UofG analysis offers fresh insights about the 2026 Scottish Parliament election
Published: 18 May 2026
A new analysis led by the University of Glasgow gives fresh insights into the 2026 Scottish Parliament election
The first ever Scottish Election Analysis Report captures the initial thoughts, reflections, and early research insights of leading scholars in Scottish politics, elections, media and policy that can be used to enhance media, public and civil society understanding of the 2026 Scottish Parliament election.
A new analysis led by the University of Glasgow gives fresh insights into the 2026 Scottish Parliament election.
Funded by the Political Studies Association (PSA) and the Stevenson Trust for Citizenship, the Scottish Election Analysis Report features 55 short articles, quick reflections and snap analysis on a wide variety of topics, including the use of AI and social media in campaigning, climate and energy issues, immigration, economic and fiscal challenges, and young voters.
It also looks at the electoral geography of the Reform UK vote, the increasing Scottish Greens representation, and the implications of the Scottish election results for the rest of the UK.
With the historic re-election of a fifth SNP government, there will be continued focus on the possibility of Scottish independence, and increasing co-operation with the other devolved nations of Wales and Northern Ireland. The new ‘rainbow parliament’ with more party diversity than ever before will provide both challenges and new opportunities for policy change.
The rapid response report is designed to help media, campaigners and the public understand what happened and why in the election and the campaign, and implications for the future of Scottish and UK politics.
Professor Ana Ines Langer, who co-edited the report with Professor Chris Carman, Professor Ariadne Vromen and Dr Maia Almeida-Amir, said: “The 55 articles collected in this volume offer analysis of the political landscape that produced this result - and of the landscape it has, in turn, created. Drawing on a wide range of scholarly expertise, the contributions are both retrospective and prospective, looking at how we got here and what lies ahead for the new Scottish Parliament and the government it will scrutinise. This is the first edition of what we hope will become an ongoing series dedicated to the analysis of Scottish Parliament elections and politics.”
Professor Chris Carman added: “The articles gathered here make clear that the 2026 Scottish Parliament election is more than a one-off electoral event - it may well be a moment of genuine political transition. Whether Scotland’s new rainbow parliament proves a durable feature of devolved democracy, or a transitional moment on the path to something else, remains to be seen. What is clear is that the political landscape is changing.”
The Election Analysis series is published by the Centre for Comparative Politics & Media Research at Bournemouth University.
First published: 18 May 2026