6th Scottish Parliament

6th Scottish Parliament
5th Scottish Parliament 7th Scottish Parliament
Overview
Legislative bodyScottish Parliament
JurisdictionScotland
Meeting placeScottish Parliament Building
Term13 May 2021 –
Election2021
GovernmentThird Sturgeon government
First Yousaf government
Second Yousaf government
Swinney government
Members129
Presiding OfficerAlison Johnstone
First MinisterNicola Sturgeon
(2021–2023)
Humza Yousaf
(2023–2024)
John Swinney
(2024–present)
Deputy First MinisterJohn Swinney
(2021–2023)
Shona Robison
(2023–2024)
Kate Forbes
(2024–present)
Leader of the OppositionDouglas Ross
(2021–2024)
Russell Findlay
(2024–present)
Sessions
1st13 May 2021 –

The 6th Scottish Parliament was elected at the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.[1] It was opened with the Escort to the Crown of Scotland Parade and Speech from the Throne on 2 October 2021.

Composition

[edit]
Party May 2021
election
Currently
Scottish National Party 64 62
Scottish Conservatives 31 31
Scottish Labour 22 22
Scottish Greens 8 7
Scottish Liberal Democrats 4 4
Alba Party 0 1
Independent 0 1
Presiding Officer 0 1
Total 129
Government majority 0 – 4

Government parties denoted with bullets (•)

Leadership

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Government

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Opposition

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  1. ^ Johnstone was elected as Green MSP but relinquished her membership in order to take the office of Presiding Officer.
  2. ^ There is no official opposition or opposition leader, but Ross is the leader of the largest party not in government.

List of MSPs

[edit]

This is a list of MSPs so far elected.[3] The changes table below records all changes in party affiliation during the session, since the May 2021 election.

There are eight MSPs who have been constant members since the inauguration of the Parliament in 1999 (ten other founding members retired prior to the 2021 election): Jackie Baillie, Fergus Ewing and John Swinney have been elected six times under the same constituency (Swinney's was renamed with different boundaries in 2011); Christine Grahame, Fiona Hyslop, Michael Matheson, Shona Robison and Nicola Sturgeon were returned as a list member then a constituency member. A ninth MSP Richard Lochhead has served almost the same term, resigning his list seat in 2006 to successfully contest a by-election a few weeks later for a constituency seat, which he has defended since then.[4]

