Meeting of the Parliament 07 January 2016
I am delighted to contribute to the debate, as I believe that this is an important issue for everyone in the chamber.
The Scottish Elections (Dates) Bill will change the date of the Scottish Parliament election from 7 May 2020 to 6 May 2021, so that it does not clash with the UK general election. That means that there will be a five-year term for the Scottish Parliament again, as has been the case between 2011 and 2016. That also means that the bill must allow for a change to the date of the Scottish local government elections that are due to be held on 6 May 2021, to 5 May 2022, so that they do not clash with the new date for the Scottish Parliament election. The local government elections will then revert to being held every four years after 2022.
This is not the first time since the Scottish Parliament was created that we have needed to change the dates of elections to avoid clashes with other elections. However, with new powers coming to the Scottish Parliament next year, Holyrood will be able to set a date that avoids holding the poll on the same day as the UK Parliament, European Parliament or local government elections.
The Scottish Parliament will also have the power to set permanent term lengths. That move is consistent with the Smith commission’s recommendation that power over Scottish elections should be devolved to the Scottish Parliament.
Since May 2014, we have had in Scotland a referendum, the European Parliament election and a general election, and we are going into Scottish Parliament elections in May and local elections next year. We get a year off—big sigh—in 2018 and then we have the European Parliament elections again in 2019, the general election in 2020 and so on. Although holding two elections on the same day might eliminate any potential confusion for the electorate, the practice of holding other electoral competitions such as the local elections and referendums at the same time as the European elections should be considered in the next term of the Scottish Parliament.
Many countries in Europe, such as England, Ireland and Sweden, hold joint elections because of different factors, including low voter participation and frequent elections. I share the view of Dr Richard Simpson MSP, who in his written submission to the committee supports that practice and states that the measure would allow for and encourage more democracy and would reduce overall costs.
Although this is a short bill with clear objectives, it is vital for the people of Scotland, as it will eliminate any potential confusion if elections did clash. However, Scottish election dates should be reassessed for greater efficiency when the new powers come to Holyrood.
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