Scottish Parliament
Scotland's devolved, unicameral legislature of 129 MSPs, sitting at Holyrood in Edinburgh since 1999.
On 22 September 2026, the Scottish Parliament backed John Swinney's right-to-decide motion 84 to 18 as amended, once a Scottish Labour child-poverty amendment had carried 91 to 12.
Last refreshed: 7 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Does Holyrood's right-to-decide vote bring an independence referendum any closer?
Timeline for Scottish Parliament
Passed the amended motion 84 to 18
UK Local Elections 2026: Marra's MSPs vote for right to decideMentioned in: Lennon is off the Scottish Labour ballot
UK Local Elections 2026Mentioned in: Scottish Labour opens a contest Sarwar left early
UK Local Elections 2026Mentioned in: Lennon accuses her party of misogyny
UK Local Elections 2026Mentioned in: Three run for Scottish Labour leader
UK Local Elections 2026Background
The Scottish Parliament is Scotland's devolved, unicameral legislature. Its 129 MSPs meet at Holyrood in Edinburgh, scrutinise the Scottish Government and pass laws in devolved areas.
It was created by the Scotland Act 1998, after a 1997 referendum in which 74.3% of those voting backed a Scottish Parliament, and first met on 12 May 1999.
Its constitutional votes carry political weight, but only a Section 30 order made at Westminster can give Holyrood the power to hold a lawful independence ballot. The Parliament demanded one on 26 May 2026 and Downing Street refused the same day; Prime Minister Andy Burnham has since said he will not grant one.
Holyrood asserts a right to decide
On 26 May 2026, the Parliament voted 72 to 55 to demand that Westminster grant a Section 30 order for a second independence referendum. Downing Street rejected it the same day through a spokesperson's lobby line, not a letter to Edinburgh.
On 22 September the chamber went further in words, if not in law. Scottish Labour's child-poverty amendment to John Swinney's right-to-decide motion passed 91 to 12, and the motion as amended passed 84 to 18 with the SNP, Labour and the Scottish Greens in FAVOUR. All 17 Labour MSPs backed it under their new leader, Michael Marra, though the vote does not commit Labour to a referendum. Neither vote can itself authorise one.
The 2026 election remade the chamber
The Parliament dissolved at 23:59 on 8 April 2026 with a record 39 MSPs not seeking re-election, among them former first ministers and committee chairs.
On 7 May the SNP won 58 of the 129 seats, seven short of the 65 John Swinney had named as his referendum trigger, and formed a minority government. Reform UK entered the chamber with 17 MSPs, the Scottish Greens took 15 and the Scottish Conservatives fell to 12. Turnout was 53.0%, down 10.5 points on 2021.
How many MSPs are in the Scottish Parliament?
What did the Scottish Parliament vote on 22 September 2026?
When was the Scottish Parliament created?
Can the Scottish Parliament hold an independence referendum on its own?
