WIREDGOV

The Scottish Parliament today elected Alex Salmond, MSP for Gordon, as First Minister to lead the Executive for the next four years.

Mr Salmond will receive the Royal Warrant from the Queen before taking the official oath of allegiance in front of a panel of judges at the Court of Session in Edinburgh tomorrow confirm him as FM and Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland.

Mr Salmond is leader of the Scottish National Party, the largest single party in the Parliament with 47 MSPs, which is to form a minority government following the outcome of the May 3 election.

Mr Salmond said:

"My pledge to the Parliament today is any Scottish Government led by me will respect and include this Parliament in the governance of Scotland over the next four years. In this century there are limits to what governments can achieve but one thing any government I lead will never lack is ambition for Scotland.

"Today I commit myself to leadership wholly and exclusively in the Scottish national interest. That is the Parliament the people of Scotland have elected, and that is the Government that I will be proud to lead."

There were two rounds of voting in the Parliament today. In the first round the votes cast were:

• Annabel Goldie 16
• Jack McConnell 46
• Alex Salmond 49
• Nicol Stephen 16
• Abstentions recorded 1

Ms Goldie and Mr Stephen were excluded and in the second round the votes cast were:

• Jack McConnell 46
• Alex Salmond 49
• Abstentions recorded 33

Presiding Officer Alex Fergusson said:

"I declare that Alex Salmond is elected as the Parliament's nominee for First Minister."

Related Links

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2007/05/16161147

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/home.htm