Historic Wins for Scottish Greens in Holyrood Constituencies
The Scottish Greens have secured their first ever Holyrood constituency victories, unseating prominent SNP figure Angus Robertson in Edinburgh Central and capturing Nicola Sturgeon's former seat of Glasgow Southside.
Lorna Slater, a former Green co-leader and minister in the previous SNP-Green coalition government, won Edinburgh Central with a clear majority of 4,582 votes, representing a 13% lead over Labour.
Angus Robertson, who previously held senior roles including government minister and SNP deputy leader, fell to third place in the contest.
In Glasgow Southside, Green councillor Holly Bruce achieved victory with a majority of 3,101 votes (8.1%) over former SNP minister Kaukab Stewart.
Until now, the Greens had only returned Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) via regional lists and had never won a constituency seat outright.
Angus Robertson’s Defeat and Political Background
Robertson, who served as the Scottish Government's culture and external affairs secretary during the last parliamentary term, is anticipated to be the highest-profile loss of this election cycle.
He received 7,702 votes, significantly trailing Slater, who secured 12,680 votes.
Although Robertson is contesting a seat on the Edinburgh and Lothians East regional list, his fourth position on the SNP list makes it highly unlikely he will return as an MSP.
Lorna Slater’s Leadership and Reflections
Slater, who served as co-leader of the Scottish Greens alongside Patrick Harvie between 2019 and 2025, was a minister in the Scottish Government following the 2021 election under a power-sharing agreement with the SNP that concluded in 2024.
"This is a significant milestone," Slater said, reflecting on the party's first constituency win. "We are hopeful of surpassing our record of eight MSPs in 2021. I can't wait to get back to work."
Holly Bruce’s Victory Speech and Local Ties
Bruce, a former lawyer and local councillor, expressed her connection to the area during her acceptance speech.
"I live and I breathe the Southside. This victory isn't just mine, it belongs to all of you."
Additional Green Party Performance and Election Context
The Greens also performed strongly in other constituencies, closely contesting seats in Edinburgh North East and Leith, as well as Glasgow Kelvin and Maryhill.
Robertson’s defeat marks another significant setback in his political career, which previously included an unexpected loss of the Moray seat to the Conservatives in the 2015 general election, prompting his transition to Holyrood in 2021.
