Good morning. I declare this fifth session of the Scottish Parliament 2016 to 2021 duly constituted. The only item of business this morning is members’ oaths and affirmations.
I will call each member in turn. When a member is called, they should proceed to the well of the chamber, where they will either take the oath or make an affirmation.
The Scottish National Party pledges loyalty to the people of Scotland, in line with the Scottish constitutional tradition of the sovereignty of the people.
The member then made a solemn affirmation.
took the oath.
made a solemn affirmation.
On behalf of the Scottish Green Party and our MSPs, I would like to reaffirm that our priority will always be to serve the people of Scotland, who are sovereign, and that we support the principle of an elected head of state.
The member then made a solemn affirmation.
took the oath.
took the oath.
took the oath.
took the oath and repeated it in Gaelic.
made a solemn affirmation.
took the oath.
made a solemn affirmation.
took the oath.
made a solemn affirmation.
took the oath.
made a solemn affirmation.
took the oath.
made a solemn affirmation.
took the oath.
took the oath.
took the oath.
took the oath.
took the oath.
took the oath and repeated it in Doric.
took the oath.
made a solemn affirmation.
took the oath.
took the oath.
made a solemn affirmation.
made a solemn affirmation.
took the oath.
made a solemn affirmation.
made a solemn affirmation.
made a solemn affirmation.
made a solemn affirmation.
took the oath.
took the oath.
made a solemn affirmation.
made a solemn affirmation.
Before making a solemn affirmation, I state that I believe that the people of Scotland should be citizens, not subjects, and that I hold firmly that my allegiance should first and foremost be to them. However, I recognise that to serve my constituents in Parliament I must meet the legal requirement of making a solemn affirmation and will therefore now do so.
The member then made a solemn affirmation.
Tha muinntir na h-Alba uachdarail. The Scottish people are sovereign.
The member then made a solemn affirmation and repeated it in Gaelic.
made a solemn affirmation.
took the oath and repeated it in Gaelic.
took the oath.
took the oath.
made a solemn affirmation.
made a solemn affirmation.
Thank you. There will now be a break in proceedings. Members’ oaths and affirmations will resume at 10:30.
10:14 Meeting suspended.
We will now resume the oaths and affirmations.
took the oath.
made a solemn affirmation.
took the oath.
took the oath.
took the oath.
took the oath.
took the oath.
took the oath.
made a solemn affirmation.
took the oath.
took the oath.
made a solemn affirmation.
made a solemn affirmation.
made a solemn affirmation.
took the oath.
made a solemn affirmation.
took the oath.
made a solemn affirmation.
made a solemn affirmation.
made a solemn affirmation.
took the oath.
took the oath.
made a solemn affirmation.
made a solemn affirmation.
made a solemn affirmation.
took the oath.
took the oath.
took the oath.
made a solemn affirmation.
took the oath.
took the oath.
took the oath.
took the oath.
made a solemn affirmation.
made a solemn affirmation.
made a solemn affirmation.
took the oath and repeated it in Gaelic.
took the oath.
made a solemn affirmation.
made a solemn affirmation.
took the oath.
took the oath.
took the oath.
made a solemn affirmation and repeated it in Doric.
made a solemn affirmation.
11:08 Meeting suspended.On resuming—
We now resume members’ oaths and affirmations.
made a solemn affirmation.
made a solemn affirmation.
took the oath.
took the oath.
took the oath.
took the oath.
took the oath.
made a solemn affirmation.
made a solemn affirmation.
took the oath.
made a solemn affirmation.
took the oath.
took the oath.
In my heart, my allegiance is to the people of Scotland.
The member then made a solemn affirmation.
took the oath and repeated it in Scots and Gaelic.
Bismillah-hir-Rahman-nir-Raheem.
The member then took the oath.
took the oath.
took the oath.
made a solemn affirmation.
Before I take the oath, I state that I believe that the people of Scotland should be citizens and not subjects and that I hold firmly that my allegiance should be first and foremost to them. However, I recognise that to serve my constituents in the Parliament I must meet the legal requirement of taking the oath, and I will therefore do so.
The member then took the oath.
took the oath.
took the oath.
made a solemn affirmation.
took the oath.
took the oath.
took the oath.
took the oath and repeated it in Doric.
took the oath.
made a solemn affirmation.
took the oath and repeated it in Gaelic.
took the oath.
took the oath.
took the oath and repeated it in Doric.
took the oath.
took the oath.
made a solemn affirmation.
took the oath.
made a solemn affirmation.
took the oath and repeated it in Urdu.
That ends the oaths and affirmations ceremony.
I inform members that nominations for the position of Presiding Officer will open at 12.30 pm. Nomination forms can be collected from the parliamentary business team, whose office is situated in T1.03. Completed nomination forms should be returned to the parliamentary business team no later than 1.30 pm this afternoon. Nomination forms will be valid only if they detail the name of the candidate, the member nominating the candidate and the member seconding that nomination.
When submitting nomination papers, candidates or their representatives may wish to provide the name of any member who is acting as a scrutineer on behalf of the candidate.
Parliament will reconvene at 1.30, when I will announce the nominations received for the position of Presiding Officer. I will then suspend the Parliament for a further period of one hour and reconvene at 2.30 for the election. Nominations for Deputy Presiding Officers may be submitted only following the election of the Presiding Officer. The period during which nominations may be submitted will be announced by the new Presiding Officer, and the sitting will be adjourned for that purpose.
12:07 Meeting suspended.As directed by rule 1.2.5 of the standing orders of the Scottish Parliament, the text of the oath of allegiance, in accordance with section 2 of the Promissory Oaths Act 1868, is as follows:
I, [name of Member], do swear that I will be faithful and bear true Allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, Her heirs and successors, according to Law, so help me God.
The text of the solemn affirmation, in accordance with section 6(1) of the Oaths Act 1978, is as follows:
I, [name of Member], do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm, that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, Her heirs and successors, according to Law.
13:30 On resuming—Next
Presiding Officer