The 6th Scottish Parliament is the current group of people elected to make laws for Scotland. Think of it like a big team that works together to run the country. This team was chosen by voters in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.

The Parliament officially started on 13 May 2021. It had a special opening ceremony on 2 October 2021. This ceremony included a parade and a speech from the Throne. The Scottish Parliament meets in the Scottish Parliament Building in Edinburgh.

What is the Scottish Parliament?
How is the Parliament Made Up?
Who Leads the Parliament?
- The Government
- The Opposition
How MSPs Change Over Time
Images for kids

What is the Scottish Parliament?

The Scottish Parliament is Scotland's main law-making body. It decides on many important things for people living in Scotland. This includes education, health, justice, and the environment. It's different from the UK Parliament, which handles things like defence and foreign policy.

The Parliament has 129 members, called MSPs. These MSPs are elected by the people of Scotland. They represent different areas and political parties. Their job is to speak for the people who voted for them.

How is the Parliament Made Up?

After an election, the 129 seats in the Parliament are divided among different political parties. Each party has its own ideas about how Scotland should be run. The party or parties with the most MSPs usually form the government.

Here's how the seats were split after the 2021 election:

Party		May 2021 election	Currently
•	Scottish National Party	64	64
	Scottish Conservatives	31	31
	Scottish Labour	22	22
•	Scottish Greens	8	7
	Scottish Liberal Democrats	4	4
	Presiding Officer	0	1
Total		129
Government majority		0	14

The parties with a bullet point (•) next to them are part of the government.

How the votes were split in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.

Who Leads the Parliament?

The Scottish Parliament has important leaders who help it run smoothly.

Presiding Officer: This person is like the referee of the Parliament. They make sure debates are fair and rules are followed. The current Presiding Officer is Alison Johnstone. She is an Independent MSP, meaning she doesn't belong to a political party while in this role.
Deputy Presiding Officers: These MSPs help the Presiding Officer. They are Annabelle Ewing (SNP) and Liam McArthur (Lib Dems).

The Government

The government is formed by the party or parties with the most MSPs. They are in charge of making and carrying out new laws.

First Minister: This is the leader of the Scottish Government. It's the most powerful political job in Scotland.
- Nicola Sturgeon (SNP) was the First Minister until 28 March 2023.
- Humza Yousaf (SNP) became First Minister on 29 March 2023.
Deputy First Minister: This person helps the First Minister.
- John Swinney (SNP) was the Deputy First Minister until 28 March 2023.
- Shona Robison (SNP) became Deputy First Minister on 29 March 2023.
Minister for Parliamentary Business: This minister helps manage the government's work in Parliament. The current minister is George Adam (SNP).

The Opposition

The opposition parties are those not in government. Their job is to question the government's plans and suggest different ideas. This helps keep the government accountable.

Leader of the Opposition: This is the leader of the largest opposition party. Currently, it's Douglas Ross (Conservatives).
Secondary Opposition Leader: Anas Sarwar (Labour).
Tertiary Opposition Co-Leaders: Patrick Harvie & Lorna Slater (Greens).
Leader of the Liberal Democrats: Alex Cole-Hamilton (Liberal Democrats).

How MSPs Change Over Time

Sometimes, an MSP might leave their role, or their party might change. These changes are recorded so everyone knows who is representing which area.

Here are some changes that have happened during the 6th Scottish Parliament:

Date	Constituency/region	Gain		Loss		Note
13 May 2021	Lothian		Presiding Officer		Green	Alison Johnstone was chosen as the Presiding Officer. Because of this, she had to stop being a member of the Scottish Greens party.
5 September 2022	Mid Scotland and Fife		Conservative		Conservative	Dean Lockhart left his seat in the Scottish Parliament. Roz McCall took his place and started her role on 20 September.

Images for kids

George Adam
Karen Adam
Clare Adamson
Alasdair Allan
Tom Arthur
Jackie Baillie
Claire Baker
Jeremy Balfour
Colin Beattie
Neil Bibby
Sarah Boyack
Miles Briggs
Keith Brown
Siobhian Brown
Ariane Burgess
Alexander Burnett
Stephanie Callaghan
Donald Cameron
Jackson Carlaw
Finlay Carson
Maggie Chapman
Foysol Choudhury
Katy Clark
Willie Coffey
Alex Cole-Hamilton
Ash Denham
Graeme Dey
Natalie Don
Bob Doris
James Dornan
Sharon Dowey
Jackie Dunbar
Pam Duncan-Glancy
Annabelle Ewing
Fergus Ewing
Jim Fairlie
Russell Findlay
Joe FitzPatrick
Kate Forbes
Murdo Fraser
Meghan Gallacher
Kenneth Gibson
Jenny Gilruth
Maurice Golden
Pam Gosal
Mairi Gougeon
Christine Grahame
Rhoda Grant
Neil Gray
Jamie Greene
Ross Greer
Mark Griffin
Sandesh Gulhane
Jamie Halcro Johnston
Rachael Hamilton
Emma Harper
Patrick Harvie
Clare Haughey
Jamie Hepburn
Craig Hoy
Fiona Hyslop
Daniel Johnson
Alison Johnstone
Liam Kerr
Stephen Kerr
Bill Kidd
Monica Lennon
Richard Leonard
Richard Lochhead
Douglas Lumsden
Gordon MacDonald
Fulton MacGregor
Gillian Mackay
Rona Mackay
Ben Macpherson
Ruth Maguire
Michael Marra
Gillian Martin
John Mason
Michael Matheson
Màiri McAllan
Liam McArthur
Ivan McKee
Christina McKelvie
Paul McLennan
Stuart McMillan
Marie McNair
Pauline McNeill
Jenni Minto
Carol Mochan
Sir Edward Mountain
Oliver Mundell
Audrey Nicoll
Paul O'Kane
Willie Rennie
Angus Robertson
Shona Robison
Emma Roddick
Douglas Ross
Alex Rowley
Mark Ruskell
Anas Sarwar
Graham Simpson
Lorna Slater
Liz Smith
Colin Smyth
Shirley-Anne Somerville
Collette Stevenson
Alexander Stewart
Kaukab Stewart
Kevin Stewart
Nicola Sturgeon
Paul Sweeney
John Swinney
Michelle Thomson
Maree Todd
David Torrance
Evelyn Tweed
Mercedes Villalba
Sue Webber
Annie Wells
Tess White
Martin Whitfield
Elena Whitham
Brian Whittle
Beatrice Wishart
Humza Yousaf
Dean Lockhart

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6th Scottish Parliament Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.

6th Scottish Parliament facts for kids

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