Day: May 12, 2026

MSPs prepare for first day of new Scottish Parliament

Oaths, affirmations and a new Presiding Officer

Newly elected MSPs will take part in their first formal meeting at the Scottish Parliament at 9.30am on Thursday 14 May.

All MSPs will start their work in the Parliament by making an oath or affirmation, which must happen before they can take part in any other parliamentary business at Holyrood.

John Swinney MSP, as leader of the largest party in the Scottish Parliament, will be the first to be sworn in, followed by the other party leaders. Other MSPs will be called forward in alphabetical order.

This initial meeting will be chaired by current Presiding Officer, Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP.

In the afternoon MSPs will be asked to elect a new Presiding Officer, who will serve for the rest of the new parliamentary session. It is expected that two Deputy Presiding Officers will be elected later in the afternoon.

Ahead of their first meeting in the Chamber, MSPs will have taken part in the first part of an induction programme in the parliament building. The programme aims to welcome MSPs to their roles and will:

  • allow MSPs to establish a temporary office within the Parliament
  • help MSPs establish their constituency or regional offices
  • inform MSPs about what support is available to them to help their constituents
  • give MSPs information about how to take part in debates and votes in the Chamber
  • let MSPs know more about the parliamentary roles and responsibilities

Speaking ahead of the MSPs arriving at the Scottish Parliament, David McGill, the Parliament’s Clerk/Chief Executive, said: “It is great to be able to welcome new MSPs into the Parliament, where our dedicated staff team will be on hand to help them get acquainted with their roles and responsibilities.

“This Parliament’s first formal meeting, on Thursday 14 May, will be particularly significant for those performing their first duties as MSPs, and for those seeking to become Presiding Officer and Deputy Presiding Officers.

“The first sitting day has an important role in formally introducing MSPs to the public, but the election of the Presiding Officer in particular starts to set the agenda for the session ahead.”

The first sitting day will be able to be view live on the Parliament’s website.

Government in crisis as calls grow for Starmer to go

CRISIS CABINET MEETING THIS MORNING

KEIR Starmer’s future as Prime Minister is looking increasingly untenable this morning as he faces growing calls for this resignation.

Labour suffered the worst set of election results in it’s history last week and anger over the party’s performance – and Starmer’s poor decision-making in particular – has built to boiling point.

Keir Starmer came out fighting with another ‘reset’ speech yesterday but critics were unconvinced by the latest pledges and clamour for the beleaguered PM to step down have continued to grow.

It’s understood some cabinet members are among the 70+ Labour MPS who are urging Starmer to go and this morning’s cabinet meeting promises to be a particularly difficult one for a PM who is seeing support evaporating by the hour.

Labour-supporting trade unions have been calling for a change of direction for some time and some have withdrawn funding from the political party they united to form in 1900. Last Thursday’s catastrophic defeat was the final straw:

JOINT STATEMENT FROM LABOUR’s AFFILIATED UNIONS

‘Labour’s affiliated unions are deeply concerned by the Party’s catastrophic election results. They show a stark disconnect between this Labour Government and the working people and communities that it was elected to represent.

‘Voters right across the country have sent a clear message: that this Government are not delivering on the promised change they so desperately want to see. This cannot continue. Voters want to see a radical new direction from Labour, that stems the tide of division and unites workers and communities in every part of the country.

‘TULO unions are united in calling for a fundamental change of direction on economic policy and political strategy, so that Labour do what it was elected to do: govern in the interests of workers.

‘Labour must also deliver the rebalancing of power in the workplace promised in the New Deal for Working People, in full, without any carve-outs or loopholes. The stakes are too high to continue on this path.

‘Labour’s unions have a responsibility to the Party that we created, and as a result TULO have demanded a meeting with the Prime Minister and Party Leadership to discuss the urgent change in direction that we all know is needed.’