John Swinney in a seated portrait pic in Holyrood. He has a blue suit and glasses.

The SNP have won the election. Here’s our message to them

May 9, 2026

Our Charity

With the SNP’s election as the largest party in the new Scottish parliament, they must embrace the politics of humanism, secularism, and hope.

Humanist Society Scotland congratulates the SNP on their election as the largest party in the Scottish Parliament.

Scotland voted overwhelmingly for MSPs who support a woman or pregnant person’s right to choose an abortion and oppose harmful conversion practices against LGBTQ+ people. The progressive majority in parliament must now turn these principles into action. This means reforming Scotland’s outdated abortion laws and legislating to ban conversion practices outright.

So too, MSPs who support children’s freedom of thought must work to end compulsory religious observance in schools. No pupil should be forced to worship, pray or affirm their belief in God. And in non-denominational schools, RO should be replaced with a ‘Time for Reflection’ model that respects the diversity of beliefs in our school communities. Following the passage of the Religious Observance Bill in February, Ministers can implement these important changes in time for the new school year.

The government must also commit to ongoing, urgent, and equitable climate action to ensure Scotland meets its net zero commitment by 2045.

Reform continues to support divisive Christian Nationalist politics and the withdrawal from key human rights treaties.

We also need to acknowledge the election of Reform UK MSPs for the first time. The party continues to support divisive Christian Nationalist politics and the withdrawal from key human rights treaties. Reform members have also expressed openly racist, anti-LGBT+ and anti-abortion positions. As humanists, we urge the strongest possible response against any attempt to undermine democracy, sow fear and division, and undermine human rights and the rule of law.

With a large intake of new MSPs, the new parliament offers a renewed opportunity to advance and protect human rights in Scotland. In particular, the SNP must uphold its commitment to legislation that outlaws conversion practices, tackles misogyny, and incorporates more human rights treaties into Scots law.

We look forward to working with the new parliament and government to make Scotland a more secular, compassionate, and socially just country.

Our response to the SNP’s election was reported in Third Force News on 12 May 2026.

Images: Scottish Government/Wikipedia (CC).

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