The Scottish Parliament

The new Presiding Officer has informed the Parliament that business in the Chamber – where MSPs debate issues, question the government, and vote on laws that affect Scotland – will be different going forward. One of the most notable changes will be having two different First Minister’s Questions (FMQs) sessions each week – one for Party leaders and the other for Backbenchers. Speaking to all MSPs on Thursday, Presiding Officer Kenneth Gibson MSP said that Parliament needs “renewal and re-engagement – with independent, innovative and open-minded leadership.” Today he reminded MSPs that he was elected on a mandate to make Parliament more efficient, topical and effective for the people it represents, and set out what the changes will be. These include: 🟣 No FMQs to be published in advance 🟣 FMQs to change to 30 minutes on a Tuesday for backbenchers and 30 minutes on a Thursday for party leaders 🟣 Backbenchers invited to submit questions to the Presiding Officer regardless of lists submitted by Whips 🟣 Chamber business to start later on Thursdays to free up time for committee work 🟣 Time to be added in speeches where interventions have been taken 🟣 Parties urged to vary their debating time slots according to the interest and experience of Members The changes are intended make the Scottish Government more accountable to Parliament, improve scrutiny of Ministers, embolden MSPs and enable Parliament to deliver more effectively for the people of Scotland. Kenneth Gibson was elected as the Scottish Parliament’s seventh Presiding Officer on 14 May, on the first sitting day of the new session. In his acceptance speech, he told members there was so much more to do as a Parliament and that he would do his utmost to take it forward.

Here are all 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament for Session 7!

This week Parliament is expected to choose the next First Minister of Scotland.

Want to catch up on everything from the Scottish Parliament election? SPICe’s election content brings together easy-to-understand explainers, analysis and insights - covering the results, key issues and what it all means. Take a look 👇 🔗 https://ow.ly/snnR50YZsg8

This is an excellent opportunity to join the Business Support team within the Finance office as a Business Accountant. The purpose of this two year fixed-term role is to support month end processes following the move to Oracle and assist the Senior Management Accountant in exploring and developing reporting solutions; therefore, a strong grasp of financial systems is essential. As Business Accountant, you’ll support specific Office Heads through the budget setting, forecasting and monitoring processes, engaging regularly through formal and informal discussions. You’ll be responsible for month end reporting and analysis, identifying budget pressures and surpluses, and supporting informed decision making. You’ll also have financial input to business cases for projects, new services and workforce planning. Find out more and apply by 20 May 2026 👉https://lnkd.in/eVwTtzkk

This is an excellent opportunity to join the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) as a Temporary Senior Researcher. You will work to support the work of the Parliament on devolution, constitutional and parliamentary issues – the latter including the powers of the Parliament, the legislative process, scrutiny processes and the procedures of the Parliament. Reporting to the Head of Research and Sustainable Development Scrutiny, you’ll work within the Environment, Rural, Constitution and International research Unit. The role is covering a period of maternity leave and is available until June 2027. To find out more and apply: https://ow.ly/klSa50YYRPj

The cost of living, public finances, the environment, and devolution are likely to be the key issues in the new session of Parliament, according to a new briefing. SPICe – the Parliament’s in-house research team – has published its first briefing of the new session highlighting the main themes that could dominate the next five years. It includes impartial analysis, data and key trends. You can read it full, or skip to the topic that most interests you, on our website: https://ow.ly/Nt5Y50YY9Ma

We know the results from the Scottish Parliament election last week, but what do they mean for the make-up of Session 7? This SPICe Blog post dives deep into the data to explain it all: https://ow.ly/fNsJ50YXF5u

This is an excellent opportunity to join the Business Support team within the Finance office as a Business Accountant for a fixed term of two years. Working closely with the Senior Business Accountant, you will deliver high-quality financial reporting, information and insight to budget managers and their teams, as well as to the Director and Head of Finance. This fixed-term role is to support month end processes following the move to Oracle and assist the Senior Management Accountant in exploring and developing reporting solutions; therefore, a strong grasp of financial systems is essential. To find out more and apply: https://ow.ly/6AYN50YXvMU