Scottish elections 2026

12 May 2026

Revealed: what the Scottish and Welsh election candidates talked about on social media

Our AI-assisted analysis of over 19,000 posts shows that the economy was the topic most commonly discussed, with health not far behind.

A wordcloud showing the words most often used in social media posts from candidates for the main parties in the Scottish and Welsh elections.

11 May 2026

We asked readers to send us election claims to fact check - so what did they spot?

We received dozens of tips over the course of the campaign, with many about bar charts in leaflets or councils’ delivery on local issues.

A person putting up a sign outside a polling station in London.

6 May 2026

Should you take a pen to a polling station?

Ahead of the 2026 elections, we’ve seen posts on social media suggesting it may be safer to cast your vote in pen rather than pencil to avoid vote tampering - but is that true?

A polling station sign in the Lake District

6 May 2026

Scottish Labour bar charts in Edinburgh and Glasgow leaflets aren’t reliable projections for Holyrood election

We’ve looked at the data used for two Scottish parliamentary constituencies after a Full Fact reader asked about one of the leaflets via our tip line.

6 May 2026

From AI videos to dodgy bar charts: what we learned from the 2026 elections

As voters prepare to head for the polls, Full Fact editor Steve Nowottny looks back on a campaign which featured both new uses of technology and old political tricks

5 May 2026

Are 10% of the UK’s asylum seekers being housed in Scotland?

We’ve looked at the latest figures after spotting this claim from Reform UK in Scottish election leaflets.

5 May 2026

SNP edited image sows confusion online

The SNP told us it edited a real picture of First Minister John Swinney in front of his own ad “to enhance the billboard image which was obscured by bright sunlight”.

First Minister and SNP leader John Swinney

1 May 2026

Are there university tuition fees in Scotland?

A claim about university funding made by SNP leader John Swinney in an election leaflet isn’t quite right.

24 April 2026

Glasgow candidate’s ‘illustrative’ AI campaign videos don’t show real events

An independent Scottish Parliament candidate has shared two videos on Facebook with AI-generated scenes of him speaking to voters and visiting a school and hospital.

A person walking into a polling station in Glasgow, Scotland

17 April 2026

Are 800,000 Scottish people waiting for NHS treatment?

This figure refers to the number of waits, not the number of individuals waiting for treatment as both Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar claimed.

Medical staff pushing a bed through a hospital corridor

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Scottish elections 2026

Revealed: what the Scottish and Welsh election candidates talked about on social media

We asked readers to send us election claims to fact check - so what did they spot?

Should you take a pen to a polling station?

Scottish Labour bar charts in Edinburgh and Glasgow leaflets aren’t reliable projections for Holyrood election

From AI videos to dodgy bar charts: what we learned from the 2026 elections

Are 10% of the UK’s asylum seekers being housed in Scotland?

SNP edited image sows confusion online

Are there university tuition fees in Scotland?

Glasgow candidate’s ‘illustrative’ AI campaign videos don’t show real events

Are 800,000 Scottish people waiting for NHS treatment?

Evidence you can rely on