I did not know that Scotland had its own parliament? I thought Scotland was part of Great Britain?
Yes, Scotland is part of Great Britain. However, back in 1997 Scotland voted for a devolved parliament. So, starting in 1999 Scotland has had a parliament to deal with what are called devolved issues such as health, education, income tax, and housing. The British parliament that meets in London still has control over things like foreign affairs, broadcasting, immigration, and value-added tax. For an American, it may be helpful to see the Scottish parliament as a state government with the London parliament being like the federal government.
How big is the Scottish parliament?
The parliament has 129 members who are referred to as Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). MSPs serve a five-year term.
Does the Scottish Parliament have two chambers like we in the United States have the House of Representatives and the Senate?
No, the Scottish parliament only has one chamber. However, when a person votes for the parliament, they vote for someone to represent their district and someone to represent their region. So, in some ways the Scottish parliament has elements of both the House and Senate in one body.
Who controls the Scottish parliament?
The Scottish National Party (SNP) is the largest party in the parliament, but they do not have a majority so they must make alliances with other parties to pass legislation.
If the government of Scotland is like a state, then who is the governor?
Well, first remember that Scotland, like the United Kingdom, is a parliamentary system. This means that the legislative and executive functions are not separate. So, the closest analogy to a governor would be the First Minister of Scotland. The current first minister of Scotland is John Swinney of the SNP.
When are the elections and who is expected to win?
The elections are scheduled for May 8 and right now the polls are showing the SNP in the lead. A big wild card is how well the Reform party which is a new political party many people have compared to MAGA/Trump will do.