Deputy Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament
| Presiding Officer of Scottish Parliament | |
|---|---|
| Style | Presiding Officer (Within Parliament) The Right Honourable (Formal) |
| Member of | Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body |
| Term length | Elected by the Scottish Parliament at the start of each session, and upon a vacancy |
| Inaugural holder | David Steel |
| Formation | 1999 |
| Deputy | Deputy Presiding Officers |
| Salary | £106,290 |
| Website | www |
The Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament (Scottish Gaelic: Oifigear-Riaghlaidh, Scots: Preses o the Scots Pairlament) is the speaker of the Scottish Parliament. The current Presiding Officer is Ken Macintosh, who was elected on 12 May 2016, following the 2016 Scottish Parliament election.
The Presiding Officer is elected by the Members of the Scottish Parliament, by means of an exhaustive ballot, and also heads the Corporate Body of the Scottish Parliament. He or she is considered a figurehead of the institution.
The Presiding Officer presides over the Parliament's debates, determining which members may speak. The Presiding Officer is also responsible for maintaining order during debate.
The Presiding Officer is expected to be strictly non-partisan, with some similarities in this respect to the tradition of the Speaker of the British House of Commons. To be seen as impartial, the Presiding Officer renounces all affiliation with his or her former political party when taking office. He or she does not take part in debate, or vote except to break ties. Even then, the convention is that the speaker casts the tie-breaking vote in favour of the status quo. The Presiding Officer also remains a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP). In 2006 the St Andrews Fund for Scots Heraldry commemorated the hosting of the Heraldic & Genealogical Congress in Scotland by commissioning a ceremonial robe for the Presiding Officer to wear, however as of May 2017, it appears no Presiding Officer has worn the robe.
In the event of independence, the Scottish National Party proposes that the Presiding Officer's post be replaced with that of Chancellor of Scotland. In addition to presiding over the Scottish Parliament, the Chancellor would possess additional constitutional powers during the absence of the Monarch from Scotland; chiefly, the Chancellor should act in a role similar to a Governor-General in the other Commonwealth realms.
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