When is the next UK General Election? Here's when Britain next goes to the polls - and when the next Scottish Goverment and Local Council Elections take place
As the dust settles on the Holyrood election, here’s when Scotland will be returning to the ballot box in the coming years.
Scotland went to the polls yesterday in the seventh Holyrood election since the devolved parliament was re-established in 1999.
A total of 129 MSPs will be elected across 73 constituencies and hundreds of polling stations in schools, churches, and other community buildings.
Read more: Scottish Election results 2026 LIVE: Follow along for updates from the Holyrood elections
The results will be coming in throughout the course of today (Friday, May 8) and we’ll soon know the makeup of the parliament that will govern Scotland’s devolved powers over the next five years.
It might come as a surprise to some though that it’s less than a year until the next Scotland-wide election.
Here’s when it takes place - and when the other major polls will be held.
When are the next Scottish Local Elections?
Scotland elects 1,227 councillors across 32 unitary authorities every five years. Each council area is divided into a number of wards, with three or four councillors are elected for each ward. The election is carried out on a single transferable vote system where candidates are ranked on the ballot paper.
The next Scottish council election is scheduled for Thursday, May 6, 2027 - so in just under a year’s time.
When is the next UK General Election?
It may seem like longer ago now but the last UK General Election took place on Thursday, July 4, 2024, when Sir Keir Starmer won a landslide majority for Labour.
There is no exact date for the next UK General Election, other than it has to be held no later than August 15, 2029.
In practice it is likely to be held earlier so it doesn’t clash with school holidays and, while it is not laid down in law, it is a convention to hold the election on a Thursday.
Ultimately it is up to the Prime Minister when the General Election is held so, if the Labour Party are lagging behind in the polls, don’t expect a vote until early summer 2029.
When is the next Scottish Parliament election?
The Holyrood elections are a far simpler proposition that their UK equivalent - simply taking place every five years.
They traditionally take place at the start of May, meaning that the next election will take place on May 1 or May 8, 2031.
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