AN award-winning German political journalist has criticised the mainstream UK media’s focus on an SNP majority as Holyrood results come in.

Annette Dittert, a senior correspondent at Germany’s ARD broadcaster, said a pro-independence majority is “certainly just as legitimate” and would be a mandate for a new referendum.

The SNP gained three seats yesterday – Edinburgh Central, Ayr and East Lothian – and held onto their other seats. Whether the party will gain an overall majority remains to be seen.

However, the pro-independence Scottish Greens are confident about their chances on the regional list vote today – and there is no doubt a majority of pro-independence MSPs will be returned to Holyrood.

Online, Dittert - who was named political journalist of the year for her Brexit reporting in 2019 - wrote: “Why is the idea that the SNP would need an overall majority for a second referendum to be legitimate so dominant in the British media today?

“If a majority of the Scottish Parliament was voted on the basis of supporting it, that’s certainly just as legitimate.”

Viewers have noticed that much of the focus on the BBC and across pro-Union media has been on whether the SNP achieve a majority – a very difficult feat in a proportional representation system.

Nicola Sturgeon said yesterday that achieving an outright majority was always a "long shot".

READ MORE: Record vote share for SNP at Holyrood election, insiders say

The UK media appears to be downplaying the success of the SNP yesterday too, with SNP chief executive Peter Murrell criticising the BBC’s coverage.

Sources in Nicola Sturgeon’s party believe the SNP have achieved their highest ever share of the Scottish Parliament vote amid an increased turnout.

An insider said: “This looks like the biggest endorsement of any party since the entry to the devolution era.”

Higher turnout, the insider said, is “great for democracy”, regardless of where those votes fall. They said: “Our job was to give people a reason to go out and vote SNP. We are going to finish well above 1 million votes.”

READ MORE: LIVE: All the news from the Scottish Parliament election as seats are declared

Another said: “Vote share numbers are going to be higher or at the top of our predictions.”

Meanwhile, a senior ITV journalist said it would not be “credible” to deny a new referendum if there is a pro-independence majority at Holyrood.

Tom Bradby, presenter of ITV News at Ten, said on Twitter: “If the SNP can assemble a pro-independence majority here tonight or tomorrow, I just can't see how it would be credible to deny them another referendum. It would make an absolute mockery of the principle of democratic devolution.”