# 6th Scottish Parliament

The 6th Scottish Parliament was elected at the 2021 Scottish Parliament election. It was opened with the Escort to the Crown of Scotland Parade and Speech from the Throne on 2 October 2021.

## Composition

| Party | Party | May 2021 election | Currently |
| • | Scottish National Party | 64 | 62 |
| | Scottish Conservatives | 31 | 31 |
| | Scottish Labour | 22 | 22 |
| | Scottish Greens | 8 | 7 |
| | Scottish Liberal Democrats | 4 | 4 |
| | Alba Party | 0 | 1 |
| | Independent | 0 | 1 |
| | Presiding Officer | 0 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 129 | 129 |
| Government majority | Government majority | 0 | – 4 |
Government parties denoted with bullets (•)

## Leadership

* Presiding Officer: Alison Johnstone (Independent)
* Deputy Presiding Officers: Annabelle Ewing (SNP), Liam McArthur (Lib Dems)

### Government

* First Minister: Nicola Sturgeon (SNP) (until 28 March 2023) Humza Yousaf (SNP) (29 March 2023-7 May 2024) John Swinney (SNP) (starting 8 May 2024)
* Deputy First Minister: John Swinney (SNP) (until 28 March 2023) Shona Robison (SNP) (29 March 2023-8 May 2024) Kate Forbes (SNP) (starting 8 May 2024)
* Minister for Parliamentary Business: George Adam (SNP) May 2021-May 2024 Jamie Hepburn May 2024 - Present

### Opposition

* Leader of the Opposition: Russell Findlay (Conservatives)
* Secondary Opposition Leader: Anas Sarwar (Labour)
* Tertiary Opposition Co-Leaders: Patrick Harvie & Lorna Slater (Greens)
* Leader of the Liberal Democrats: Alex Cole-Hamilton (Liberal Democrats)
* ↑ Johnstone was elected as Green MSP but relinquished her membership in order to take the office of Presiding Officer.
* ↑ There is no official opposition or opposition leader, but Findlay is the leader of the largest party not in government.