Name Image Member for Type Party
George Adam Paisley Constituency Scottish National Party
Karen Adam Banffshire and Buchan Coast Constituency Scottish National Party
Clare Adamson Motherwell and Wishaw Constituency Scottish National Party
Alasdair Allan Na h-Eileanan an Iar Constituency Scottish National Party
Tom Arthur Renfrewshire South Constituency Scottish National Party
Jackie Baillie Dumbarton Constituency Scottish Labour
Claire Baker Mid Scotland and Fife Regional Scottish Labour
Jeremy Balfour Lothian Regional Scottish Conservatives
Colin Beattie Midlothian North and Musselburgh Constituency Scottish National Party
Neil Bibby West Scotland Regional Scottish Labour
Sarah Boyack Lothian Regional Scottish Labour
Miles Briggs Lothian Regional Scottish Conservatives
Keith Brown Clackmannanshire and Dunblane Constituency Scottish National Party
Siobhian Brown Ayr Constituency Scottish National Party
Ariane Burgess Highlands and Islands Regional Scottish Greens
Alexander Burnett Aberdeenshire West Constituency Scottish Conservatives
Stephanie Callaghan Uddingston and Bellshill Constituency Scottish National Party
Jackson Carlaw Eastwood Constituency Scottish Conservatives
Finlay Carson Galloway and West Dumfries Constituency Scottish Conservatives
Maggie Chapman North East Scotland Regional Scottish Greens
Foysol Choudhury Lothian Regional Scottish Labour
Katy Clark West Scotland Regional Scottish Labour
Willie Coffey Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley Constituency Scottish National Party
Alex Cole-Hamilton Edinburgh Western Constituency Scottish Liberal Democrats
Angela Constance Almond Valley Constituency Scottish National Party
Graeme Dey Angus South Constituency Scottish National Party
Natalie Don Renfrewshire North and West Constituency Scottish National Party
Bob Doris Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn Constituency Scottish National Party
James Dornan Glasgow Cathcart Constituency Scottish National Party
Sharon Dowey South Scotland Regional Scottish Conservatives
Jackie Dunbar Aberdeen Donside Constituency Scottish National Party
Pam Duncan-Glancy Glasgow Regional Scottish Labour
Tim Eagle Highlands and Islands
(since 12/02/24)
Regional Scottish Conservatives
Annabelle Ewing Cowdenbeath Constituency Scottish National Party
Fergus Ewing Inverness and Nairn Constituency Scottish National Party
Jim Fairlie Perthshire South and Kinross-shire Constituency Scottish National Party
Russell Findlay West Scotland Regional Scottish Conservatives
Joe FitzPatrick Dundee City West Constituency Scottish National Party
Kate Forbes Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch Constituency Scottish National Party
Murdo Fraser Mid Scotland and Fife Regional Scottish Conservatives
Meghan Gallacher Central Scotland Regional Scottish Conservatives
Kenneth Gibson Cunninghame North Constituency Scottish National Party
Jenny Gilruth Mid Fife and Glenrothes Constituency Scottish National Party
Maurice Golden North East Scotland Regional Scottish Conservatives
Pam Gosal West Scotland Regional Scottish Conservatives
Mairi Gougeon Angus North and Mearns Constituency Scottish National Party
Christine Grahame Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale Constituency Scottish National Party
Rhoda Grant Highlands and Islands Regional Scottish Labour
Neil Gray Airdrie and Shotts Constituency Scottish National Party
Jamie Greene West Scotland Regional Scottish Conservatives
Ross Greer West Scotland Regional Scottish Greens
Mark Griffin Central Scotland Regional Scottish Labour
Sandesh Gulhane Glasgow Regional Scottish Conservatives
Jamie Halcro Johnston Highlands and Islands Regional Scottish Conservatives
Rachael Hamilton Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire Constituency Scottish Conservatives
Emma Harper South Scotland Regional Scottish National Party
Patrick Harvie Glasgow Regional Scottish Greens
Clare Haughey Rutherglen Constituency Scottish National Party
Jamie Hepburn Cumbernauld and Kilsyth Constituency Scottish National Party
Craig Hoy South Scotland Regional Scottish Conservatives
Fiona Hyslop Linlithgow Constituency Scottish National Party
Daniel Johnson Edinburgh Southern Constituency Scottish Labour
Alison Johnstone Lothian Regional Presiding Officer
Liam Kerr North East Scotland Regional Scottish Conservatives
Stephen Kerr Central Scotland Regional Scottish Conservatives
Bill Kidd Glasgow Anniesland Constituency Scottish National Party
Monica Lennon Central Scotland Regional Scottish Labour
Richard Leonard Central Scotland Regional Scottish Labour
Richard Lochhead Moray Constituency Scottish National Party
Douglas Lumsden North East Scotland Regional Scottish Conservatives
Gordon MacDonald Edinburgh Pentlands Constituency Scottish National Party
Fulton MacGregor Coatbridge and Chryston Constituency Scottish National Party
Gillian Mackay Central Scotland Regional Scottish Greens
Rona Mackay Strathkelvin and Bearsden Constituency Scottish National Party
Ben Macpherson Edinburgh Northern and Leith Constituency Scottish National Party
Ruth Maguire Cunninghame South Constituency Scottish National Party
Michael Marra North East Scotland Regional Scottish Labour
Gillian Martin Aberdeenshire East Constituency Scottish National Party
John Mason Glasgow Shettleston Constituency Independent
Michael Matheson Falkirk West Constituency Scottish National Party
Màiri McAllan Clydesdale Constituency Scottish National Party
Liam McArthur Orkney Constituency Scottish Liberal Democrats
Roz McCall Mid Scotland and Fife
(since 20/09/22)
Regional Scottish Conservatives
Ivan McKee Glasgow Provan Constituency Scottish National Party
Christina McKelvie Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse Constituency Scottish National Party
Paul McLennan East Lothian Constituency Scottish National Party
Stuart McMillan Greenock and Inverclyde Constituency Scottish National Party
Marie McNair Clydebank and Milngavie Constituency Scottish National Party
Pauline McNeill Glasgow Regional Scottish Labour
Jenni Minto Argyll and Bute Constituency Scottish National Party
Carol Mochan South Scotland Regional Scottish Labour
Sir Edward Mountain Highlands and Islands Regional Scottish Conservatives
Oliver Mundell Dumfriesshire Constituency Scottish Conservatives
Audrey Nicoll Aberdeen South and North Kincardine Constituency Scottish National Party
Paul O'Kane West Scotland Regional Scottish Labour
Ash Regan Edinburgh Eastern Constituency Alba Party
Willie Rennie North East Fife Constituency Scottish Liberal Democrats
Angus Robertson Edinburgh Central Constituency Scottish National Party
Shona Robison Dundee City East Constituency Scottish National Party
Emma Roddick Highlands and Islands Regional Scottish National Party
Douglas Ross Highlands and Islands Regional Scottish Conservatives
Alex Rowley Mid Scotland and Fife Regional Scottish Labour
Mark Ruskell Mid Scotland and Fife Regional Scottish Greens
Anas Sarwar Glasgow Regional Scottish Labour
Graham Simpson Central Scotland Regional Scottish Conservatives
Lorna Slater Lothian Regional Scottish Greens
Liz Smith Mid Scotland and Fife Regional Scottish Conservatives
Colin Smyth South Scotland Regional Scottish Labour
Shirley-Anne Somerville Dunfermline Constituency Scottish National Party
Collette Stevenson East Kilbride Constituency Scottish National Party
Alexander Stewart Mid Scotland and Fife Regional Scottish Conservatives
Kaukab Stewart Glasgow Kelvin Constituency Scottish National Party
Kevin Stewart Aberdeen Central Constituency Scottish National Party
Nicola Sturgeon Glasgow Southside Constituency Scottish National Party
Paul Sweeney Glasgow Regional Scottish Labour
John Swinney Perthshire North Constituency Scottish National Party
Michelle Thomson Falkirk East Constituency Scottish National Party
Maree Todd Caithness, Sutherland and Ross Constituency Scottish National Party
David Torrance Kirkcaldy Constituency Scottish National Party
Evelyn Tweed Stirling Constituency Scottish National Party
Mercedes Villalba North East Scotland Regional Scottish Labour
Sue Webber Lothian Regional Scottish Conservatives
Annie Wells Glasgow Regional Scottish Conservatives
Tess White North East Scotland Regional Scottish Conservatives
Martin Whitfield South Scotland Regional Scottish Labour
Elena Whitham Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley Constituency Scottish National Party
Brian Whittle South Scotland Regional Scottish Conservatives
Beatrice Wishart Shetland Constituency Scottish Liberal Democrats
Humza Yousaf Glasgow Pollok Constituency Scottish National Party

