At the swearing-in ceremony that takes place at the beginning of a new session of the UK Parliament, the oath or affirmation must be taken initially in English, but Members of both Houses may follow this with an oath or affirmation in another language.

In addition, many MPs take the oath in the Scottish manner, with uplifted hand but not holding the bible.

In 2015, Dr Philippa Whitford MP (SNP) became, we believe, the first ever MP to take an oath at Westminster in Scots. She was followed by Marion Fellows MP (SNP) and Richard Arkless MP (SNP).

In 2017, Dr Philippa Whitford MP (SNP) and Marion Fellows MP (SNP) again repeated their oath in Scots. Chris Law MP (SNP) and Peter Grant MP (SNP) also repeated their oath in Scots, whilst Kirsty Blackman MP (SNP) did so in specifically in North East Scots (Doric).

Peculiarly, however, all the MPs who took the oath in Scots on these occasions used the Ulster Scots text – as there was no Scots (Scotland) version of the oath (or affirmation) available at that time. This has recently been rectified, however, by Dr Dauvit Horsbroch, Language and Information Officer of the Scots Language Centre - at the initiation of Dr Philippa Whitford MP.

You can read more about the ‘Wording’ of the oath and affirmation, as well as Dr Horsbroch’s Scots translation and accompanying explanatory notes, by clicking on the relevant tab to the left.

Listen to Dr Philippa Whitford MP take her oath in Scots here.