Scottish politics can seem VERY complicated at first. There are different parliaments, different elections and a lot of unfamiliar terms.

But once you understand how it works, it becomes much easier to follow. And, more importantly, it starts to get interesting.

So, who actually ‘runs’ Scotland?

As of June 2026, Scotland is still part of the United Kingdom. However, Scotland has its own parliament, the Scottish Parliament, which has the power to make decisions on certain issues. This is known as devolution.

The Scottish Parliament is based at Holyrood in Edinburgh. It was created in 1999 and makes decisions on many issues that affect everyday life in Scotland.

These include:

• education
• health
• housing
• transport
• justice
• local government
• some taxation
• the environment

The UK Parliament at Westminster still makes decisions for Scotland in areas such as:

• defence (the military)
• foreign affairs (UK’s relationships with other countries)
• immigration
• most social security (benefits and financial support)

This means that both Holyrood and Westminster can make decisions that affect people living in Scotland.

What is the Scottish Government?

The Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government are not the same thing.

The Scottish Parliament makes laws and holds the Scottish Government to account. But, the Scottish Government is responsible for running the country and putting its policies into practice.

The Scottish Government is led by the First Minister.

The First Minister is normally the leader of the political party that can command the support of a majority of MSPs in the Scottish Parliament.

What is an MSP?

MSP stands for Member of the Scottish Parliament.

MSPs are elected by people across Scotland. They represent their constituents, debate issues and vote on laws in the Scottish Parliament. There are 129 MSPs in the Scottish Parliament.

You have MSPs who represent the area where you live. You can contact them about issues that matter to you, whether that is education, housing, transport or something happening in your local community. Speaking to your MSP is one way to raise issues and help make a difference in your community.

How are MSPs elected?

Scottish Parliament elections use a system called Additional Member System (AMS).

This can sound complicated, but the basic idea is simple.

You get two votes.

Your first vote is for a candidate in your local constituency.

Your second vote is for a political party in your wider electoral region.

This system is designed to make the overall result more proportional than simply giving every seat to whoever wins the most votes in each constituency.

Who are the main political parties?

Scotland has several political parties represented at Holyrood.

The main ones include the:

Scottish National Party (SNP)
The SNP supports Scottish independence and has been one of the dominant parties in Scottish politics for many years.

Scottish Labour
Labour is a centre-left party that supports Scotland remaining part of the UK.

Scottish Conservatives
The Conservatives are a centre-right party that support the Union between Scotland and the rest of the UK.

Scott Scottish Greens
The Scottish Greens focus heavily on climate change, the environment and social issues. They also support Scottish independence.

Scottish Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats generally support the UK Union and focus on issues including public services, civil liberties and local communities.

There are also smaller parties and independent candidates.

What does my local council do?

Politics does not stop at Holyrood. I wouldn’t even say it starts there.

Scotland has 32 local authorities, often called councils.

Your local council deals with many things you encounter in everyday life, including:

• rubbish collection
• schools
• social care
• local roads
• libraries
• planning
• parks and leisure facilities

Councillors are elected to represent people in their local area.

This is why local elections matter. Your council can have a much more direct impact on your everyday life than you might realise.