## List of MSPs

This is a list of MSPs so far elected. The changes table below records all changes in party affiliation during the session, since the May 2021 election.
There are eight MSPs who have been constant members since the inauguration of the Parliament in 1999 (ten other founding members retired prior to the 2021 election): Jackie Baillie, Fergus Ewing and John Swinney have been elected six times under the same constituency (Swinney's was renamed with different boundaries in 2011); Christine Grahame, Fiona Hyslop, Michael Matheson, Shona Robison and Nicola Sturgeon were returned as a list member then a constituency member. A ninth MSP Richard Lochhead has served almost the same term, resigning his list seat in 2006 to successfully contest a by-election a few weeks later for a constituency seat, which he has defended since then.
| Name | Member for | Type | Party |
| George Adam | Paisley | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Karen Adam | Banffshire and Buchan Coast | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Clare Adamson | Motherwell and Wishaw | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Alasdair Allan | Na h-Eileanan an Iar | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Tom Arthur | Renfrewshire South | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Jackie Baillie | Dumbarton | Constituency | Scottish Labour |
| Claire Baker | Mid Scotland and Fife | Regional | Scottish Labour |
| Jeremy Balfour | Lothian | Regional | Scottish Conservatives |
| Colin Beattie | Midlothian North and Musselburgh | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Neil Bibby | West Scotland | Regional | Scottish Labour |
| Sarah Boyack | Lothian | Regional | Scottish Labour |
| Miles Briggs | Lothian | Regional | Scottish Conservatives |
| Keith Brown | Clackmannanshire and Dunblane | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Siobhian Brown | Ayr | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Ariane Burgess | Highlands and Islands | Regional | Scottish Greens |
| Alexander Burnett | Aberdeenshire West | Constituency | Scottish Conservatives |
| Stephanie Callaghan | Uddingston and Bellshill | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Jackson Carlaw | Eastwood | Constituency | Scottish Conservatives |
| Finlay Carson | Galloway and West Dumfries | Constituency | Scottish Conservatives |
| Maggie Chapman | North East Scotland | Regional | Scottish Greens |
| Foysol Choudhury | Lothian | Regional | Scottish Labour |
| Katy Clark | West Scotland | Regional | Scottish Labour |
| Willie Coffey | Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Alex Cole-Hamilton | Edinburgh Western | Constituency | Scottish Liberal Democrats |
| Angela Constance | Almond Valley | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Graeme Dey | Angus South | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Natalie Don | Renfrewshire North and West | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Bob Doris | Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| James Dornan | Glasgow Cathcart | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Sharon Dowey | South Scotland | Regional | Scottish Conservatives |
| Jackie Dunbar | Aberdeen Donside | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Pam Duncan-Glancy | Glasgow | Regional | Scottish Labour |
| Tim Eagle | Highlands and Islands (since 12/02/24) | Regional | Scottish Conservatives |
| Annabelle Ewing | Cowdenbeath | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Fergus Ewing | Inverness and Nairn | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Jim Fairlie | Perthshire South and Kinross-shire | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Russell Findlay | West Scotland | Regional | Scottish Conservatives |
| Joe FitzPatrick | Dundee City West | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Kate Forbes | Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Murdo Fraser | Mid Scotland and Fife | Regional | Scottish Conservatives |
| Meghan Gallacher | Central Scotland | Regional | Scottish Conservatives |
| Kenneth Gibson | Cunninghame North | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Jenny Gilruth | Mid Fife and Glenrothes | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Maurice Golden | North East Scotland | Regional | Scottish Conservatives |
| Pam Gosal | West Scotland | Regional | Scottish Conservatives |
| Mairi Gougeon | Angus North and Mearns | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Christine Grahame | Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Rhoda Grant | Highlands and Islands | Regional | Scottish Labour |
| Neil Gray | Airdrie and Shotts | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Jamie Greene | West Scotland | Regional | Scottish Conservatives |
| Ross Greer | West Scotland | Regional | Scottish Greens |
| Mark Griffin | Central Scotland | Regional | Scottish Labour |
| Sandesh Gulhane | Glasgow | Regional | Scottish Conservatives |
| Jamie Halcro Johnston | Highlands and Islands | Regional | Scottish Conservatives |
| Rachael Hamilton | Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire | Constituency | Scottish Conservatives |
| Emma Harper | South Scotland | Regional | Scottish National Party |
| Patrick Harvie | Glasgow | Regional | Scottish Greens |
| Clare Haughey | Rutherglen | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Jamie Hepburn | Cumbernauld and Kilsyth | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Craig Hoy | South Scotland | Regional | Scottish Conservatives |
| Fiona Hyslop | Linlithgow | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Daniel Johnson | Edinburgh Southern | Constituency | Scottish Labour |
| Alison Johnstone | Lothian | Regional | Presiding Officer |
| Liam Kerr | North East Scotland | Regional | Scottish Conservatives |
| Stephen Kerr | Central Scotland | Regional | Scottish Conservatives |
| Bill Kidd | Glasgow Anniesland | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Monica Lennon | Central Scotland | Regional | Scottish Labour |
