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First Minister's Questions (Scottish Parliament)
First Minister's Questions (FMQs) is the name given to the weekly questioning of the First Minister in the Scottish Parliament. It serves the purpose of holding the Scottish Government to account and the format has evolved over time. First Minister's Questions follows in some of the traditions of Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons. Other devolved administrations in the United Kingdom also have sessions for the question times of their leaders that take the same name. An independent report published in 2017 suggested further reforms. Procedure and format There are rules and procedures about who can submit a question. The Presiding Officer selects questions from all of those lodged by Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). History Establishment of parliament In 2000, during the 1st Scottish Parliament, the procedures committee recommended that a specific First Minister’s Question Time be set up, to last for up to twenty minutes out of the hour set aside f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
FMQ 2 September 2021
First Minister's Questions are question time sessions held respectively in the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Scottish Parliament and the Senedd. First Minister's Questions is an opportunity for members of each legislature to question the respective leaders of the devolved nations of the United Kingdom. These sessions are based on the similar Prime Minister's Questions held in the House of Commons. It is usually the most attended event in each legislature by representatives. Northern Ireland Assembly In Northern Ireland, Questions to the Executive Office or Executive Office Questions (previously Questions to the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister, or simply First Minister's Questions) is taken jointly by the First Minister and Deputy First Minister. This joint approach is part of the power-sharing arrangements that underpin the operation of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive Office. Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) may put questions to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scottish Socialist Party
The Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) is a Left-wing politics, left-wing political party campaigning for the establishment of an Scottish independence, independent Socialism, socialist Scottish Scottish republicanism, republic. The party was founded in 1998. It campaigns for Scottish independence, against cuts to public services and welfare and for democratic public ownership of the economy. The SSP was one of three parties in Yes Scotland, the official cross-party campaign for Scottish independence in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, 2014 referendum, with national co-spokesperson Colin Fox (political activist), Colin Fox sitting on its advisory board. The party operates through a local branch structure and publishes Scotland's longest-running socialist newspaper, the ''Scottish Socialist Voice''. At the height of its electoral success in 2003, the party had six Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) and two councillors, but since 2017 it has had no councillors or MS ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Henry McLeish
Henry Baird McLeish (born 15 June 1948) is a Scottish politician, author, academic and former professional footballer who served as first minister of Scotland from 2000 to 2001. With a term of 1 year, 12 days, he is the shortest serving holder of that office. He served as the Leader of the Labour Party in Scotland from 2000 to 2001. Born and raised into a Labour supporting coal mining family in Fife, McLeish dropped out of Buckhaven High School at the age of fifteen to pursue a professional career in football. Playing wing half, he was first signed for Leeds United F.C., but after experiencing homesickness, McLeish returned to his native of Fife to play for East Fife F.C. Making more than 108 appearances, he was one of the youngest ever players to play in Scottish professional football. McLeish's career was cut short after an injury and he returned to education, studying at Heriot-Watt University. McLeish joined the Labour Party in 1970 and was later elected to the Fife ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jim Wallace
James Robert Wallace, Baron Wallace of Tankerness, (born 25 August 1954) is a Scottish politician serving as a Liberal Democrat life peer in the House of Lords, British House of Lords since 2007. He served as the Deputy First Minister of Scotland from 1999 to 2005, and during that time he served twice as acting First Minister of Scotland, First Minister, in 2000, in the aftermath of Donald Dewar's death and in 2001, following Henry McLeish's resignation. He was formerly Scottish Liberal Democrats, Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats from 1992 to 2005 and Leader of the Liberal Democrats (UK), Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords from 2013 to 2016. Wallace also served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland from 2021 to 2022. Wallace served as a Liberal Democrats (UK), Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Orkney and Shetland (UK Parliament constituency), Orkney and Shetland from 1983 United King ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Swinney
John Ramsay Swinney (born 13 April 1964) is a Scottish politician who has served as First Minister of Scotland, first minister of Scotland since 2024. Swinney has served as Leader of the Scottish National Party, leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) on two occasions, since 2024 and between 2000 and 2004. He has held various roles within the Scottish Cabinet from 2007 to 2023 under First Ministers Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon. Swinney was Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for North Tayside (Scottish Parliament constituency), North Tayside from 1999 to 2011 and, following boundary changes, has been MSP for Perthshire North since 2011. He was Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tayside (UK Parliament constituency), Tayside North from 1997 to 2001. Born in Edinburgh, Swinney graduated with a Master of Arts (Scotland), MA in politics at the University of Edinburgh. He joined the SNP at a young age, and quickly rose to prominence ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David McLetchie
