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Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) have taken their oaths and convened at Holyrood to begin the new parliamentary term, during which they elected Kenneth Gibson as the new presiding officer. Representing Ayrshire, Gibson, a member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), will step down from his party duties to undertake the impartial responsibilities of this role. His appointment followed a secret ballot involving the entire parliament.
Gibson emerged victorious over competitors including Liberal Democrat Liam McArthur and fellow SNP MSPs Claire Haughey and Stuart McMillan. In the initial rounds of voting, McMillan and McArthur were eliminated, and Gibson ultimately defeated Haughey in the final tally by 74 votes to 54. Liam McArthur, once deputy presiding officer and a respected Parliament member, was considered a frontrunner for the post, while Haughey had the backing of the SNP leadership. Notably, Gibson has gained a reputation for his candid critiques of the SNP government in his previous role as convener of the finance committee. He expressed a desire to invigorate parliamentary proceedings, which he described as “dull,” and upon becoming presiding officer, committed to collaborating with all MSPs to enhance the functioning of the chamber.
Alongside Gibson’s election, Clare Adamson of the SNP and Katy Clark from Scottish Labour were chosen as deputy presiding officers. The presiding officer’s position, which commands a salary of £136,112, entails chairing parliamentary debates, selecting speakers, and representing the Parliament both domestically and internationally. One of Gibson’s immediate duties will be overseeing the election of two deputies, a role with a salary of £114,297. Candidates for these positions include SNP MSP Stuart McMillan, Clare Adamson, Labour members Claire Baker and Katy Clark, as well as Conservative MSP Miles Briggs.
Kenneth Gibson represents Cunninghame North and has served as an MSP intermittently since the first Scottish Parliament election in 1999, except for a break between 2003 and 2007. Despite his long tenure with the SNP, Gibson has never held ministerial office. Prior to his time as an MSP, he was a councillor in Glasgow. He is married to Patricia Gibson, an SNP MSP for Cunninghame South. Gibson was a pioneer in proposing a public smoking ban in the Scottish Parliament back in 1999, although the initiative was delayed after he temporarily lost his seat, with an official ban only being implemented in 2006.
The swearing-in ceremony saw all 129 MSPs, including 64 newcomers, pledge allegiance to the King through either oath or affirmation. The event featured a wide array of languages spoken by parliamentarians, such as Scots, Gaelic, Hindi, Polish, Mandarin, and French, reflecting the diversity of the chamber. Several MSPs showcased symbols representing their parties or cultural heritage: Conservatives wore white roses (not related to the nationalist poet), Labour members donned red roses, Reform UK displayed Scottish heather, the Greens appeared with bright pink gerberas, and Liberal Democrats sported mini floral bouquets. Some representatives also wore traditional attire, while others used props, like Moray MSP Laura Mitchell, who held a stave from the Burghead fire ritual to symbolize good luck. SNP MSP Karen Adam conveyed her statement in sign language, highlighting her personal connection as a carer for her deaf father.
Looking ahead, MSPs will soon vote to appoint the First Minister. John Swinney of the SNP is widely anticipated to continue in the post following his party’s substantial electoral success. With Gibson’s election as presiding officer, the SNP’s active parliamentary membership will be reduced to 57 MSPs, while Reform and Labour hold 17 seats each, the Greens maintain 15, and Liberal Democrats occupy 10
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