Following the swearing in of 129 members of the Scottish Parliament, a new Presiding Officer will be elected and that will be overseen by the outgoing chair, Alison Johnstone
Four MSPs are vying for the post - Lib Dem Liam McArthur and SNP members, Kenny Gibson, Stuart McMillan and Clare Haughey. Watch the election live at 14:30
Over a three-hour ceremony earlier, MSPs took an oath, or made an affirmation, in the Scottish Parliament chamber
The SNP's John Swinney was first to be sworn in, as leader of the largest party - followed by the other leaders
The rest of the MSPs were called forward in alphabetical order
They all declared in English first with some repeating in other languages, including Scots, Doric and Gaelic
MSPs swear allegiance to the King
MSPs are now being called forward to pick up their ballot papers and vote.
Outgoing Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone explains that if no member receives an overall majority in the first round of voting, there will be subsequent rounds
Kenneth Gibson
Kenneth Gibson was first elected in 1999, and aside from a spell between 2003 and 2007, has been an MSP ever since, representing the Ayrshire seat Cunninghame North.
Although an SNP veteran, he has never been a minister. In the last parliament, he served as convener of Holyrood’s finance committee. In that role he was known as a tough scrutiniser who was not afraid to criticise the SNP administration.
Gibson is married to fellow SNP MSP Patricia Gibson, elected in Cunninghame South.
Born in Paisley, he served as councillor in Glasgow before being elected to Holyrood. He was the first MSP to table plans for a public smoking ban in 1999, though the plans were shelved when Gibson lost his seat, with a ban not passed until 2006.
Liam McArthur
Orkney MSP Liam McArthur is best-known as the parliamentarian who got closer than anyone else to legalising assisted dying in Scotland.
Throughout the debate he was praised for his collegiate approach – though he could not help but become emotional during impassioned pleas for MSPs to back his ultimately doomed bill.
McArthur served as deputy presiding officer in the last parliament. He was reportedly reluctant to go for the top job this time but was persuaded by colleagues keen for a widely respected candidate to take on SNP rivals.
Born in Edinburgh, he moved to Orkney aged 10. After returning to Edinburgh for university, he worked in various roles in public affairs and political consultancy, including a spell in Brussels.
He was first elected to Holyrood in 2007.
Claire Haughey
Claire Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen and Cambuslang, served as convener of Holyrood’s health committee in the last parliament.
A former mental health and children’s minister, she is seen as the SNP leadership’s pick for the role.
Haughey, an MSP since 2016, has spoken of her grief after losing her 20-year-old son Charlie, who died suddenly while on holiday in Amsterdam in 2019.
Stuart McMillan
An MSP for the West of Scotland since 2007, Stuart McMillan is another former committee convener – this time the delegated powers committee.
He has never had a ministerial post but does have the distinction of being the parliamentary piper.
McMillan was born in Cumbria and moved to Inverclyde as a child. He has represented the constituency since 2016.
He worked for IBM before working in the SNP central office in Westminster and was a staffer for MSP Bruce McFee prior to his own election.
MSPs will vote to elect the Scottish Parliament's next presiding officer shortly.
You can watch events from the chamber by clicking on the Watch live icon at the top of this page.
Andrew Kerr
BBC Scotland political correspondent
A hustings was held yesterday to help MSPs decide on a new presiding officer.
The PO, as it's often called, is the person who chairs parliamentary sessions and keeps order.
Sitting in an elevated position above their fellow MSPs, it's a prestigious office with a salary of £136,112.
They give up all political allegiance.
The Liberal Democrat Liam McArthur, who steered the assisted dying legislation through parliament, is seen as a favourite.
However, McArthur needs support from across the parliament as he faces very stiff competition from the SNP MSP Claire Haughey.
A candidate from the ruling party is not what the opposition want to see - in their view perceiving it could give the SNP an advantage.
Haughey didn't attend the hustings - but two other SNP runners did.
Kenny Gibson gave a punchy performance and Stuart McMillan was rather more low-key.
One of the first acts of the new presiding officer will be over-seeing the election of their deputies.
My colleague Kirsten Campbell understands Clare Adamson, Claire Baker and Miles Briggs are in the running for this job, which has an annual salary of £114,297.
Outgoing presiding officer Alison Johnstone announces that four MSPs have put their name forward to be the parliament's next PO.
The are Liberal Democrat Liam McArthur (who served as a deputy in the role in the last parliament) and three SNP committee conveners from the last session Kenny Gibson, Stuart McMillan and Clare Haughey.
Three of the four took part in a hustings event in Holyrood on Wednesday – believed to be the first debate for the role. Clare Haughey sat that event out.
Whichever one wins they will have to give up their party membership for the duration of their spell as presiding officer.