David William McLetchie CBE (6 August 1952 – 12 August 2013) was a Scottish politician who served as Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party from 1999 to 2005. He was Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Edinburgh Pentlands constituency from 2003 to 2011 and the Lothian region from 1999 to 2003 and 2011 to 2013. Early life and career Born in Edinburgh, McLetchie attended Leith Academy and George Heriot's School and graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a degree in law in 1974. He trained as a solicitor with Shepherd and Wedderburn, before joining Tods Murray where he was assumed a partner. He specialised in tax, trusts, and estate planning. In 1979, he contested the Edinburgh Central seat for the Conservatives, but lost to Robin Cook of the Labour Party. Member of the Scottish Parliament Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party McLetchie became Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party upon the creation of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leader Of The Opposition (Scotland)
In the Scottish Parliament, the Leader of the Opposition (more formally, the Leader of the Opposition in the Scottish Parliament) is an unofficial title often used to describe the leader of the largest political party in the Scottish Parliament that is not in Scottish Government, government. This leader has also been referred to as the Shadow First Minister. Unlike in the Parliament at Westminster arrangement, Westminster where there is an Her Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition (United Kingdom), Official Opposition to the government of the day, all parties in the Scottish Parliament that are not in Scottish Government, government are all legally on the same footing as 'opposition parties'. On 27 September 2024, following a leadership election within the Scottish Conservatives, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Russell Findlay succeeded Douglas Ross (Scottish politician), Douglas Ross, who had served in this role from 2021 to 2024, as Leader of the Opposition in Scottish Pa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scottish Liberal Democrats
The Scottish Liberal Democrats () is a liberal, federalist political party in Scotland, part of UK Liberal Democrats. The party holds 5 of the 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament, 6 of the 57 Scottish seats in the House of Commons and 86 of 1,227 local councillors. The Scottish Liberal Democrats is one of the three state parties within the federal Liberal Democrats, the others being the Welsh Liberal Democrats and the English Liberal Democrats. The Liberal Democrats do not contest elections in Northern Ireland. History Formation and early years The Scottish Liberal Democrat party was formed by the merger of the Scottish Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Scotland, as part of the merger of the Liberal Party and SDP on 3 March 1988. The party campaigned for the creation of a devolved Scottish Parliament as part of its wider policy of a federal United Kingdom. In the late 1980s and 1990s it and its representatives participated in the Scottish Cons ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scottish Labour Party
Scottish Labour (), is the part of the UK Labour Party active in Scotland. Ideologically social democratic and unionist, it holds 23 of 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament and 37 of 57 Scottish seats in the House of Commons. It is represented by 266 of the 1,227 local councillors across Scotland. The Scottish Labour party has no separate Chief Whip at Westminster. Throughout the later decades of the 20th century and into the first years of the 21st, Labour dominated politics in Scotland; winning the largest share of the vote in Scotland at every UK general election from 1964 to 2010, every European Parliament election from 1984 to 2004 and in the first two elections to the Scottish Parliament in 1999 and 2003. After this, Scottish Labour formed a coalition with the Scottish Liberal Democrats, forming a majority Scottish Executive. Until recently, especially since the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, the party suffered significant decline; losing ground pr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scottish Conservative Party
The Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party (), known as Scottish Tories, is part of the UK Conservative Party active in Scotland. It currently holds 5 of the 57 Scottish seats in the House of Commons, 30 of the 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament, and comprises 206 of Scotland's 1,226 local councillors. The party's policies in Scotland usually promote conservatism and the continuation of Scotland's role as part of the United Kingdom. The party's policies promote conservatism and a pro-union position supporting Scotland continuing to be part of the United Kingdom. The Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party is Russell Findlay who was elected to the role in September 2024. The party campaigns in elections to the UK Parliament, Scottish Parliament and local government. The party evolved in its present structure from the Unionist Party which existed from 1912 to 1965, combining elements from the pre-1912 Conservative Party in Scotland and the Liberal Unionists. Gra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party (SNP; ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic party. The party holds 61 of the 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament, and holds 9 out of the 57 Scottish seats in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons. It is represented by 419 of the 1,227 local councillors across Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom and for Scotland's membership in the European Union, with a platform based on progressive social policies and civic nationalism. Founded in 1934 with the amalgamation of the National Party of Scotland and the Scottish Party, the party has had continuous parliamentary List of Scottish National Party MPs, representation in Westminster since Winnie Ewing won the 1967 Hamilton by-election. With the establishment of the devolved Scottish Parliament in 1999, the SNP became the second-largest party, serving two terms as the Opposition (parliamentary), opposition. The SNP gaine ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Commission On Parliamentary Reform
The Commission on Parliamentary Reform was an independent group, established in October 2016 by Ken Macintosh, the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament. It is chaired by John McCormick and published its report, with recommendations, on 20 June 2017. Background When the Scottish Parliament was set up in 1999, a Consultative Steering Group developed some of the parliamentary structures and procedures. Changes in technology since the Parliament was formed have affected how civil society engages with it. Macintosh’s predecessor Tricia Marwick had also tried to look at how the parliament functioned. Remit and schedule The Commission was asked to consider how the Parliament scrutinises legislation, how the committee system functions and the extent of the parliament's independence from the Scottish government. The commission met for first time on 7 November 2016. In January the committee took evidence from two former Labour First Ministers Jack McConnell and Henry McLeish. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
