Scottish Parliament

File:Scottish Parliament logo.svg

The Scottish Parliament (Scottish Gaelic: Pàrlamaid na h-Alba) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Scottish Parliament Building in the capital city, Edinburgh, it is often referred to by the metonym "Holyrood". The Parliament is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs), who are elected for four-year terms under the additional member system.

History

The Scottish Parliament was established by the Scotland Act 1998, which followed a referendum in 1997 where the Scottish electorate voted in favor of devolution. The Parliament was officially opened on 1 July 1999. The establishment of the Scottish Parliament marked the first time Scotland had its own legislature since the Acts of Union 1707.

Powers and Functions

The Scottish Parliament has the power to legislate on a wide range of issues that are not reserved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom. These include health, education, justice, environment, and transport. The Parliament also has the power to vary the rate of income tax in Scotland.

Structure

The Scottish Parliament is unicameral, meaning it has a single legislative chamber. It consists of 129 MSPs, 73 of whom are elected from single-member constituencies by the first-past-the-post system, and 56 are elected from eight additional member regions by the proportional representation system.

Presiding Officer

The Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament is responsible for ensuring that the business of the Parliament is conducted in an orderly manner. The current Presiding Officer is Alison Johnstone.

Committees

The Parliament has several committees that scrutinize legislation, hold inquiries, and examine the work of the Scottish Government. These committees play a crucial role in the legislative process.

Elections

Elections to the Scottish Parliament are held every five years. The most recent election was held on 6 May 2021. The next scheduled election is on 7 May 2026.

Scottish Government

The Scottish Government is formed by the party or coalition that holds the majority of seats in the Scottish Parliament. The head of the Scottish Government is the First Minister, currently Humza Yousaf.

See also

• Politics of Scotland
• Devolution in the United Kingdom
• Scottish independence referendum, 2014
• List of Acts of the Scottish Parliament from 1999

External links

• Official website of the Scottish Parliament