Majority of MSPs choose secular affirmation in Holyrood first

Joe Higgins, Policy and Campaigns Officer

May 14, 2026

MSPs were officially sworn into Holyrood today following last week’s Scottish Parliament elections. And for the first time, a majority of parliamentarians opted to make a solemn affirmation over the religious oath. This suggests that Scotland has elected its most openly non-religious parliament in history.

All MSPs must swear allegiance to the Monarch before they can take up their roles. Anyone who refuses within two months of being elected will be disqualified as an MSP. The Oaths Act 1978 permits elected officials to choose between a religious oath and a secular affirmation. This allows humanist, atheist, and agnostic politicians – as well as those whose religion forbids them from swearing oaths – to act in line with their beliefs.

Affirmation: I ( Name), do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles, His Heirs and Successors, according to Law.

Oath: I (Name), do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles, His Heirs and Successors, according to Law. So help me God.

Analysis

Following the 2026 Scottish parliament elections, 67 MSPs chose to affirm and 62 swore the oath. This marks the first time since devolution that a majority (52%) of MSPs opted to make a secular affirmation. Broken down by party, a majority of Green (87%) and SNP (69%) MSPs chose to affirm alongside 41% of Labour and 40% of Liberal Democrat members. In contrast, only 3 Reform UK MSPs opted for the secular alternative and all 12 Conservatives took the religious oath.

Today’s figures show an almost complete reversal on the last session of parliament (2021-2026), where 68 MSPs swore the oath and 61 affirmed. This shift reflects Scotland’s increasingly secular and religiously diverse profile. The 2022 Census found that a majority of people in Scotland (51.1%) said they had no religion for the first time, with fewer than 4 in 10 identifying as Christian. In addition, more Scots now identify as Muslim, Sikh and Hindu than ever before.

Full breakdown by party

SNP – 40 Affirmations / 18 Oaths

Labour – 7 Affirmations / 10 Oaths

Reform UK – 3 Affirmations / 14 Oaths

Green – 13 Affirmations / 2 Oaths

Conservative – 0 Affirmations / 12 Oaths

Liberal Democrat – 4 Affirmations / 6 Oaths

TOTAL – 67 Affirmations / 62 Oaths

Our policy and campaigns officer, Joe Higgins, said:

“Today’s swearing-in ceremony suggests that Scotland has elected its most openly non-religious parliament in history. The decision of most MSPs to opt for a secular affirmation should come as no surprise, given a majority of people now say they have no religion. We welcome this shift towards a Parliament that more accurately reflects the diversity of belief in modern Scotland.”

Our research was reported in The Scotsman and Scottish Legal News.

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