The Scottish National Party (SNP) is Scotland's largest political party and the country's leading pro-independence movement. It campaigns for Scotland to become an independent nation within Europe and has led the Scottish Government since 2007. Positioned broadly on the centre-left of Scottish politics, the SNP supports Scottish independence, opposes nuclear weapons and advocates greater powers for the Scottish Parliament.
Keep reading for the latest SNP news, analysis, interviews and political updates on Scotland's party of government, its leadership, policies and the future of the independence movement.
Latest SNP news
As reported by The National, here is a selection of the latest SNP news stories.
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SNP to launch £100,000 push to win 'hearts and minds' on independence SNP MSP asks King Charles for 'clarity' on whether he will pay higher council tax New Labour boss Michael Marra urged to distance himself from Palantir
Who is the leader of the SNP?
First Minister John Swinney is the current leader of the SNP and the MSP for Perthshire North.
The party's group leader at Westminster is Dave Doogan. The position was previously held by Stephen Flynn , who is tipped to be a future leader of the SNP.
SNP MSPs and MPs
The final result from the 2026 Scottish Elections gave the SNP 58 seats, short of an outright majority but by far the biggest party. Labour and Reform secured 17, Greens 15, Conservatives 12 and Liberal Democrats 10.
They now have seven MPs at Westminster, after Stephen Flynn and Stephen Gethins submitted their resignations to Commons and took their oaths as MSPs in Holyrood.
The MPs are:
- Kirsty Blackman (Aberdeen North)
- Seamus Logan (Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
- Brendan O'Hara (Argyll and Bute)
- Dave Doogan (Angus)
- Chris Law (Dundee West)
- Graham Leadbitter (Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey)
- Pete Wishart (Perth and North Perthshire)
- Aberdeenshire East – Gillian Martin
- Aberdeen Central – Jack Middleton
- Aberdeen Deeside and North Kincardine – Stephen Flynn
- Airdrie – Neil Gray
- Aberdeen Donside – Jackie Dunbar
- Almond Valley – Angela Constance
- Angus North and Mearns – Dawn Black
- Angus South – Lloyd Melville
- Argyll and Bute – Jenni Minto
- Ayr – Siobhian Brown
- Banffshire and Buchan Coast – Karen Adam
- Bathgate – Pauline Stafford
- Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley – Katie Hagmann
- Clackmannanshire & Dunblane – Keith Brown
- Clydebank and Milngavie – Marie McNair
- Clydesdale – Marie McAllan
- Coatbridge & Chryston – Fulton MacGregor
- Cowdenbeath – David Barratt
- Cumbernauld and Kilsyth – Jamie Hepburn
- Cunninghame North – Kenneth Gibson
- Cunninghame South – Patricia Gibson
- Dundee City East – Stephen Gethins
- Dundee City West – Heather Anderson
- Dunfermline – Shirley-Anne Somerville
- East Kilbride – Colette Stevenson
- East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs – Paul McLennan
- Eastwood – Kirsten Oswald
- Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh and Tranent – Kate Campbell
- Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith – Ben Macpherson
- Edinburgh South Western – Simita Kumar
- Falkirk East and Linlithgow – Martyn Day
- Falkirk West – Gary Bouse
- Glasgow Anniesland – Colm Merrick
- Glasgow Baillieston and Shettleston – David Linden
- Glasgow Cathcart and Pollok – Zen Ghani
- Glasgow Central – Alison Thewliss
- Glasgow Easterhouse & Springburn – Ivan McKee
- Glasgow Kelvin and Maryhill – Bob Doris
- Hamilton, Larkhall & Stonehouse – Alex Kerr
- Inverclyde – Stuart McMillan
- Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley – Alan Brown
- Kirkcaldy – David Torrance
- Mid Fife and Glenrothes – Jenny Gilruth
- Midlothian North – Colin Beattie
- Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale – Calum Kerr
- Moray – Laura Mitchell
- Motherwell and Wishaw – Clare Adamson
- Paisley – George Adam
- Perthshire North – John Swinney
- Perthshire South & Kinross-shire – Jim Fairlie
- Renfrewshire North and Cardonald – Michelle Campbell
- Renfrewshire West & Levern Valley – Tom Arthur
- Rutherglen & Cambuslang – Clare Haughey
- Shetland Islands – Hannah Mary Goodlad
- Stirling – Alyn Smith
- Inverness and Nairn – Emma Roddick
- Uddingston and Bellshill – Steven Bonnar
- Highlands and Islands (regional) – Maree Todd
SNP and Scottish independence
The SNP's central aim is Scottish independence. Since its formation in 1934, the party has campaigned for Scotland to become an independent country and has argued that decisions affecting Scotland should be made in Scotland.
The party led the Yes campaign in the 2014 independence referendum and continues to support a future referendum on Scotland's constitutional future.
SNP on Waspi compensation
In January 2025, the SNP forced a Westminster vote, supported by some MPs, demanding compensation for women born in the 1950s who were affected by changes to the state pension age.
However, the Labour Government had announced in December 2024 that no compensation would be given.
The forced vote was presented by the SNP's group leader, Stephen Flynn, who demanded that the Labour Government compensate the Waspi women.
MPs voted by 105 votes to 0 for the UK Government to issue compensation.
SNP's split from the Greens
The Scottish Greens were kicked out of power in 2024 by Humza Yousaf , who was the first minister at the time.
Yousaf sacked Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater as ministers, dramatically bringing the SNP’s power-sharing deal with the Greens to an end after they were brought into government anywhere in the UK for the first time by Nicola Sturgeon in 2021 with the Bute House Agreement.
Yousaf said the Green membership's upcoming vote on the Bute House Agreement threatened the stability of his government.
This decision triggered a crisis in the government and directly led to his resignation as the first minister .
Speaking at a press conference in Bute House on April 29, 2024, Yousaf said he "underestimated” the level of hurt he caused by ending the power-sharing deal.
He said: "Unfortunately in ending the Bute House Agreement in the matter I did I clearly underestimate the level of hurt and upset that caused Green colleagues.
“For a minority government to be able to govern effectively trust when working with the opposition is clearly fundamental.”
Sturgeon said his decision to end the deal was “catastrophic” . She told the Institute for Government think tank: “I think crashing that agreement was catastrophic and – politics aside – totally the wrong thing to do for stable government.”
