Scottish Parliament election 2021: All you need to know ahead of polling day

TV debates already taken place. Party leaders from all sides of the political divide have been up and down the country looking to secure your vote ahead of polling day.

Scottish Government actively encouraged the public to register for postal ballots due to lockdown restrictions which will likely limit the number of people who can enter polling stations at once come May 6.It means that a large chunk of the final result will already have been cast by the time polling stations open for business at 7am.Postal ballots will be issued from April 14 and must be completed and returned to the address provided by 10pm on May 6 to count.Malcolm Burr, convener of the

Sarwar land Labour ahead of the Tories and what is holding him back? Nicola Sturgeon’s handling of the covid pandemic, despite the high death rate and despite the care homes scandal, has served her well. Voters look like they want to reward the First Minister for leading the nation during a very difficult year and every time she gives a covid update they are reminded of that.He’s only been boss for six weeks or so and Sarwar has gained ground.

Boris Johnson rebuffs her demand, the next Holyrood term could be marked by a constitutional standoff.

Scottish Parliament reconvened for only the sixth time in its history. With political campaigning ahead of May's election briefly suspended due to the death of Prince Philip on Friday, MSPs returned to Edinburgh to pay tribute to the Queen's husband and his long record of public service.

underway with party leaders and candidates pounding the streets to attempt to secure your vote. One of the highlights of the elections in recent years has been the introduction of TV debates.The five main political party leaders faced off against one another on March 30 in what was the first debate of the Holyrood election.

Holyrood chamber to pay their respects following the death of Prince Philip last week. MSPs will sit at around 11am today and gives speeches for about half an hour.

Join thousands of others and get the latest Scottish politics news sent straight to your inbox.The Scottish Parliament will sit later today after being recalled for only the sixth time in its history to show respect to Prince Philip.Holyrood's presiding officer, Ken Macintosh, announced that MSPs would be able to return to the Holyrood chamber to pay tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh with a motion of condolence from 11am on Monday.All of the parties at Holyrood have also temporarily suspended

new Alba Party combined next month, with 45% opposed, once those who did not express an opinion were excluded from the result.Nicola Sturgeon has repeatedly said there would be grounds for a new vote on Scotland's future if her party wins a majority of MSPs on its own, and has ruled out working with Salmond.The pro-independence Greens are also hostile to the Alba Party but have talked up the prospect of forming a coalition with the Nationalists if they fall short of a majority.But just 50% of

signing up to our Politics newsletter.We cover Holyrood, Westminster and local councils, with a current focus on how our governments are handling the coronavirus pandemic.To sign up, simply enter your email address into the pink box near the top of this article.Alternatively, you can visit our newsletter sign up-centre.

Anas Sarwar this week unveiled a recovery plan to boost the post-lockdown economy.

Ruth Davidson got top billing in the video, while Douglas Ross appeared after the half-way point.

election. Neil Gray, who stepped down as an MP to run for the Holyrood chamber, took to Twitter to say he had been bitten when he was out leafleting.

Livingston: McCrorie; Devlin, Fitzwater, Guthrie, Longridge; Holt, Bartley; Sibbald (Kabia 112), Pittman (Diani 112), Forrest (Mullin 62); Emmanuel-Thomas (Poplatnik 71). Subs not used: Stryjek, Lithgow, McMillan, Ambrose, Lawson.

travel around Scotland this summer looking more likely than heading abroad, it's perhaps time to start thinking about a socially distanced road trip for a wee break.There are few things more liberating, after nearly a year in lockdown, than grabbing your keys and setting off on an epic adventure around some of the most spectacular scenery Scotland has to offer.

Get the stories that matter to you sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter.The full list of candidates standing for election to the Scottish Parliament on May 6 in the Stirling area has now been announced.Four candidates will vie to replace MSP for the Stirling constituency Bruce Crawford, who is retiring after 18 years at Holyrood.They are: Chris Kane (Scottish Labour Party); Dean Lockhart (Conservative and Unionist); Fayzan Rehman (Scottish Liberal Democrats); and Evelyn Tweed

Mark Meechan was fined £800 for recording his pug Buddha raising its paw in response to statements such as “gas the Jews” and “sieg heil”. He was found guilty in 2018 of posting materia l that was “grossly offensive” and “anti-Semitic and racist in nature” in an offence aggravated by religious prejudice.

Scottish Parliament party launched itself on social media last year and aims to do what it says on the tin - ditch Holyrood and return Scotland to direct rule from London.

party chiefs. The First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will be joined by Anas Sarwar from Labour, Douglas Ross from the Scottish Conservatives, Willie Rennie from the Lib Dems and Lorna Slater of the Scottish Greens.

Head over to our new Lanarkshire Live Facebook page to make sure you're up to date with the top stories in the regionIt is anticipated that it will be in place for approximately one week.Drivers are urged to follow local diversions.Georgina Reid, corporate affairs manager in the west, said: “It’s important that our customers continue to enjoy clear, fresh drinking water.