Dual mandates in the Scottish parliament: consultation
The Scottish Elections (Representation and Reform) Bill was passed on 17 December 2024. It places a duty on Scottish Ministers to bring forward regulations which prohibit MSPs from holding dual mandates as MPs or Peers, and potentially Councillors. This consultation seeks views on ending dual mandates.
Footnotes
1. This paper uses “Peer” here as a short-hand for member of the House of Lords. Not every person entitled to a peerage is entitled to be a member of the House of Lords. Since the coming into force of the House of Lords Act 1999 only 92 hereditary peers are permitted to be members of the House of Lords at once.
2. Cm 7724, 2009. Paragraph 12.22. This link opens a PDF copy of the report.
3. A leave of absence is a formal absence from the House of Lords under Standing Order 21 of the Standing Orders of the House of Lords relating to Public Business. A member on a leave of absence should not attend the House until the end of their period of leave, unless they give the Clerk of the Parliaments 3 months’ notice that they intend to return early.
4. For a full list of past examples see “SPICe Factsheet: MSPs with dual mandates” published 30 August 2024. This link opens a PDF copy.
5. This is one of the “Gould Principles” proposed by Ron Gould in “The Independent Review of the Scottish Parliamentary and Local Government Elections 3 May 2007”, The Electoral Commission, October 2007. This link opens a PDF copy of the report.
6. This link opens Section 17E of the Government of Wales Act 2006 on the Legislation.gov.uk website.
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