The election of the new PO is due to take place at 14:30.
This historic day continues with the election of the parliament's next presiding officer.
All 129 MSPs will be able to vote for their preference for the role - with the nominees due to be announced shortly.
Parliament will reconvene at 13:30 when the nominations for presiding officer will be announced.
The election of the new presiding officer will then take place at 14:30.
Nominations for deputy presiding officers will take place after that.
Kirsten Campbell
BBC Scotland political correspondent
What are the attractions of being presiding officer?
Well, it comes with a healthy £130,000 salary so that is one incentive.
Above that though, it is a very prestigious position and it usually means the person is appointed to the Privy Council so they become an adviser to the monarch as well.
The duties mainly, of course, involve presiding over - or chairing - meetings of parliament and selecting speakers for debate and questions for ministers.
There is a diplomatic role too, representing the parliament at home and abroad.
Four MSPs have put their name forward - Liberal Democrat Liam McArthur – who served as a deputy in the role in the last parliament – and then three SNP committee conveners from the last session Kenny Gibson, Stuart McMillan and Clare Haughey.
Whichever one wins they will have to give up their party membership for the duration of their spell as presiding officer.
The swearing-in ceremony has now ended.
Outgoing presiding officer Alison Johnstone announces that nominations for the position will open at 12:30.
MSPs will have until 13:30 to nominate.
Image source, PA MediaA busy public gallery on swearing-in day at the Scottish Parliament
The public gallery of the Scottish Parliament is packed with the loved ones of the 129 MSPs making their allegiance to the King.
The ceremony started at 09:30 and will be finished by 12:30.
Q Manivannan, the Scottish Green MSP for the Edinburgh and Lothians East region has made their affirmation.
Manivannan is nonbinary and one of the first two openly transgender people elected to the Scottish Parliament along with fellow Scottish Green Iris Duane.
There have also been questions in recent days about the MSP's immigration status.
Manivannan, originally from India, is on a student visa which is due to expire at the end of the year.
Until recently, foreign nationals were only eligible to stand for election to Holyrood if they had indefinite leave to remain - an immigration status allowing them to live and work in the UK in perpetuity.
That was changed in 2024 when the Scottish Parliament unanimously voted to extend election candidacy rights to non-UK citizens with limited leave to remain.
Opponents believe Manivannan should not have been selected in the first place - while the Greens have accused critics of "disgusting" attacks on their new parliamentarian.
Before taking the oath, the new MSP said: "I make this affirmation for the people of Scotland and their care.
"My bonnie, bonnie, home."
The swearing-in ceremony has resumed with MSPs whose names start with "M". The three hour ceremony - including two 20 minute breaks - started with party leaders swearing in and then moved to all other MSPs, in alphabetic order.
You can follow proceedings using the watch live button above.
There is now another break in proceedings until 11:30.
The SNP’s Stephen Flynn and Stephen Gethins have today requested their resignations from the House of Commons.
This begins the process for the writ to be moved for by-elections in Aberdeen South and Arbroath & Broughty Ferry.
Both politicians were elected as MSPs last week and can no longer serve as MPs.
The procession of MSPs taking their oath or affirmation continues, however there are only about 30 left to go.
Former SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has to redo one of the lines in his oath after stumbling over his words.
And also fluffing the declaration was Kenny Gibson, SNP MSP, who has taken part in Scottish Parliament swearing-in ceremonies five previous times.
The Scottish Parliament has resumed the swearing-in ceremony where the 129 MSPs are swearing allegiance to the King, either by affirmation or oath.
The oaths are being taken in alphabetical order and have now reached those whose surnames begin with D.
The swearing-in ceremony has been temporarily halted for MSPs to take a break. It will resume at 10:30.
Andrew Kerr
BBC Scotland political correspondent
The SNP MSPs have donned their now traditional floral decoration to mark, and indeed celebrate, today's events in the Scottish Parliament.
It's the "little white rose of Scotland", depicted in Hugh McDiarmid's 1931 poem.
The poignant four lines end with: "That smells sharp and sweet—and breaks the heart."
The poet aches for that little rose, better than all the other roses in the world.
McDiarmid was a founding father of the nationalist movement and today's tribute nods to that.
However, some commentators have previously thundered that all is not so "sweet" - given McDiarmid's support for fascism.
Most MSPs seem be adorned with botany that hasn't caused controversy.
Labour have their traditional red rose, Reform UK a Scottish heather, the Greens had what looked like a fuchsia pink gerbera and the Liberal Democrats a mini-mixed bouquet.
Meanwhile, the Conservatives had a big white rose - no relation to Hugh's.
Liberal Democrat Alex Cole-Hamilton is the last of the party leaders to take the oath.
The rest of the MSPs will now take the oath in alphabetical order.
