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About MSPs

MSPs take part in examining and passing Bills (proposed laws). They represent you in the Scottish Parliament and your local area and they examine the work of the Scottish Government.

What issues an MSP can help you with

There are certain things that the Scottish Parliament has the power to make decisions on. These are known as "devolved matters".

Contact one of your MSPs if you want support with something related to the following devolved matters:

  • agriculture and fisheries
  • education and training
  • environment
  • health and social services
  • housing
  • justice and policing
  • local government
  • transport

You can contact one of your MSPs about some taxes - these include:

  • Income Tax
  • Land and Buildings Transaction Tax
  • Landfill Tax

You can also contact one of your MSPs about some aspects of social security - these include the following benefits:

  • Best Start Grant
  • Carer's Allowance/Carer’s Allowance Supplement
  • Funeral Support Payment
  • Young Carer Grant

What to include when contacting your MSP

Please include:

  • your postcode, along with the rest of your contact details
  • a brief description of the problem or issue
  • suggestions on what can be done to sort out the problem or issue if you have any

Find your MSPs and their contact details

Other people who can help with an issue

If your issue is not covered by what an MSP can help you with, there are other people who represent you and may be able to help. They include:

  • councillors - they represent you in your council and deal with local services, such as bin collection
  • Members of Parliament (MPs) - they represent you in the UK Parliament and deal with issues that are not be devolved (known as "reserved matters")

Contacting someone else who represents you

As well as your MSPs, you also have people representing you in:

  • your local council - these are councillors
  • UK Parliament - these are Members of Parliament (MPs)

Councillors

You have between 1 and 5 councillors representing your local area (your ward) and you can contact any of them for help.

Contact a councillor if you want to discuss services in your local area. These include local public transport, rubbish collection or disputes with your neighbours.

Your councillor can offer help with:

  • education services, for example getting your child into a school
  • registering to vote
  • parks and leisure services
  • planning decisions and licences
  • social care services
  • waste and recycling

Find your local councillor on the mygov.scot website

Members of Parliament (MPs)

You're represented by 1 MP in the UK Parliament.

Contact your MP if you want help with something related to the following issues:

  • defence
  • employment
  • immigration and visas
  • international development
  • trade and Industry

You can also contact your MP about issues related to social security and tax that are not covered by the Scottish Parliament.

Find your MP on the UK Parliament website

When contacting someone else who represents you

Please include:

  • your postcode, along with the rest of your contact details
  • a brief description of the problem
  • suggestions on what can be done to sort out the problem or issue if you have any

Why you have 8 MSPs

Everyone in Scotland is represented by 8 MSPs.

There are 2 types of MSPs. You can contact either type of MSP about any issue dealt with by the Scottish Parliament.

You have:

  • 1 MSP who represents your local area – known as a "constituency MSP"
  • 7 MSPs who represent the larger area that includes your constituency – known as "regional MSPs"

How MSPs are elected

At Scottish Parliament elections, every voter has two votes: one for their constituency and one for their region.

With your:

  • constituency vote – you’re choosing an individual candidate to represent you
  • regional vote – you’re choosing a party or independent candidate to represent you

Constituency votes are counted first. The candidate with the most votes in each constituency wins.

Regional votes are counted next, and regional MSPs are elected using a formula. This means that the number of seats a party gets in total across a region is about the same as the percentage of votes it receives.

This way of electing MSPs is called the additional member system (AMS).

How Scotland gets divided up for elections

Scotland is divided into 73 constituencies, each one represented by 1 MSP. Scotland is also divided into 8 regions (larger areas covering several constituencies). Each region is represented by 7 MSPs.

This results in 129 MSPs in total: 73 constituency MSPs and 56 regional MSPs.

What happens at election time

Scottish Parliament elections happen every 4 or 5 years. Voters elect MSPs who will represent their views and make decisions that affect their lives. Anyone eligible to vote can do so.

Dissolution

In the run-up to an election, the parliament is dissolved for about 5 weeks to allow for campaigning to happen. During this period (known as dissolution), MSPs stop being Members of the Scottish Parliament. They can't use parliament resources for elections, and they can't take on new casework. Any Bills that have not passed will "fall" (stop). Petitions won't be considered again until after dissolution. All motions, and amendments to motions, also fall.

During dissolution some roles continue, but only for specific purposes. These are:

  • the Presiding Officer, Deputy Presiding Officers and members of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body continue to manage the parliamentary estate, staff and services
  • Scottish Government ministers carry out essential government business

After an election

After an election, every MSP is sworn in by taking an oath or affirmation. Then, they appoint the Presiding Officer and Deputy Presiding Officers. Next, they elect one member to be First Minister – usually the leader of the biggest party in the Parliament. The First Minister then selects ministers for the Scottish Government. Members of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body are appointed and parliamentary committees are established.

Find out more at the Electoral Commission website

How to become an MSP

Anyone who is eligible can stand as an MSP.

Anyone who wants to become an MSP must be eligible to do so and submit a nomination form.

You can stand as a member of a political party, or as an independent candidate. Each party has its own internal process for choosing its candidates.

You have to be:

  • 18 years old or older
  • either a British citizen, an Irish citizen, an eligible Commonwealth citizen, or a qualifying foreign national

You do not need to:

  • be a registered voter
  • have any specific qualifications

Find out more on The Electoral Commission’s website

Contact your MSPs

You can find your MSPs and their contact details by using the postcode finder.

Find your MSPs using the postcode finder