All the MSPs stepping down from Holyrood at 2026 elections – see full list

AS Scotland prepares for the 2026 Holyrood elections, a number of sitting MSPs have announced they will not seek re-election, marking the end of their time in the Scottish Parliament.

From representatives of the “Class of ‘99” to government ministers, their departures signal a period of change in Scottish politics.

While some are stepping back after decades in public office, others have cited personal reasons, health concerns, or a desire to make way for fresh voices.

Here is a full list of the MSPs who will not be standing for re-election in 2026:

SNP

Humza Yousaf

Former first minister said in December that he will be stepping back from Holyrood from 2026.

Christine Grahame

(Image: PA)

One of Holyrood's original MSPs, first elected in 1999, Grahame announced her intention to retire last September.

James Dornan

The MSP for Glasgow Cathcart, Dornan had initially planned to step down ahead of the 2021 elections. He changed his mind and again won his seat, but for 2026 has ruled himself out and said he plans to retire.

Ruth Maguire

The MSP for Cunninghame South has said she will not be standing for 2026 Holyrood elections. She will be receiving treatment for cervical cancer.

Elena Whitham

(Image: NQ archive)

The former drugs minister and MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Whitham has announced she will not seek re-election “after much soul searching and discussion with my loved ones”.

Richard Lochhead

(Image: PA)An MSP since 1999, current minister and former Cabinet secretary, Lochhead has said he will not be standing again in 2026. He said it “is time to pass on the torch, and to seek fresh challenges outwith frontline politics”.

Joe FitzPatrick

After serving in government under first ministers Alex Salmond, Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf, FitzPatrick is currently a backbencher and will not stand again in 2026. He was first elected as an MSP in 2007.

Michelle Thomson

A former MP and serving MSP for Falkirk East, Thomson has announced that she will not stand in 2026 to allow her personal caring responsibilities to take precedence over her political career.

John Mason (currently an independent)

(Image: PA)Suspended from the SNP and then expelled for his controversial comments on Israel and Gaza, Mason had in 2023 indicated that he will not run for parliament again in 2026.

Conservatives

Oliver Mundell

The son of former Scottish secretary David Mundell, Oliver Mundell has been an MSP since his election to represent Dumfriesshire in 2016. He confirmed plans not to stand again in 2026 in January.

On the fence

Finance Secretary Shona Robison indicated this week that she has not decided whether she will stand again in 2026.

Nicola Sturgeon, the former first minister, has put her name forward to be a potential candidate – but there is no guarantee she will actually seek to stand again. She is widely expected to stand down.

Former health secretary Michael Matheson is also expected not to stand again, but as yet has not confirmed his intentions either way.