifestoUK Independence Party Manifesto
Party election broadcasts
Scottish National PartyScottish Labour PartyScottish Conservative PartyScottish Liberal DemocratsScottish Green PartyBritish National PartyUK Independence PartyScottish Christian PartyScottish Socialist PartyAll Scotland Pensioner's PartySocialist Labour Party
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scottish Parliament General Election, 2011
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrates ...
Scottish Parliament election, 2011
Scottish Parliament election, 2011
2010s elections in Scotland
May 2011 events in the United Kingdom