| Richard Leonard | Central Scotland | Regional | Scottish Labour |
| Richard Lochhead | Moray | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Douglas Lumsden | North East Scotland | Regional | Scottish Conservatives |
| Gordon MacDonald | Edinburgh Pentlands | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Fulton MacGregor | Coatbridge and Chryston | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Gillian Mackay | Central Scotland | Regional | Scottish Greens |
| Rona Mackay | Strathkelvin and Bearsden | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Ben Macpherson | Edinburgh Northern and Leith | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Ruth Maguire | Cunninghame South | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Michael Marra | North East Scotland | Regional | Scottish Labour |
| Gillian Martin | Aberdeenshire East | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| John Mason | Glasgow Shettleston | Constituency | Independent |
| Michael Matheson | Falkirk West | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Màiri McAllan | Clydesdale | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Liam McArthur | Orkney | Constituency | Scottish Liberal Democrats |
| Roz McCall | Mid Scotland and Fife (since 20/09/22) | Regional | Scottish Conservatives |
| Ivan McKee | Glasgow Provan | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Christina McKelvie | Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Paul McLennan | East Lothian | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Stuart McMillan | Greenock and Inverclyde | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Marie McNair | Clydebank and Milngavie | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Pauline McNeill | Glasgow | Regional | Scottish Labour |
| Jenni Minto | Argyll and Bute | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Carol Mochan | South Scotland | Regional | Scottish Labour |
| Sir Edward Mountain | Highlands and Islands | Regional | Scottish Conservatives |
| Oliver Mundell | Dumfriesshire | Constituency | Scottish Conservatives |
| Audrey Nicoll | Aberdeen South and North Kincardine | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Paul O'Kane | West Scotland | Regional | Scottish Labour |
| Ash Regan | Edinburgh Eastern | Constituency | Alba Party |
| Willie Rennie | North East Fife | Constituency | Scottish Liberal Democrats |
| Angus Robertson | Edinburgh Central | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Shona Robison | Dundee City East | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Emma Roddick | Highlands and Islands | Regional | Scottish National Party |
| Douglas Ross | Highlands and Islands | Regional | Scottish Conservatives |
| Alex Rowley | Mid Scotland and Fife | Regional | Scottish Labour |
| Mark Ruskell | Mid Scotland and Fife | Regional | Scottish Greens |
| Anas Sarwar | Glasgow | Regional | Scottish Labour |
| Graham Simpson | Central Scotland | Regional | Scottish Conservatives |
| Lorna Slater | Lothian | Regional | Scottish Greens |
| Liz Smith | Mid Scotland and Fife | Regional | Scottish Conservatives |
| Colin Smyth | South Scotland | Regional | Scottish Labour |
| Shirley-Anne Somerville | Dunfermline | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Collette Stevenson | East Kilbride | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Alexander Stewart | Mid Scotland and Fife | Regional | Scottish Conservatives |
| Kaukab Stewart | Glasgow Kelvin | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Kevin Stewart | Aberdeen Central | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Nicola Sturgeon | Glasgow Southside | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Paul Sweeney | Glasgow | Regional | Scottish Labour |
| John Swinney | Perthshire North | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Michelle Thomson | Falkirk East | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Maree Todd | Caithness, Sutherland and Ross | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| David Torrance | Kirkcaldy | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Evelyn Tweed | Stirling | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Mercedes Villalba | North East Scotland | Regional | Scottish Labour |
| Sue Webber | Lothian | Regional | Scottish Conservatives |
| Annie Wells | Glasgow | Regional | Scottish Conservatives |
| Tess White | North East Scotland | Regional | Scottish Conservatives |
| Martin Whitfield | South Scotland | Regional | Scottish Labour |
| Elena Whitham | Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley | Constituency | Scottish National Party |
| Brian Whittle | South Scotland | Regional | Scottish Conservatives |
| Beatrice Wishart | Shetland | Constituency | Scottish Liberal Democrats |
| Humza Yousaf | Glasgow Pollok | Constituency | Scottish National Party |

### Former MSPs

| Name | Name | Image | Member for | Type | Party | Notes |
| | Dean Lockhart | | Mid Scotland and Fife | Regional | Scottish Conservatives | Resigned 5 September 2022 |
| | Donald Cameron | | Highlands and Islands | Regional | Scottish Conservatives | Resigned 9 February 2024 |

## Changes

| Date | Constituency/region | Gain | Loss | Note |
| 13 May 2021 | Lothian | Presiding Officer | Scottish Green | Alison Johnstone was elected Presiding Officer and consequently had to renounce her party affiliation. |
| 5 September 2022 | Mid Scotland and Fife | Conservative | Conservative | Dean Lockhart resigned his seat in the Scottish Parliament. He was succeeded by Roz McCall, who was sworn in on 20 September. |
| 28 October 2023 | Edinburgh Eastern | Alba | SNP | Ash Regan defected from the SNP to Alba, becoming the party's first MSP. |
| 9 February 2024 | Highlands and Islands | Conservative | Conservative | Donald Cameron was appointed to the House of Lords in the 2024 Special Honours and was replaced by Tim Eagle. |
| 17 August 2024 | Glasgow Shettleston | Independent | SNP | John Mason had whip suspended over Gaza comments |