THE LEGENDARY words of Harold Macmillan – “Events, dear boy, events” – have never felt so cuttingly apt as Scotland stumbles towards the 2026 Holyrood election. What we’re witnessing is less governance and more a tragicomic parade of chaos dressed up in a very bad outfit catwalking as leadership. But amid the farce, there’s a faint glimmer of hope – perhaps some people with real-world ambition and talent will step forward – leaders of the sort politics used to attract before it became the playground of party political careerists and keyboard warriors.
Scotland’s House of Cards
Scotland’s once-stable political scene – dominated by the SNP’s lofty spin and rhetoric – now sways like a drunk trying to find the last bus home. A string of disasters has left voters disillusioned: the ferry scandal, the independence flip-flopping, the gender self-identification circus (For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers), and the existential sideshow of “What is a woman?” Add to that the lingering spectre of Operation Branchform, and Holyrood starts to look less like a parliament and more like the set of The Thick of It. (Where’s Malcolm when you need him?)
Labour’s “resurgence” has been equally uninspiring – a brief fling born of frustration with the Conservatives rather than a genuine renewal of purpose. It’s déjà vu politics, where platitudes replace bold action. Trade unionist Jimmy Reid once said, “The untapped reservoir of talent in the working class is Scotland’s greatest asset.” But Labour has long abandoned that reservoir in favour of middle-class focus groups and glossy slogans.
And then there are the Scottish Conservatives.Our right to recovery bill aside (and I’m grateful for their commitment to it) we all know, the Scottish Tories are like a rare species of bird: they’re mostly invisible, their calls are rarely heard, and when they do show up, everyone wonders how they got there in the first place.
If Holyrood were a school play, the Tories would be the understudy for the understudy, standing in the wings hoping nobody notices them. In this vacuum of inspiration, smaller parties and independents have a once-in-a-generation chance to step into the spotlight.
The Endless Soap Opera of Globalism vs Nationalism
Scotland’s political debates have become as predictable as a Christmas rerun of Home Alone. Instead of tackling the issues that matter to most people, Holyrood obsesses over debates like the endless wrangling over independence, virtue-signalling on gender policy, and high-profile climate summits that win applause abroad but leave our roads riddled with potholes and our schools struggling for funding. Voters are tired of a government that seems more interested in global accolades than in making sure the bins get emptied on time.
Jimmy Reid’s words cut through the nonsense: “A rat race is for rats.” Scotland needs leaders who focus on real problems, not ideological posturing.
A series of failures has laid bare the absurd dysfunction of Scotland’s political class. As 2026 approaches, these issues are shaping what promises to be the most surreal election in memory:
1. The Health Crisis
Scotland’s NHS is buckling under pressure, with long waiting times, overworked staff, and struggling mental health services. While politicians promise the earth, frontline workers are left scrambling to keep the system afloat.
2. The Education Crisis
Despite claiming progressiveness, Scotland’s education rankings continue to slide. Teachers are burned out, schools are underfunded, and children are caught in the crossfire of political posturing over curriculum reform.
3. The Drug Crisis
Scotland’s drug-death rate remains the highest in Europe. Harm-reduction strategies, however well meaning, act as a Band-Aid on a gaping wound. Recovery still feels like an afterthought in a system that manages dependency but rarely seeks to end it.
4. The Cost-of-Living Crisis
Rising energy bills, housing shortages, and inflation squeeze families like a vice. Yet politicians seem more invested in symbolic cultural debates than in making life affordable. For the working class, this “crisis” is nothing new – it’s just that middle-class discomfort has finally put it on the radar.
5. The Independence Soap Opera
The SNP’s endless “will-they-won’t-they” dance on independence has worn out even its most loyal supporters. What was once a rallying cry has turned into political white noise.
6. The Green Energy Backlash
While Scotland touts its renewable energy ambitions, rural communities feel sidelined. Wind farms and large-scale developments plough ahead, often ignoring local concerns and environmental trade-offs. Balance is nowhere to be found.
How Did We Get Here?
Scotland’s political class has become a caricature of itself – detached, insulated, and woefully out of touch. Once, politics attracted individuals with real-world experience: farmers, teachers, entrepreneurs, and community leaders. Now, it’s a club for careerists and ideologues, more concerned with climbing party ranks than solving real problems.
Holyrood has devolved into a middle-class echo chamber, playing to an audience that doesn’t represent the majority. The working class, long ignored, stays home on election day because they know their needs aren’t even on the agenda. Jimmy Reid would have called this out for what it is: governance “for the few, by the few.”
Scotland stands at a crossroads – or maybe a roundabout, given how often we seem to go in circles. The 2026 election is an opportunity to reclaim politics for the people. We need leaders with lived experience – nurses, builders, activists, farmer – not another generation of bland, PR-polished career politicians.
Jimmy Reid’s words remind us: “We’re not rats. We’re human beings.” And Scotland deserves leaders who understand that.
The 2026 Election: leaving behind the Comedy of Errors
As we approach 2026, the stage is set for a political spectacle of epic proportions. Traditional parties are floundering, trust is evaporating, and the field is wide open for independent thinkers and grassroots movements to step forward. The bar for leadership has never been lower – but the stakes have never been higher.
It’s time for Scotland to find leaders who speak plainly, act decisively, and prioritise people over posturing. We need successful industry leaders, educators, and other real-world problem-solvers to step forward with courage – to ignore the peanut gallery and keyboard warriors and show what real leadership looks like. The answers aren’t in the Holyrood bubble; they’re in the communities that have been ignored for far too long. Let’s hope some good people rise to the occasion – because, frankly, this clown show has to stop.
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Image of menacing circus tent by Shades3d from Adobe Stock
