Parties gear up for final week of campaigning ahead of election
Scotland's political parties are entering the final week of campaigning ahead of the 7 May Holyrood election, with voters set to choose 129 MSPs through constituency and regional ballots. Results will be announced throughout Friday, as there will be no overnight counting. Party leaders, including John Swinney, Anas Sarwar, and Russell Findlay, are making last-minute pitches on issues ranging from healthcare and childcare to tax cuts and independence.
- ▪Voters will cast ballots for both a constituency candidate and a regional party, with 440 candidates running across 29 parties.
- ▪The SNP is advocating for a 2028 independence referendum if it secures at least 65 MSPs and has pledged grocery cost controls and a £2 bus fare cap.
- ▪Scottish Labour, led by Anas Sarwar, is prioritizing NHS reform, while the Scottish Greens are pushing for free bus travel and expanded childcare.
- ▪The Scottish Conservatives, under Russell Findlay, are promising income tax cuts, faster GP access, and a two-child cap on the Scottish Child Payment.
- ▪Reform UK in Scotland, led by Malcolm Offord, supports cutting income tax below the UK rate and reviving the North Sea oil and gas industry.
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Parties gear up for final week of campaigning ahead of election1 hour agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleGetty ImagesThere will be no overnight counting and instead results will be revealed throughout FridayScotland's political parties are gearing up for their final week of campaigning ahead of the Holyrood election.On Thursday, 7 May, voters will head to their local polling station to choose who they want to lead the next Scottish government.They will be able to back a candidate in their constituency, as well as cast a regional ballot for a party.There are 440 candidates standing in constituency races, and no fewer than 29 different parties contesting the eight regional lists.By the end of this week Scotland should have decided who its 129 MSPs will be, with results expected…
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