STV has revealed its coverage plans for the 2026 Scottish Parliament Election campaign, with an extensive offering of updates, insights and analysis set to keep audiences informed across digital, TV and radio from campaign kick-off through to results day.
Starting on Thursday 2 April, audiences will be given the opportunity to get to know party leaders better in a series of one-to-one interviews airing throughout the campaign. Scotland Tonight’s Meet the Leaders series will see the programme’s presenter Rona Dougall go face-to-face with the biggest names in Scottish politics as they field questions from her and from viewers on the issues that matter most to them.
In the final days of the campaign, on Tuesday 28 April from 7-9pm, STV will air The STV Leaders’ Debate live from Edinburgh’s Signet Library.* Moderated by STV’s Political Editor Colin Mackay, with Rona Dougall and STV’s Westminster Correspondent Lucy Dunn in the spin room, the programme will feature leaders from the Scottish Conservatives, Scottish Greens, Scottish Labour, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Scottish National Party and Reform UK, and will air on STV, STV Player and YouTube.
Reflecting the fact that votes in the 7 May election will be counted throughout the following day, rather than overnight, STV News will air a special live results programme on STV and STV Player from 5pm on Friday 8 May.
Hosted by Kelly-Ann Woodland in the Glasgow election studio and Andrea Brymer at Holyrood, alongside Colin Mackay, the programme will bring viewers all the biggest moments of the day and expert analysis. Following the ITV Evening News at 7:30pm, Rona Dougall will be joined by some of Scotland’s foremost political commentators to assess what the results mean for the future of the country.
Up-to-the-minute coverage from reporters in key counts across Scotland will be available throughout the day on the STV News website and app, STV’s regular TV news bulletins, and on STV Radio, Scotland’s new national radio station. STV News is available on all major digital platforms – including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube – and average monthly video views more than doubled year-on-year in 2025, indicating shifting trends in how audiences access STV’s trusted news output.
Linda Grimes Douglas, Head of News and Current Affairs at STV, said: “At times of national importance, when voters are asked to make major consequential decisions, a solid and reliable news source that cuts through the noise is crucial. Whichever way audiences get their news, STV’s multi-platform content offering will provide digestible reporting and clear analysis to help navigate the upcoming Scottish Parliament Election campaign.”