The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
MSPS to take oaths in Scots, Gaelic, English, and Zimbabwean Shona
Scotland’s MSPS will take their affirmations or oaths today at Holyrood as they are officially sworn into the Scottish Parliament.
It is the first thing all the MSPS must do before they can start their parliamentary business, and although it officially has to be done in English, many are planning to repeat it in Scots, Doric, Orcadian, Gaelic and even Zimbabwean Shona.
The oath has members “swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth” and ends with the statement “so help me God”.
The affirmation, on the other hand, has members “solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth”, and does not include any religious references.
Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, said: “Just as I did in 2011 and 2016, I will be taking my oath in both English and Doric – Doric is my mither tongue and, as always, I will do all that I can to promote it.
“I am proud to speak Doric and even more proud to hear it spoken every single day here in Aberdeen.
“We can never downplay its significance to our culture in the north east but also right across Scotland too.”
Gillian Martin, MSP for Aberdeenshire East, will also recite it in Doric.
She said: “As I represent the people in the eastern part of Aberdeenshire it is important to me to take the affirmation in the mither tongue which so many of us speak in our everyday lives.
“Foo many o us wur telt tae spik ‘proper’ faun we wer bairns in the skweel?
“Doric an the Scots leid is proper, an belongs in wir pairliament.”
Another north-east MSP, Jackie Dunbar, who represents Aberdeen Donside, said: “As I committed during my election campaign, I will be proudly taking my oath in both English and Doric.
“I grew up speaking Doric and I’m looking forward to joining other north-east MSPS to continue this tradition in parliament.
“It is a privilege to represent my local community and I am looking forward to doing this by completing my oath in Doric.”
Alison Johnstone, Green MSP for Lothian, is planning to do it in Scots, and it is understood Neil Gray, MSP for Airdrie and Shotts, will be doing it in Orcadian.
As well as Scots, some MSPS will be reciting the oath or affirmation in Gaelic. One of those is Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-eileanan an Iar (Western Isles).
The Stornoway-based MSP said: “I will be taking the oath in Gaelic and English. As for a reason for doing it in Gaelic, to be honest, I think more explanation would be required if the MSP for the Western Isles was not doing this.”
Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, has previously spoken in Gaelic in the debating chamber during the last parliament, and said her oath in Gaelic back in 2016.
Other languages to be spoken will include Angus Robertson, MSP for Edinburgh Central, reciting in German, Humza Yousaf, MSP for Glasgow Pollock, in Urdu, and Maggie Chapman, MSP for the North East, in Zimbabwean Shona. Chapman said: “Shona is the majority language of Zimbabwe and I was born and brought up there.”