What are the main issues shaping this election?
There are five weeks to go until the Holyrood election on 7 May, which will determine who has a say on Scotland’s devolved powers, such as housing, health, and education. Two issues above all are defining this election.

This year focuses on tax and cost-of-living, the latter of which is an unusual focus in previous elections, but Scotland’s main candidates have polarising views on both issues.

Taxation
Scotland has devolved power over income tax. With this ability, the SNP has created a lower marginal rate for lower earners (£12,570-£16,537) and granted a personal allowance of £12,570, on which they will not pay any income tax.
Scotland has the most power over income tax than any other devolved nation, with Wales having less autonomy over their devolved income tax, and Northern Ireland not having Income tax as a devolved power.

In a December 2025 YouGov poll, it was found that the number one issue for Scots is the economy, with 47% of Scots seeing it as a great concern. However, in terms of taxation, 2024 Reform UK and Conservative voters show very different views on how taxation should change, in comparison to 2024 voters of more economically left parties such as the SNP and the Scottish Greens.

For example, 42% of 2024 SNP voters believe the government taxes and spends too little, as opposed to 66% of 2024 Conservative voters believing the taxes and spending are too high. With Scots having such drastically different -and strong- opinions, the main parties’ 2026 manifestos reflect this.

Every main party puts the economy and affordable living at the highest points of their priorities in their manifestos. Scottish Labour has vowed not to raise income tax any further until the country regains economic stability, whilst Conservatives and Reform UK plan to take drastic action to reduce income tax for mid-range and higher earners.

In opposition, the Scottish Greens stand firm in their view of Scotland’s income tax system, saying it is ‘progressive’ and would like to increase taxation on landlords to protect tenants from increased rent. However, they want to ‘scrap’ the council tax entirely and implement the ‘mansion tax’ for properties valued at £1m or more.

Finally, the SNP too says the Income tax system in Scotland is ‘progressive’ and the fairest in the UK; however, they will not increase the number of bands or their rates, and will keep the interests of low and mid-level earners at the heart of their agenda.

Every party in this election is showing voters that taxation and affordability of living are a priority, but they just can’t agree on how.
For students, taxation might not be at the top of your concerns; however, with Scottish Parliament elections being every 5 years, the party that wins in May will shape Scotland’s spending and taxation well into your future and working life.

Cost of Living
You might not be paying taxes yet, but every person in Scotland is impacted by the cost-of-living crisis. So much so that 48% of Scots say that their finances have worsened over the past fiscal year.

This too is at the top of parties’ priorities in the May election.

The SNP plan hopes to ease financial struggles for families amidst the cost of living by increasing the Scottish Child Payment to £40 a week, and for pensioners and those with disabilities with heating bills. John Swinney also pledged at the forefront of his campaign, aside from independence, that the SNP will put a price cap on essential foods to keep essentials affordable.

The Scottish Greens’ Gillian Mackay and Ross Greer want to help with cost of living by expanding free bus travel to everyone in Scotland, similar to the SNP, who plan to cap bus travel at £2 for all. They say this would combine climate action with tackling affordable living. In addition, Greens want to improve childcare and make it accessible for every child, which is also a recurring issue brought up in this election, as it is tied to the cost-of-living crisis.

Rather than adding new policies, Scottish Labour plans to keep the scrap on peak rail fairs, and maintain affordable bus travel. However, similarly to Greens, they plan to increase the Scottish Child Maintenance allowance to £40 per week for low-income families, and for children under one.

The Conservatives plan to put more investment into wind power to help with high energy prices, whilst Reform UK looks to scrap net zero, remove the ban on nuclear power and increase drilling for oil in the North Sea, to improve the UK’s economy and make power more affordable.

Although some issues like energy costs and childcare might seem like issues in the far and forgettable future, cost-of-living affects us all, especially students. If you or your friends have ever complained about the price of your food shop, or the size of your overdraft, you’re not imagining it; life has become increasingly unaffordable for us all. The National Union of Students has found that one in three students relies on commercial debt (i.e., credit cards) to get by, and two-thirds of students report mental health issues due to financial stress.

So, make sure you vote in this election on May 7 for yourself, your peers, and an affordable
Scotland.