undefined
The results are all now in from the 2003 elections! Please visit the Elections Result Link at the bottom of the page.
HISTORY
The Scottish Parliament was officially opened by HM The Queen and asumed its full powers on 1 July 1999. The first full session was on 2 September.
The Parliament was established following a referendum on 11 September 1997. 74.3% of the electorate supported the Parliament.
63.5% agreed that the Scottish Parliament should have tax varying powers.
The Parliament is more family friendly than Westminister so there are no late night sittings. The Parliament usually sits form 9.30 - 5.30. MSPs vote electronically and all the votes take place during the last half-hour of sitting known as Decision Time.
PAST FIRST MINISTERS
DONALD DEWAR
Donald Dewar became the First Minister of the first Scottish Parliament was in almost 300 years in May 1999. The former Secretary of State for Scotland. He lead Scottish Labour to win the Greatest Amount of seats of the parties and into a co-alition with the Lib-Dems (with Lib-Dem Scottish Leader Jim Wallace as his deputy.) He died in October, 2000 after 18 months service. "The Father of Devolution" suffered heart problems.
HENRY McLEISH
Henry McLeish defeated Jack McConnell in the Scottish Labour Leadership contest following the death of Donald Dewar and was subsectently elected First Minister with Jim Wallace again as his deputy.He had served under Dewar in the Scottish Office as devolution minister and played a key role in delivering Scotland's first parliament in almost 300 years. Henry McLeish resigned from his post in November 2001 after the "Officegate" Row, over expenses he claimed as an MP whist sub-letting his office.He faced a vote of no confidence, which he was likely to survive, but stepped down insisting the affair was: "A muddle not a fiddle."
PRESIDING OFFICER
The First Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament was The Rt Hon Sir David Steel KBE , former leader of the Liberal Democratics. The Role of the Presiding Officer is similar to the role of the Speaker of the House of Commons at Westminister.
The current Presiding Officer is Mr George Reid MSP and the Deputy Presiding Officer is Mr Murray Tosh MSP.
LOCATION
The Scottish Parliament's tempory home is the General Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland at the top of the Mound in Edinburgh and the new Holyrood building is due to be opened in the new few years.
Links
Election Results
Westminister and Scottish Office
The Scottish Executive
MSPs and Political Parties
2007 Elections
Official Home Page
Scottish Parliament Live
