Scottish Parliament to elect new presiding officer on Thursday

MSPs will elect the new presiding officer and two deputy presiding officers of the Scottish Parliament on Thursday 12 May.

A number of MSPs have been rumoured to be considering putting themselves forward for the role, including Labour’s Ken Macintosh, Labour former deputy presiding officer Elaine Smith, former Labour leader Johann Lamont, Conservative finance spokesperson Murdo Fraser and former Conservative deputy presiding officer John Scott.

The SNP are not expected to propose anyone for presiding officer as they are two MSPs short of a majority.

So far there has never been a Labour presiding officer of the Scottish Parliament.

The presiding officer must resign from their party and remain neutral in debates, but the two deputy presiding officers retain their party allegiances and can vote, except when they are chairing a session.

The Scotland Act 1998 requires the Scottish Parliament to elect the presiding officer and deputies within 14 days of the election and before any other item of business except the taking of oaths and affirmations.

Nominations for the presiding officer close on Thursday at 1.30pm, with voting for the new presiding officer to begin at 2.30pm, followed by nominations for the deputies.

The vote for the presiding officer takes the form of a secret ballot and does not use the electronic voting system in the chamber.

Outgoing presiding officer Tricia Marwick will chair the election of the presiding officer and announce the nominations.

Once elected, the new presiding officer will then take over the chair for the election of the deputies.

As well as chairing proceedings in the chamber, the presiding offer’s role involves chairing the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body, which looks after the finances and running of the parliament, and the Parliamentary Bureau, which organises the parliament’s business and running orders and the remit and make up of parliamentary committees.

The presiding officer and deputies also act as representatives for the Scottish Parliament at home and abroad.

The presiding officer’s role attracts a £45,605 salary in addition to the standard MSP’s salary of £60,685.