Scottish Parliament Overview

Study Notes

The Scottish Parliament was founded in 1999, as per the Scotland Act 1998.
The Holyrood Parliament is based on the Scotland Act 2016, specifically section 1, which establishes its permanence.
Core functions include governing, law-making, and holding the executive accountable.
The Parliament's website is parliament.scot.

The Scottish Parliament's life cycle is defined by the Scotland Act of 1998.
A new session begins within 7 days of a general election.
The parliament dissolves before the next election, typically the 1st Thursday in May of the 4th calendar year following the prior election.
Extraordinary general elections can be triggered if a two-thirds majority of MSPs vote for it, or if the Parliament fails to appoint a First Minister within 28 days.

The Parliament consists of 129 members (MSPs).
73 MSPs are elected using the First Past the Post (FPTP) system.
56 MSPs are elected using the additional member system, based on proportional representation across 8 constituencies.
Voters have two votes in this system; one for a constituency MSP and one for a political party to determine additional members.

The Scottish Government is headed by the First Minister, who is appointed by the King and accountable to the Scottish Parliament.
The First Minister, and other ministers appointed by them, are collectively referred to as the Scottish Ministers. This follows the UK parliamentary model with a few unique touches.
The First Minister can be removed from their position by a vote of no confidence from the Parliament.
The structure and powers of the Government are defined by the Scotland Act of 1998.
The First Minister can resign anytime, and if the Parliament deems the government no longer enjoys their confidence.
The Scottish Government's authority stems from delegated powers, enabling them to govern Scotland, similar to the UK Parliament.

Statutory functions can be assigned to the Scottish ministers.
Devolution has shifted many powers from the UK government to the Scottish Government.
Legislative and executive powers are detailed in the Scotland Act 1998.
The extent of Scottish government authority varies by subject, with some areas still under UK government control.
Powers are often transferred or delegated specifically by acts of the Scottish Parliament.