Scottish election 2026: SNP, Tories and Labour draw battle lines

Scottish politicians have begun the countdown to the 2026 Holyrood elections.

With just one year to go until Scots head to the polls, First Minister John Swinney and the leaders of Scottish Labour and the Scottish Conservatives spoke to STV News about their goals and how they hope to convince the public.

Recent polling predicts the SNP will remain Scotland’s largest party but there could be a close fight between Labour and Nigel Farage’s Reform for second place.

Swinney: Only the SNP will confront and defeat Farage

The SNP leader set out his views on the way forward for Scottish independence as he gathered his team of constituency candidates for next year’s Holyrood election. SNP

Winning back trust, “confronting” and “defeating” Nigel Farage, and Scottish independence were key elements of Swinney’s SNP agenda.

Swinney said the SNP have “rolled up their sleeves and worked harder than ever” for Scotland over the last few months.

“We are winning back the trust of the people of Scotland because we are showing them that we are truly focused on their priorities,” the First Minister said.

“People tell us they are worried about the cost of living – and we are listening.”

He emphasised the SNP’s commitment to restoring winter fuel payments for pensioners – something Scottish Labour is promising as well – and their decision to scrap peak rail fares for good from September.

Swinney said his SNP government, with him at the helm, is investing in the NHS and working to improve performance and access.

He also hit out at the UK Labour party for “opening the door to Farage” and “dancing to his tune” on immigration.

“At Westminster, Nigel Farage may not be in office – but he is very much in power,” he said.

“You don’t beat populists by imitating them. You beat them by confronting them. We will never do any deals with Farage. Only the SNP will confront Farage and defeat Farage.”

Swinney also promised to push for Scottish independence if he and his party are elected next year.

“What surer way to tackle alienation than with the overwhelming sense of empowerment of becoming an independent nation which is ours to create?” he asked.

The First Minister said his party can build a “winning coalition for independence”.

“The Scotland I want to build is an enterprising, outward-looking and compassionate Scotland – which will flourish with the powers of independence,” he said.

‘The choice next year is not between Nigel Farage and John Swinney’

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar accused the First Minister of wanting to “defraud” the people of Scotland and use Nigel Farage as a distraction from what he described as his failings in government. Scottish Labour

In his own separate countdown event, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar emphasised that the choice is between a Scottish Labour Government with him at the helm or another SNP Government with Swinney next year.

“We can either choose three decades of the SNP with John Swinney with record-long NHS wait lists, or we can choose to take a new direction with me as first minister, doing whatever it takes to fix our NHS,” he said.

“That’s the choice people face next year.”

He also hit out at Swinney’s continued focus on Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.

Speaking to STV News, Sarwar said he “doesn’t care” about Nigel Farage, and that Farage “doesn’t care about Scotland”.

“The choice next year is not between Nigel Farage and John Swinney – it’s between me and John Swinney and it’s about who will be first minister and who will be the Scottish Government,” Sarwar said.

After Labour lost some ground in national polls, Sarwar emphasised that the choice is not about who’s in charge at Westminster, but about who takes over the Scottish Government.

Distancing himself from UK Labour policies, he also vowed to restore winter fuel payments for pensioners – something the UK Labour Government scrapped when they came into power last July.

After 18 years in power, he said things are “not going in the right direction” for the SNP Government.

Sarwar said the election is a chance for the people of Scotland to “pass verdict” on the SNP Government and its record and “decide if they need more of the same”.

“In one year’s time, Scotland faces a stark choice. The election in 2026 is about whether we have a government that continues to serve itself with the SNP or a government in service of the people with Scottish Labour,” Sarwar said.

Findlay: Holyrood has failed to deliver

Russell Findlay claimed that if John Swinney is reinstalled as first minister after the 2026 elections, the country would “again be divided by nationalism”.Scottish Conservatives

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay also marked the one-year countdown towards the Scottish elections with a speech on Wednesday.

On NHS recovery, school standards, economy, and jobs, Findlay said “Holyrood has failed to deliver”.

“It promises so much and achieves so little. We have a duty to the public over the coming 12 months.

“Every promise must be kept. Parliament’s focus has to be on what really matters. MSPs can’t squander the next 365 days. They must work constructively on what is truly important.”

Findlay hit out at Swinney’s latest Programme for Government, which was formally published on Tuesday, calling it “disappointing” and “not bold or ambitious”.

“What a wasted opportunity from a politician who has run out of ideas,” Findlay said.

“Parliament’s failure to deliver has further eroded public trust in politicians.”

If elected to power, the Scottish Tory leader promised a party focused on bringing down bills, faster GP appointments, improving schools, fixing roads, and delivering better value for money.

He also spoke about Swinney’s continued discussion of Farage and Reform.

“Nationalists always promote a political bogeyman instead of doing the hard work of good governance,” he said.

“And that’s why John Swinney constantly talks up Nigel Farage’s Reform – because a vote for Reform is a gift to the SNP.”

Findlay promised that his Tory party would “never back John Swinney as First Minister” or an SNP Government.

“If you want to know the difference between me and Nigel Farage, that’s it. I’m here to get rid of the SNP for the good of my country. Farage is happy to let them win for the good of his party.”