Tactical Voting against SNP

This is our tactical voting guide to keeping out SNP candidates in the 2024 general election. This page takes the set of constituencies where SNP candidates stood last time and divides them into three categories using the rules below.

Rules

We assume that tactical voting is only a good idea against a SNP candidate in a particular constituency when, in the last election, they held the constituency and were no more than 25 percentage points ahead of the second placed candidate or did not win the constituency and were no more than 25 percentage points behind the winning candidate.

  1. The first table contains the constituencies which meet the above criteria.
  2. The second table contains the constituencies where the previous SNP candidate was so far behind that it appears they cannot win.
  3. The third table contains the constituencies where the previous SNP candidate was so far ahead that it appears they are unlikely to be beaten.

If a by-election has taken place after the last election then that result is used instead of the one from the last election.

Usage Guide

In my opinion, the best way of using this guide is as follows:

  1. Pick the name of a constituency.
  2. Find which table the constituency is in.
  3. Check the recommended advice above the table.
  4. Open the link to your selected constituency and verify whether our advised tactical vote seems plausible to you.

For tactical voting against other parties see here.
For the newer (and more sophisticated) tactical voting calculator see here.

Constituencies where tactical voting may help

Our recommendation: Vote for the parties recommended in this table. If there are two such parties, the first choice is probably the most effective.

ScotlandVote For
Aberdeen SouthConservative
Aberdeenshire North and Moray EastConservative
Aberdeenshire West and KincardineConservative
Airdrie and ShottsLabour
Angus and Perthshire GlensConservative
Arbroath and Broughty FerryConservative
Argyll, Bute and Lochaber SouthConservative
Ayr, Carrick and CumnockConservative
Ayrshire CentralConservative
Ayrshire North and ArranConservative
Bathgate and Linlithgow1. Conservative
2. Labour
Berwickshire, Roxburgh and SelkirkConservative
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross1. Liberal Democrat
2. Conservative
Coatbridge and BellshillLabour
Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy1. Labour
2. Conservative
Cumbernauld and KirkintillochLabour
Dumfries and GallowayConservative
Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and TweeddaleConservative
Dunbartonshire Mid1. Liberal Democrat
2. Conservative
Dunbartonshire WestLabour
Dunfermline and Dollar1. Labour
2. Conservative
East Lothian1. Labour
2. Conservative
Edinburgh East and MusselburghLabour
Edinburgh North and LeithLabour
Edinburgh South1. Labour
2. Conservative
Edinburgh South WestConservative
Edinburgh West1. Liberal Democrat
2. Conservative
Fife North EastLiberal Democrat
Glasgow EastLabour
Glasgow NorthLabour
Glasgow North EastLabour
Glasgow SouthLabour
Glasgow South WestLabour
Glasgow WestLabour
Glenrothes and Mid FifeLabour
Gordon and BuchanConservative
Hamilton and Clyde Valley1. Labour
2. Conservative
Inverclyde and Renfrewshire WestLabour
Midlothian1. Labour
2. Conservative
Moray West, Nairn and StrathspeyConservative
Motherwell, Wishaw and Carluke1. Labour
2. Conservative
Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Western Isles)1. Labour
2. Conservative
Orkney and Shetland1. Liberal Democrat
2. Conservative
Paisley and Renfrewshire SouthLabour
Perth and Kinross-shireConservative
Renfrewshire EastConservative
RutherglenLabour
Stirling and StrathallanConservative

Non-SNP constituencies where they are too far behind for tactical voting against them to be worth it

There are no such constituencies.

SNP held constituencies where their lead is probably too large for tactical voting to make a difference

Our recommendation: Vote for whichever party you like.

Scotland
Aberdeen North
Alloa and Grangemouth
Dundee Central
East Kilbride and Strathaven
Falkirk
Inverness, Skye and Ross-shire West
Kilmarnock and Loudoun
Livingston
Paisley and Renfrewshire North
Quick Links
Latest Posts
Updated Constituency Boundaries
posted 26 Feb 2024, 21:20
2021 Results for the Scottish Parliament and Senedd Elections
posted 8 May 2021, 20:45
Interactive Election Maps
posted 16 Aug 2020, 14:00