Former MSPs

[edit]
Name Image Member for Type Party Notes
Dean Lockhart Mid Scotland and Fife Regional Scottish Conservatives Resigned 5 September 2022[5]
Donald Cameron Highlands and Islands Regional Scottish Conservatives Resigned 9 February 2024[6]

Changes

[edit]
Date Constituency/region Gain Loss Note
13 May 2021 Lothian Presiding Officer Scottish Green Alison Johnstone was elected Presiding Officer and consequently had to renounce her party affiliation.[7]
5 September 2022 Mid Scotland and Fife Conservative Conservative Dean Lockhart resigned his seat in the Scottish Parliament.[5] He was succeeded by Roz McCall, who was sworn in on 20 September.[8]
28 October 2023 Edinburgh Eastern Alba SNP Ash Regan defected from the SNP to Alba, becoming the party's first MSP.[9]
9 February 2024 Highlands and Islands Conservative Conservative Donald Cameron was appointed to the House of Lords in the 2024 Special Honours and was replaced by Tim Eagle.[6]
17 August 2024 Glasgow Shettleston Independent SNP John Mason had whip suspended over Gaza comments

References

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  1. ^ "Scottish Elections (Dates) Act 2016". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  2. ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c20jxvrq57ro
  3. ^ "Current and previous Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs)". Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  4. ^ In numbers: Scottish Parliament celebrates 20th anniversary, Shropshire Star, 29 April 2019
  5. ^ a b "Scottish Tories get new MSP at Holyrood". BBC News. 5 September 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Tory MSP Donald Cameron to take up House of Lords seat". BBC News. 9 February 2024. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  7. ^ "Scottish Greens MSP elected as new Presiding Officer". STV News. 13 May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  8. ^ "New Scottish Tory MSP first to take oath to King Charles III". STV News. 20 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  9. ^ Fitzpatrick, Tara (28 October 2023). "Former first minister candidate Ash Regan quits SNP to join Alba party". STV News. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
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