Scottish election 2021: Deadline closes for candidates
The deadline has now passed for candidates wishing to stand in the Scottish Parliament election on 6 May.
Would-be MSPs needed to have submitted their nomination papers by 16:00 on Wednesday. As expected, the SNP, Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats will stand in all 73 constituencies and the eight regions. The Scottish Greens will concentrate on the list system rather than constituency seats. Candidate names and the parties they represent are being posted on the websites of Scotland's 32 councils which help with administration of elections. The Scottish Parliament is made up of 129 elected members, one each from the 73 constituencies and a further 56 from the regional areas. A particular focus in this election will be on those regional candidates. In the 2016 poll the bulk of the wins for Scottish Conservative; Scottish Labour; Scottish Greens and Scottish Liberal Democrats came from lists. Smaller parties Those larger parties will be competing for votes once more alongside newer parties, including one led by a Scottish former first minister. A week ago Alex Salmond launched the pro-independence Alba Party. It is not fielding anyone in constituency seats but it has 32 candidates standing in the eight regions. Among them will be Mr Salmond and former SNP MP Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh. Pro-Union party, All For Unity, which was founded last year by former MP George Galloway is also expected to join the contest for regional seats. The BBC news website will publish a full list of candidates in the coming days. If the number of people and parties taking part is anything to be judged by, there has been an explosion of interest in the democratic process in Scotland. There are no fewer than 20 parties standing on the Glasgow regional list. There are 18 in Lothian. That's parties, not just candidates - the ballot paper is going to look like a phone book. These include representatives of every point on the political spectrum, from communists to libertarians, and they are promoting causes ranging from animal welfare to women's equality. There are even multiple choices at various points. The Green party has been joined by an "organic green" party, and there are not one but two parties which announce on the ballot paper their intention to abolish the very parliament they want to be elected to. New for the Covid-19 age, there is a party pitching itself on "opposition to lockdown", and others seeking to Reclaim, Reform and foster Unity. All have another five weeks to put their pitch across to the voting public before Scotland goes to the polls.