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The support of the Scottish Funding Council is vital to our work to inspire and share knowledge with audiences, local communities, and future generations.
Scotland’s 2026 election explained
When
Saturday 5 September 2026
17:00 - 18:30
Where
The Royal Society of Edinburgh
22-26 George St, Edinburgh EH2 2PQ
View directions on Google Maps
Format
Hybrid
Access
Wheelchair access, Wheelchair accessible toilets
Age
Suitable for ages 16+
Cost
Free to book
About this event
What does the recent Scottish election tell us about the future of Scottish democracy?
Did the 2026 Holyrood election reshape Scotland’s party system for good? Three of the country’s leading experts on Scottish politics and public opinion – Professors Ailsa Henderson, Christopher Carman, and Sir John Curtice – unpack what happened, why, and what it means for Scottish democracy.
The panel explores three big questions: How well do voters actually understand the electoral system? Who gets the credit (or the blame) for what government does? And who shows up to vote, and who doesn’t? Against a backdrop of rising support for scrapping the Scottish Parliament altogether, growing intolerance between political tribes, and a taste for “strong leaders,” this event asks what all this says about the health of Scottish democracy at a genuinely uncertain moment. Expect short data presentations followed a facilitated discussion.
Bring your questions!
Event type
Curious
Talk
Contributors
Professor Ailsa Henderson
Professor of Political Science, University of EdinburghProfessor of Political Science at the University of Edinburgh, Professor Ailsa Henderson conducts research on political culture(s) and political behaviour in federal and multi-national states.
She runs the Scottish Election Study, co-runs the State of the Union survey, and publishes widely on national identity and political behaviour. Associate Dean for Research Impact at the University of Edinburgh she is also Deputy Chair of the Politics & International Studies sub-panel for REF and Chair of Boundaries Scotland, which sets electoral boundaries for local and devolved elections in Scotland.
Professor John Curtice
Director of The Social Statistics Laboratory, University of StrathclydeProfessor Sir John Curtice is Professor of Politics at Strathclyde University, and Senior Research Fellow, National/Scottish Centre for Social Research and the ESRC’s ‘The UK in a Changing Europe’ initiative. Co-host of the ‘Trendy’ podcast, he has written extensively about voting behaviour in elections and referendums in the UK, as well as on British political and social attitudes more generally. He has been a co-editor of the National Centre’s annual British Social Attitudes reports series for over twenty years, a co-director of the Scottish Social Attitudes series, and is a regular contributor to Scottish, British and international media coverage of politics in the UK.
Professor Christopher Carman
Stevenson Professor of Citizenship, University of GlasgowProfessor Christopher Carman is the Stevenson Professor of Citizenship at the University of Glasgow, where he leads the Stevenson Trust for Citizenship’s programme of public lectures and civic engagement initiatives designed to connect academic research on democracy with public life in Scotland. He is a long-standing member of the Scottish Election Study team, contributing to its survey design, data analysis, and public communication of findings on Scottish political behaviour, and co-edited the recent Scottish Election Analysis Report. His research focuses on how the public evaluates political representation and political compromise — including what voters expect from their representatives, when they see deal-making as principled or as a betrayal of voters, and how these judgements shape trust in political institutions and processes.
Contact us
If you have an event enquiry, please email us on public_engagement@theRSE.org.uk.Event testimonial
What is Curious?
Curious is the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s (RSE) free festival that celebrates the research, ideas and knowledge shaping society today.
Each year, Curious brings a packed programme of free in-person and online events covering themes from the arts, humanities, policy, science and more. To date, we’ve welcomed over 10,000 attendees for talks, workshops, exhibitions and discussions where you can learn from and speak with Scotland’s leading thinkers. As part of the RSE’s mission to make knowledge useful and accessible for everyone, Curious is open to anyone who wants to learn more about the world around them. No specialist knowledge is needed, just bring your curiosity.
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