It's been a Holyrood election of disputed claims - BBC Verify fact-checked them

With just two days to go until the polls open, the claims and counter-claims made during the Holyrood election campaign are coming into sharp focus. BBC Verify has been fact-checking the political parties and seen some questionable claims at the forefront of the debate. The main parties' spending promises have been assessed in the context of what economic experts have warned will be a tough financial climate for whoever is in charge after 7 May. And claims on everything from energy bills to the NHS have also been checked, and given more context where needed. Immigration is not directly a matter for the Scottish Parliament, but it has been one of the most contentious elements of the election campaign. It has been a big issue for Reform UK and the party's Thomas Kerr issued a comment which appeared to link immigration with crime in Glasgow. In it, he said: "Under the SNP we've seen our city become lawless with a rapid rise in rapes and sexual assaults - mass illegal migration is pushing Glasgow to breaking point and anarchy." This follows the party's Scottish leader Malcolm Offord previously saying that police had been put under pressure by "a record number of strangers coming to Gla

May 5, 2026 → May 6, 2026