Scottish Politics Explained 2026: A guide to the new parliamentary session

Hear directly from those working in the Scottish Parliament and learn about the structure, composition, and powers of Holyrood. Find out how Scottish politics functions day-to-day and gain insight from those who allow it to do so.

Following a hard-fought campaign which has seen Scotland’s political parties presenting and defending their manifestos, this session will focus on how new legislation will be passed in the Scottish Parliament. Hear from those inside the Scottish Government on how its agenda is implemented within the structure of Scotland’s proportional system, as well as learning the different stages a bill must pass to become law and the opportunities to engage during this process.

The 2026 Scottish elections will see one third of Holyrood’s MSPs standing down, with many more likely to be voted out. Accordingly, the seventh session of the Scottish Parliament will be filled with new faces and new ideas.

Hear from Scotland’s leading political experts and analysts on what we can expect to see from this Parliament, the issues that will dominate the chamber, and how external organisations can best position themselves to make a difference over the next five years.

This session will allow you to hear from the Scottish Election Study on their analysis of the election, the key issues that decided the results, and what this reflects about the political and social values of the Scottish electorate.

Having learnt about the structure and composition of the Parliament, the political dynamics that have led to its makeup, and the issues that will dominate it, this session will show you how to engage with Holyrood over the next five years.

Hear insight from leaders in public affairs and media on how to make your message cut through the noise and competing priorities of a new Parliament. You will also have the opportunity to hear from those who create and enforce the rules on parliamentary engagement to ensure that your strategy is compliant with them.

While coverage of the election may focus around MSPs, their staffers play a crucial role in the functioning of the Scottish Parliament. They scrutinise and draft policies, brief MSPs and the Government, implement communication strategies and are the first point of contact when engaging with an MSP’s office.

In this panel session, we will hear from staffers across Scotland’s political parties. They will discuss their roles and what they entail, their experience of the new Parliament, and how to best build relationships with them during this period.

This panel discussion will feature a mix of newly elected and experienced MSPs discussing their priorities for the new Parliament, reflections on the previous, and how organisations can stand out from the crowd when getting their message across.

Delegates will also have an opportunity to ask questions during this session.