Two SNP MSPs in running for only contested committee convenership

Just one of the convenerships of Holyrood’s committees is being contested as part of the new election process.

SNP MSPs Jenni Minto and Emma Roddick will face off to chair the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee.

The convenerships of the remaining 15 committees will also be subject to a secret ballot after each nominee received an objection.

This is the first time the Scottish Parliament has elected committee conveners, after MSPs in the last session voted through the change.

It is hoped that doing so will improve scrutiny provided by parliamentary committees, a recommendation which came out of last session’s Standards Committee.

The ballot will take place on Tuesday afternoon, with votes to be counted on Wednesday morning. The results will be announced at the start of chamber business on Wednesday.

For the Standards Committee, MSPs will be asked to either vote ‘yes’ to their preferred candidate or to abstain.

For all other committees in which there is only one candidate, MSPs can vote ‘yes’, ‘no’ or ‘abstain’. If the majority of votes are ‘no’, the convenership will reopen to new nominations. However, the same person could stand again and any other nominees must come from the same party.

Which party is chairing which committee was agreed by parliament last week, with the number of convenerships secured by each party linked to the number of seats they have overall.

The following MSPs have been nominated to become conveners:

• Finance Committee: Clare Haughey (SNP)
• Public Audit Committee: Neil Bibby (Labour)
• Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee: Patrick Harvie (Green)
• Equalities and Human Rights Committee: Katie Hagmann (SNP)
• Public Petitions Committee: Paul Sweeney (Labour)
• Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee: Calum Kerr (SNP)
• Climate Action Committee: Stuart McMillan (SNP)
• Criminal Justice Committee: Alyn Smith (SNP)
• Economy, Tourism and Energy Committee: Duncan Massie (Reform)
• Education and Gaelic Committee: Karen Adam (SNP)
• Health, Care and Sport Committee: Helen McDade (Reform)
• Public Service Reform Committee: Bob Doris (SNP)
• Rural Affairs Committee: Mark Ruskell (Green)
• Social Justice, Housing and Local Government Committee: Craig Hoy (Conservative)
• Transport Committee: Willie Rennie (Lib Dem)