The Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Executive 

  • People who live in Scotland are represented at Westminster by their MP and by Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs), based in Edinburgh.
  • The Scottish Parliament has 129 members (MSPs) who are elected by the people of Scotland for a fixed four year term.
  • Each voter has two votes, one to elect a constituency MSP and the other to elect regional MSPs.
  • There are 73 constituency MSPs. They represent a specific local area and are elected by the people within that area on a first past the post basis.  The remaining 56 seats are filled by regional MSPs. There are eight regions, and each one returns seven MSPs who are elected by proportional representation. Seats are allocated so each partys overall share of seats in the Parliament reflects the share it achieved of the regional vote.
  • People who live in Scotland have one constituency MSP and seven regional MSPs.
  • Once formed, the Scottish Parliament chooses a First Minister from the MSPs, usually the leader of the biggest party in Parliament. The First Minister appoints a Cabinet which forms the Scottish Executive. The Executive is responsible for setting the legislative and policy agenda for Scotland and implementing it and is accountable to the Scottish Parliament for its decisions and actions.

Who is my MSP?

  • Your constituency MSP and your regional MSPs both have a duty to represent you.
  • Constituency MSPs may have a more local focus, as they represent a specific, smaller area, and are probably the best person to approach if you want support in a campaign around local agencies.
  • However it may still be worth contacting your regional MSPs, particularly if you know that one of them has a strong interest in autism.
  • To find out the name of your MSPs contact the information department at the Scottish Parliament. Telephone 0131 348 5000 or 0845 278 1999, email sp.info@scottish.parliament.uk or visit www.scottish.parliament.uk/msp/index.htm