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How BBC Scotland is covering the general election – BBC News

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How BBC Scotland is covering the general election – BBC News

Image caption, BBC Scotland’s TV coverage will be presented by, left to right, Laura Miller, Martin Geissler, Kirsty Wark and David Wallace Lockhart

BBC Scotland will be delivering comprehensive general election results coverage across online, social media, TV and radio.

We will be broadcasting live from locations around the country once polls close at 22:00 on Thursday.

There will be analysis, background, reaction and debate as we find out the results in Scotland’s 57 Westminster constituencies.

The UK-wide picture will also emerge as we report the results of all 650 seats.

Digital

  • The BBC’s Scotland news website will be the one-stop place to go. You will be able to keep in touch with the Scotland-wide picture on your phone, tablet, laptop, internet-enabled television and desktop
  • You will be able to access our dedicated live election page which you can also use to watch BBC One Scotland and listen to Radio Scotland
  • There will be video and audio clips, picture galleries, blogs, analysis and news stories – from your area
  • Find out the key moments and reaction to the results on social media by following @BBCScotlandNews on Twitter and BBC Scotland news on Facebook

Television

  • An overnight television programme, starting at 21:55 on BBC One Scotland, will be presented by Martin Geissler from the corporation’s HQ at Pacific Quay in Glasgow. It will run until 09:30 on Friday
  • Martin will be joined by Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark, who will be interviewing a host of politicians and commentators, alongside her other main job of the night – telling the story of Scotland’s election on the UK-wide results programme
  • A small army of set builders, sound experts and lighting specialists have been transforming BBC Scotland’s PQ building in readiness for the big night.
Image caption, Pacific Quay has been a hive of activity as the sets are prepared for Thursday night
  • Reporting Scotland presenter Laura Miller will be at the election news desk, rounding up the night’s developing story
  • And BBC Scotland political correspondent David Wallace Lockhart will analyse the results with the help of the latest graphics technology
  • There will be news updates throughout Friday, including Reporting Scotland which is scheduled to air at 18:30

Radio

  • Our TV coverage will be broadcast simultaneously on BBC Radio Scotland live from 21:55 until 05:00
  • Good Morning Scotland will then broadcast from 05:00 to 09:30 on BBC Radio Scotland with Gary Robertson and Laura Maxwell presenting.
  • You will be given a chance to have your say during Morning Call, hosted by Stephen Jardine from 09:30
  • Lunchtime Live is being extended from 12:00 to 14:00
  • There will also be regular bulletins throughout the day and a full report on the new political landscape will feature on Drivetime from 16:00 to 18:00

When will we get the first results?

Once the polls close at 22:00 on Thursday we will have the first indication of how it has gone when we are allowed to report the findings of an exit poll.

In Scotland the SNP start from a dominant position, holding 48 of the 57 seats being contested, based on new boundaries.

Those boundary changes make it a little harder to make direct comparisons with the 2019 general election.

In order to give a clearer picture, we will be bringing you “notional results” – comparing this year’s result with what would have happened if the current boundaries had been in place five years ago.

The current notional seat totals for the parties are SNP 48, Conservative six, Lib Dems two, Labour one.

Predicting the declaration times is always an inexact science but based on previous elections we expect the first results to start coming in from about 01:30 on Friday.

Rutherglen in South Lanarkshire could be the first to call it, followed by seats like Angus and Perthshire Glens; Kilmarnock and Loudon; and Aberdeen North.

From 02:30 to 04:30 is when the pace is expected to really pick up. In the past about three quarters of the declarations have taken place in this two-hour time slot.

The final results should be coming in at around 07:00. If the pattern from 2019 is repeated, the final Scottish declaration could be Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber.

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