The Alba Party, led by former First Minister Alex Salmond, is set to wind up and skip the 2026 Scottish election, according to party sources. The decision comes after the party failed to gain significant traction in the 2021 Holyrood election, where polls suggested it might win only around 4% of the vote, short of the 6% threshold needed to secure seats in most regions.
Political analyst Sir John Curtice noted that the party's performance in 2021 was underwhelming, with predictions of at most one seat. The party's primary goal of boosting the pro-independence majority in the Scottish Parliament was not achieved, leading to internal discussions about its future viability.
The Alba Party was founded in 2021 as a pro-independence alternative to the SNP, but struggled to differentiate itself and gain support. With the next Scottish Parliament election scheduled for 2026, the party has decided to dissolve rather than contest the election, citing limited resources and a lack of electoral momentum.
This development leaves the pro-independence movement largely consolidated under the SNP, which remains the dominant force in Scottish politics. The Alba Party's dissolution marks the end of a short-lived political experiment that failed to reshape the independence debate.
