As you can see, Scotland is not an independent country or state, and neither are Wales, Northern Ireland, or England itself. However, Scotland is most certainly a nation of people living in an internal division of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Scottish Parliament
| Scottish Parliament Pàrlamaid na h-Alba Scots Pairlament |
|---|
| Type | Unicameral legislature of Scotland |
| History |
| Founded | 12 May 1999 |
| Preceded by | Estates of Parliament (pre-1707) UK Parliament (pre-devolution) |
Chronological list of First Ministers of Scotland
| No. | Name (birth and death) Constituency | Elected |
|---|
| 1 | Donald Dewar (1937–2000)† MSP for Glasgow Anniesland | 1999 |
| — | Jim Wallace (acting) |
| 2 | Henry McLeish (1948–) MSP for Central Fife | — |
| — | Jim Wallace (acting) |
The Scottish parliament evolved during the Middle Ages from the King's Council. It is perhaps first identifiable as a parliament in 1235, described as a "colloquium" and already with a political and judicial role. In 1296 we have the first mention of burgh representatives taking part in decision making.
As head of the Scottish Government, the First Minister is directly accountable to the Scottish Parliament for their actions and the actions of the wider government. Nicola Sturgeon of the Scottish National Party is the current First Minister of Scotland.
The Scottish Government is partly funded by the UK government block grant, and partly self-funded through raising revenue from devolved taxes and borrowing. The reconciliation covers both income tax revenues and the block grant deduction.
In May 2011, the SNP won an overall majority in the Scottish Parliament with 69 seats. This majority enabled the SNP government to hold a referendum on Scottish independence in 2014.
The Scottish Parliament is made up of all elected members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) and is the law making body for devolved matters. It considers any proposed legislation and scrutinises the activities and policies of the Scottish Government through debates, parliamentary questions and the work of committees.
Having been directly governed by the UK Government since 1707, a system of devolution was established in 1999, after the Scottish people voted by a firm majority to re-establish a primary law making Scottish Parliament in a referendum held in 1997. Scotland can best be described as having a multi-party system.
The Act recognised the Scottish Parliament and a Scottish Government as permanent among UK's constitutional arrangements, with a referendum required before either can be abolished.
The review defined 19 burgh constituencies and 40 county constituencies, with each electing one MP. Therefore, Scotland has 59 parliamentary seats. Each constituency is entirely within a council area or a grouping of two or three council areas.
For example, while the funding of Scottish Gaelic television is controlled by the Scottish Government, broadcasting is a reserved matter, and while energy is a reserved matter, planning permission for power stations is devolved.
Under devolution, Scotland is represented by 59 MPs in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom elected from territory-based Scottish constituencies, out of a total of 650 MPs in the House of Commons.
The Scottish Assembly was a proposed legislature for Scotland that would have devolved a set list of powers from the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Labour Government led the Scotland Act 1978 through Westminster which provided for the establishment of the Scottish Assembly.
| Scottish Parliament Building |
|---|
| Construction started | June 1999 |
| Inaugurated | 9 October 2004 |
| Cost | £414 million |
| Design and construction |
They are paid out of a fund known as the Scottish Parliamentary Contributory Pension Fund, and administered by the SPCB. Participants contribute 6% of their salaries or, where applicable, 6% of a 'permitted maximum' salary.
The Holyrood or Holy Rood is a Christian relic alleged to be part of the True Cross on which Jesus died. The word derives from the Old English rood, meaning a pole and the cross, via Middle English, or the Scots haly ruid ("holy cross").
With the additional members system, there are 3 ways in which a person can stand to be a MSP:
- a constituency candidate.
- a candidate named on a party list at the regional election.
- an individual candidate at the regional election.
The Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 members known as members of Parliament (MPs). Members are elected to represent constituencies by the first-past-the-post system and hold their seats until Parliament is dissolved. The House of Commons of England started to evolve in the 13th and 14th centuries.
The Scottish Government runs the country in relation to matters that are devolved from Westminster. This includes: the economy, education, health, justice, rural affairs, housing, environment, equal opportunities, consumer advocacy and advice, transport and taxation.
Election and term. The First Minister is nominated by the Scottish Parliament from among its members at the beginning of each term, by means of an exhaustive ballot. They are then formally appointed by the monarch. In theory, any member of the Scottish Parliament can be nominated for First Minister.
