Call for early Holyrood election

The next Scottish election should be moved forward to give voters a say on the country’s turbulent politics, a Labour peer has said.

Lord Foulkes has drawn up a draft bill to move the next Holyrood election to 2020, returning the Scottish Parliament to a four-year electoral cycle.

Holyroodelectiondateswere changed to avoid clashes with Westminster, but that timetable was shaken up by last year’s snap general election. Lord Foulkes said there was “no reason why the Scottish people have to wait an extra year”.

The Scottish Government said there were no plans to bring the 2021 Holyrood vote forward.