Reading Time: < 1 minuteAs the Session 7 Parliament gets underway, SPICe will publish a series of blogs to help to explain how devolution works. This mini blogpost provides a central hub for this work to assist Members and others.
Category: Uncategorized
The new Scottish Government
Reading Time: 4 minutesThis blog outlines the new Scottish Government and also provides information on junior Ministers.
Explainer: what is the Parliamentary Bureau and who sits on it?
Reading Time: 4 minutesThis short blog explains what the Parliamentary Bureau is and who sits on the Bureau.
Tha na toraidhean a-steach — taghadh coitcheann 2026
Reading Time: 8 minutesTha am bloga seo a’ mìneachadh toraidhean an taghaidh agus na tha iad a’ ciallachadh a thaobh mar a bhios Seisean 7 de Phàrlamaid na
Explainer: how can parties work together to form a government?
Reading Time: 7 minutesSince 1999, Scotland has seen majority government, minority government, coalition government and government under a formal cooperation agreement.
This blog explains why and how different political parties can work together under different models to form a government and highlights previous examples.
Explainer: how is the Scottish Government formed after a general election?
Reading Time: 3 minutesThis blog explains how a Scottish Government is formed following a general election to the Scottish Parliament.
Explainer: how does the Parliament nominate a First Minister?
Reading Time: 3 minutesThis blog explains how the Parliament nominates a candidate for First Minister.
SPICe Hub: the Session 7 Parliament
Reading Time: 2 minutesFollowing the general election to the Scottish Parliament on 7 May 2026, the Parliament is due to meet for the first time on Thursday 14th May as detailed in the Business Bulletin on Tuesday 24 March 2026.
As the Session 7 Parliament gets underway, SPICe will publish a series of blogs to explain what will happen in the first few meetings of the Parliament. This mini blogpost provides a central hub for this work to assist Members and others.
What’s Changing in Scotland’s National Performance Framework and Why It Matters
Reading Time: 6 minutesThis blog sets out what is changing with the National Performance Framework, why the reform matters, and what happens next as the Scottish Government prepares its final proposals for the next administration.
New Scottish Council Tax Powers for Empty and Second Homes
Reading Time: 5 minutesUpdated 19 May 2026. Recently approved regulations will, from 1 April 2026, allow councils in Scotland to set higher council tax charges for long-term empty