Having angered the Scottish Greens by tearing up the coalition agreement that he’d once described as “worth its weight in gold”, he then learned they would support a Tory motion of no confidence in him that is due to be tabled at Holyrood later this week.
This was followed by an even more portentous motion, proposed by Labour, of no confidence in the Scottish government – something that could conceivably trigger an early Scottish election, which would very likely deliver a Labour (or Labourled) administration at Holyrood for the first time since 2007. The collapse of the SNP government, if not the cause of independence, carries an air of inevitability.
Could Scotland have two general elections this year?
Yes. The extra Holyrood vote would be termed an “extraordinary general election”. But the Scotland Act 1998 states that Westminster and Holyrood elections cannot be held on the same day.
Will there still be the scheduled Scottish election in 2026?
This story is from the April 30, 2024 edition of The Independent.
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This story is from the April 30, 2024 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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