MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands congratulations of Scottish parliament on its 25th anniversary

Falklands Government Representative in London, Richard Hyslop congratulates the presiding officer of the Scottish Parliament, Alison Johnstone, MSP

Falkland Islands London Office representative, Richard Hyslop has been in Scotland to congratulate Holyrood, the Scottish parliament on its 25ty anniversary. Links between the Falkland Islands and Scotland are very close and significant, with Scottish MPs visiting the Islands and upholding the Islands rights to decide on its future and natural resources.

“I had the honor of visiting Parliament and meeting with many MSPs, the Falklands look forward to continue building on the excellent relations,” Falklands government representative Hyslop said on X.

Holyrood this year is celebrating the first meeting of the new Scottish Parliament, which took place on 12 May 1999.

The Scottish parliament is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland, and is located in the Holyrood are of the capital Edinburgh. Democratically elected it has 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament. They are elected for five year terms under the regionalized form of additional member system, 73 members represent individual geographical constituencies elected by the plurality, (first past the line) system and another 56 as list members from eight additional member regions. Each region elects 15 to 17 MPScs. The Scottish National Party has a plurality at Holyroot.

The original Parliament of Scotland was the national legislature of the independent Kingdom of Scotland and existed from the early 13th century until the Kingdom of Scotland merged with the Kingdom of England under the Acts of Union 1707, to form the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Following a referendum in 1997, in which the Scottish electorate voted for devolution, the powers of the devolved legislature were specified by the Scotland Act 1998, which sets out the legislative competence of the Parliament – the areas in which it can make laws – but also explicitly specifying powers that are “reversed” to Westminster. In effect the the UK Parliament retains the ability to amend the terms of reference of the Scottish Parliament, and can extend or reduce the areas in which it can make laws.