Scottish Election 2021

Nicola Sturgeon (right) has hailed the SNP's "historic and extraordinary" fourth consecutive victory in the Scottish Parliament election. 

With all the results in, the ruling Scottish National Party have finished on 64 seats – one short of a majority but one more than they won in the last election. The Conservatives won 31, Labour 22, Scottish Greens eight and Liberal Democrats four. 

[Note: The SNP won 63 of the 129 seats in 2016 – with the Scottish Conservatives second on 31. Scottish Labour won 24 seats, the Scottish Greens six seats and the Scottish Liberal Democrats won five seats]. 

Sturgeon said her priority was to steer the country through the pandemic. But she said she still intended to hold an independence referendum once the crisis has passed. 

And the Scottish First Minister asserted that there was no democratic justification for UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson (right), or anyone else, to attempt to block it.

Sturgeon said her party had won the most constituency seats and secured the highest share of the constituency vote in the history of devolution. 

And she pledged that "the task of building a better Scotland for everyone who lives here will be my priority every single day". 

Well done, Scotland!

Thank goodness, Liverpool managed a 2-0 win against Southampton in yesterday’s Premier League match. 

Sadio Mane opened the scoring against his former club, heading home Mohamed Salah's cross in the thirty-first minute. And Spain midfielder Thiago Alcantara scored his first Reds goal in the ninetieth minute to hand Jurgen Klopp his 100th win at Anfield in all competitions. 

Liverpool's next game is against Manchester United on Thursday, before they visit West Brom on Sunday. Hope is rekindled – let’s not throw it all away!