2026 elections: Scotland and Wales roundup
In this blog, the CIPD’s senior public affairs officer Daniel Khan-O'Malley runs through the 2026 election results from the devolved nations, and what people professionals need to know.
In this blog, the CIPD’s senior public affairs officer Daniel Khan-O'Malley runs through the 2026 election results from the devolved nations, and what people professionals need to know.
Scotland has gone to the polls in an election that saw 42 MSPs not seeking re-election. In the end, 64 new MSPs were elected to the Scottish Parliament, roughly half of the total. That’s the largest change in personnel in the parliament's history.
The results are as follows:
The SNP are the clear winners, with this being their fifth Scottish election win and the party now entering a third decade in power in Scotland. The opposition, however, now comprises five parties, with the entrance of Reform UK, which has 17 MSPs.
A majority in the Scottish Parliament is set at 65 MSPs. The SNP are short of this but are expected to govern as a minority government, as they did before the election and in 2007. With the Scottish Greens and the Scottish Liberal Democrats having 15 and 10 MSPs respectively, the SNP will have two parties it can work with to pass its budgets.
The election saw notable losses of high-profile SNP Ministers, specifically Angus Robertson and Kaukab Stewart. Both lost their seats to the Scottish Greens. Further, the election sees many current and former SNP MPs coming to Holyrood - Alison Thewliss, Stephen Gethins, their Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, and Kirsten Oswald, who is a CIPD member.
Overall, the next Scottish Parliament is expected to be one of the most interesting, with the five opposition parties all between 10 and 17 MSPs and two second-place parties both with 17 MSPs. It’s yet to be seen who gets the first question during First Minister’s Questions. Expect a lot of fireworks and drama in this session of the Scottish Parliament.
For a more in-depth look at what the new parliament and government mean for people professionals in Scotland, please sign up for our Scottish Policy Forum in Scotland on, 12 noon, 21st of May.
We now go to Wales, which saw a seismic, historic election that resulted in Welsh Labour losing there for the first time in over 100 years (with the exception of EU elections).
The results are as follows
Plaid Cymru have won the election with 43 MSs and over the weekend announced they will govern as a minority party. For the election of the new First Minister, both Labour and the sole Lib Dem have stated they will abstain, while the Greens have said they will vote for Rhun ap Iorwerth, the leader of Plaid Cymru. Plaid Cymru looks set to make this their SNP 2007 moment – focusing on governing well to build a case for independence after the next election.
Notable for the UK national picture from this election is the stark result for Welsh Labour, which now has nine MSs, down from 30, and their leader and First Minister failed to retain a seat in the Senedd.
Reform has also entered the Senedd with 34 MSs, making them the second largest party by a considerable margin. How this will play out in the Senedd and for wider UK national politics is yet to be seen.
Overall, this election has produced a seismic shift in the make-up of the Senedd, with two parties other than Labour and the Conservatives now forming the government and the opposition – a unique situation across Great Britain.
For a more in-depth look at what the new parliament and government mean for people professionals in Wales, please sign up for the CIPD in Wales’ post-election webinar on 24 June.
Policy priorities for the next parliamentary sessions in Holyrood and the Senedd will shift due to Reform's introduction as the second-largest bloc in both parliaments. This will likely see a focus on EDI in a negative manner, and a focus on non-developed issues, such as immigration, is likely. Reform made asylum a big focus in the Scottish election.
With Plaid Cymru’s election win in Wales and the SNP’s win for the fifth time, the three devolved nations – Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - are now all led by parties that have aims of leaving the United Kingdom. Rhun ap Iorweth has already spoken of a Celtic Alliance, with Michelle O’Neill already phoning her counterparts in Scotland and Wales. Expect tension between the UK Government in London and the three devolved nations. What this means for the future of the Union is yet to be seen.
For a more in-depth look at the elections and what this means for the people professionals in the next parliamentary term, please register for our upcoming webinars.
Daniel Khan-O’Malley joined the CIPD in October 2025, leading public affairs engagement across Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. He brings over a decade of experience in the UK policy landscape, having worked at Westminster and Holyrood, taught politics at the University of Glasgow, and led policy and public affairs functions in the third sector.