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The Internship Programme

The Scottish Parliament

 Institute of Governance pillar

 

"For many years past we asserted the benefits of devolution and now we set to work to make real the promise of devolution. ... We have much to be proud of in Scotland today but we can still do so much better. We will work together to build a modern, prosperous and socially just Scotland. Our people are our most precious national asset. We will work together to equip them with the new and better skills on which our future prosperity depends" Donald Dewar, former First Minister of Scotland, 1999

 

On September 11th, 1997, the Scottish people voted after nearly 300 years in an historic referendum by a three-to-one margin to establish a Parliament in Edinburgh (for background, see campaign coverage by the BBC or Daily Record).


74.3% voted YES to a Scottish parliament

 

Although the United Kingdom Parliament in London will continue to legislate on defence, foreign affairs and fiscal policy, MSPs sitting in Edinburgh have assumed responsibility for much of the business of government in Scotland. The Scottish Parliament and its Executive will be responsible for:

  • Health
  • Education
  • Economic Development
  • Transport
  • Law and Home Affairs
  • The Environment
  • Agriculture and Fisheries
  • Sports and the Arts.

Interns have the unique opportunity to help make history as Scots representatives now sit to enact their own laws.

The Parliament consists of 129 members, some elected by a form of proportional representation, and has a four-year fixed term.

It was elected on on 6 May 1999, and officially inaugurated on 1 July,1999. Between 1999 and 2004 the Scottish Parliament has met in the Assembly Hall on the Mound in Edinburgh - pending completion of the new building at Holyrood, designed by the late Catalan architect Enric Miralles. At long last the parliament moved into its new premises in September 2004.

The first election resulted in a coalition government (Labour and Liberal Democrats), with the Scottish National Party (SNP) and the Conservatives in opposition. The new PR, Additional Member, electoral system also helped the Greens and the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) to secure a seat each, and there was also one independent MSP. Thirty-seven per cent of the 129 MSPs were women - which gave the Scottish Parliament one of the highest ratios of female representation world wide.

Seat Breakdown 1999

Party

Constituency

Region

Total

Labour

53

3

56

Lib Dem

12

5

17

SNP

7

28

35

Con

0

18

18

Others

1

2

3

Seat Breakdown 1999

 

The second election on 1st May 2003 produced a 'rainbow parliament' giving increased representation to smaller parties and independents while continuing the Labour/Liberal Democrat partnership in parliament.

Seat Breakdown 2003 -

Party

Constituency

Region

Total

Labour

46

4

50

Lib Dem

13

4

17

SNP

9

18

27

Con

3

15

18

Green

0

7

7

SSP

0

6

6

Others

2

2

4

Seat Breakdown 2003

 

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The second parliament has 39% women MSPs

Gender composition of the Scottish Parliament 2003 (1999)

Political party

Elected MSPs
(number of seats)

Elected MSPs
(% of seats)

Women

Men

Women

Men

Conservative

4 (3)

14 (15)

22 (17)

78 (83)

Labour

28 (28)

22 (28)

56 (50)

44(50)

Lib Dem

2 (2)

15 (15)

12 (12)

88 (88)

SNP

9 (15)

18 (20)

33 (43)

66 (57)

Others*

8 (0)

7 (3)

53 (0)

47(100)

Totals

51 (48)

76 (81)

39 (37)

61 (63)

*includes 4 SSP, 2 Green and 2 Independent female MSPs.

 

The Scottish Parliament

The first years of the Parliament have been busy: by the end of the first session no less than 62 bills were completed, including 'landmark' legislation on land reform, abolition of up-front tutiion fees and free personal care for the elderly. The 'new politics' in Scotland are taking shape in the work of the sixteen committees and over forty cross-party groups of the Parliament.

Both the Scottish government (called the Executive) and the Parliament are helping to shape the new Scotland. Scotland has embarked on an exciting journey towards greater political autonomy in the new Europe.

For further information on the Parliament, see its web site at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk

The Scottish Executive's web site can be found at http://www.scotland.gov.uk

The new Parliament is situated near Holyrood Palace at the foot of Edinburgh’s historic Royal Mile and housed in an impressive - but controversial due, to costs and delays - new building, the winning design for which emerged from an international architectural competition.

 

 

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