What does the presiding officer actually do?
The presiding officer, who is chosen from one of the 129 MSPs, operates a bit like the speaker of the House of Commons. They are best known for chairing proceedings in the Scottish Parliament. This involves swinging their gavel about, shouting “order” a lot, selecting motions and amendments and deciding on speakers during debates. They must also rule on points of order and make sure the MSPs behave themselves in the chamber – which can prove tricky at times. (You may recall a sit-in protest by some Scottish Socialist politicians as one of the more memorable incidents). The position is seen by some as the most important in Scottish devolution, after the job of first minister. What about when they’re not in the chamber? The presiding officer also chairs “the bureau”, which decides on parliamentary business, as well as the corporate body – essentially the Scottish Parliament management team. Is it all really such a tough job? Well, yes actually. As well as all of the above, the presiding
