(L-R) Patrick Harvie, Holly Bruce, Ross Greer, celebrating at the Glasgow vote count on 8 May, 2026
Photo: Jason Fong / Strathclyde Telegraph

The Greens won their first constituency seats in the history of the Scottish parliament, with Lorna Slater, the previous co-leader of the Scottish Greens, winning Edinburgh Central, and Holly Bruce, a former lawyer and Greens councillor, winning in Glasgow Southside. This is not only a victory for the Greens, but for the case of Scottish independence, with the SNP and Greens are creating a shared seat count of 73/129. This brings a new pro-independence majority in Holyrood, which has never been seen before.

John Swinney says these results show how the need for independence is “urgent”, particularly following Reform UK’s surge in England to ensure that Scotland is “Farage-proofed.” Through the Greens record number of votes, they now have 3 Green MSPs covering Glasgow: Holly Bruce, Iris Duane, and former co-leader of the Scottish Greens, Patrick Harvie, who is making his return to Holyrood. This now makes the Scottish Greens the second largest party in Glasgow, behind the SNP, beating Labour and Reform.

Bruce’s seat was a great feat for the Greens, taking over a seat in Glasgow Southside that the Greens had not previously contested, with over 14,000 votes. The seat was previously held by Nicola Sturgeon, who posted an Instagram story before the election, endorsing the Southside SNP candidate, Kaukab Stewart.

“I think many people know that I live and I breathe the Southside,” Bruce said in a speech following her historic win, “Community to me isn’t just a buzzword; it looks like meetings
held around my kitchen table and rolling posters in the living room. It’s the last-minute runs to Amy’s to print speeches. The late-night texts after canvassing, saying, “I think we can do this,” And the strangers shouting ‘Mon the Greens!”

Bruce also paid homage to previous female Green councillors and candidates in Glasgow from past election cycles, “Kim Long, Nadia Kanyage, Zara Kitson and Martha Wardrop. We have been working so hard to get a woman elected in Glasgow for far too long. This victory is for you, too.”

Additionally, Bruce, a frequent campaigner for LGBTQ+ solidarity and rights, used her speech to celebrate Iris Duane, newly elected Green MSP, as the first transgender woman of colour to be elected into Holyrood. “When you vote Green, you get honesty, integrity, and a real sense of care. It might be my name on that ballot, but this is for everyone.”

As MSP for Glasgow Southside, she outlined her priorities through hundreds of conversations with locals throughout her campaign. Bruce plans to fight for funding with street cleaning, more recycling and tackling fly-tipping, as well as more pavement accessibility, something close to her heart as a ‘keen cyclist’.

Bruce has also been a longtime advocate for preserving the arts and culture in Glasgow, which is an increasingly pressing topic, with arts centres and cultural institutions under
pressure and closing down in Glasgow. She has backed the Greens’ proposed Culture Act, and states cultural preservation as a priority, planning to fight for more funding for artists and creatives in the area.

“I’m not going to pretend to be the perfect MSP, but I promise you this: I will do my best every single day to represent the interests of my community. I will show up, I will work, and I will never forget who I am here to serve.”