Scottish Election results 2021 RECAP: Alex Salmond concedes Alba unlikely to win seats | SNP's Angus Robertson takes Edinburgh Central from Scottish Conservatives | Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney win constituencies | Labour's Jackie Baillie holds onto Dumbarton | Turnout surges | Interactive constituency map
Take a look back on the events as they happened throughout the day.
Scottish Election 2021 RECAP: Election results and updates from across Scotland
Key Events
- Angus Robertson takes Edinburgh Central from Tories
- Sturgeon plays down chances of SNP majority
- SNP take Ayr from Tories in tight race
- Salmond concedes Alba unlikely to win seats
- SNP gain East Lothian from Labour
Scottish elections 2021: Edinburgh count gets under way with first results expected at teatime
Elections 2021: Counting of votes begins as Edinburgh waits for results
Counting of votes was getting under way this morning as Edinburgh waited for the result of what is seen as one of the most important elections since devolution.
Voters across Edinburgh faced chilly conditions, torrential rain and even hailstones as they turned out at the polls
Voters across Edinburgh faced chilly conditions, torrential rain and even hailstones as they turned out at the polls
Edinburgh voters braved freezing cold, torrential downpours and the occasional hailstone shower to exercise their democratic rights yesterday.
Scottish Election 2021: The die is cast, now Scotland waits...
Scottish Election 2021: The die is cast, now Scotland waits...
The polls closed at the traditional time yesterday. The ballot boxes were locked, collected, and transported to community halls, leisure centres, concert venues the length and breadth of the nation, but those drafty expanses, normally filled with the clang of trolleys, the rustle of papers, the sucking of mints and teeth, the expectancy of victory and the disappointment of defeat, lay empty and silent.
Asked whether the Labour Party needs a new leader, former shadow chancellor John McDonnellJohn McDonnell said Sir Keir Starmer has “got to be given his chance”.
Lord Peter Mandelson, former Labour MP for Hartlepool, said he feels “fairly gutted” at the result in Hartlepool and also “a mild fury”.
Counting has started in the Scottish Parliament election
Counting has started in the Scottish Parliament election, with more than half of the constituencies expected to declare on Friday.
Votes in 46 of the 73 constituency seats will be counted, with the first results expected in the afternoon.
All 46 are due to be declared by Friday evening.
Scottish Election 2021: How to use our interactive Holyrood Election result map
This is how you can use our interactive Holyrood Election 2021 result map
We’ve created an interactive constituency map to display the winning party in each seat as the results come in – here’s some background on how we will be using this graphic.
Lord Mandelson: ‘Covid and Corbyn to blame for Labour defeat'
Lord Peter Mandelson said he had been knocking doors in Hartlepool during the campaign and told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Actually, the reasons for the defeat… if I really had to boil them down to two things I would say they were two Cs – Covid and Corbyn.
“With a bit of Brexit, previous Brexit Party voters backing the man, Boris Johnson, who delivered them Brexit, and also promises of a large dollop of Tory Government money thrown in for good measure.
“All this as a whole turned out to be too heady a cocktail for Labour’s campaign to take on.”
Counting begins in Scottish constituencies
Counting has started in the Scottish Parliament election, with more than half of the country’s constituencies expected to declare on Friday.
Results are due to come in over two days as coronavirus safety measures ruled out the traditional overnight count.
Votes in 46 of the 73 constituency seats began being counted at about 9am, with the first results expected in the afternoon.
It is anticipated all 46 should be declared by Friday evening.
From about 9am on Saturday, the remaining 27 constituency seats will be counted, after which the regional seats will be allocated.
All results are expected to be declared by Saturday evening.
This year’s election, while conducted under the constraints of coronavirus rules, is considered to be one of the most important since the Scottish Parliament opened in 1999.
