Parliament Workbench

Motions · Insight

Who signs whose motions

Any MSP can add their name to another MSP’s motion to show support. Nobody is told to, so the names show alliances that party-line votes hide. Session 7 (2026–now).

Signatures
21,251
on 1,905 motions
Across party lines
45%
9,638 signatures on another party’s motion
Typical MSP
38%
median cross-party share, 91 MSPs
Most parties on one motion
7
S7M-00003, 42 signatures

Why signatures are not votes

In a vote, most MSPs follow their party whip, so the result mostly reflects party numbers. Adding a name to a motion is different: it is voluntary, it costs nothing, and no whip tells MSPs to do it. Most motions are never debated. They congratulate a local group, mark an awareness week or set out a position. So signatures show who MSPs are willing to be seen alongside, including across party lines that hardly ever break in a vote.

A signature means support for the wording of that motion, nothing more. Signing nothing is not opposition: some MSPs, including ministers by convention, rarely sign motions at all.

Party by party

Each row: where that party’s signatures went, by the party of the MSP who lodged the motion
Signers ↓ / Lodgers → SNP Con Reform Lab Green LD Ind Signatures
SNP 72 7 3 5 7 6 <1 9,252
Con 33 44 7 6 2 8 <1 3,144
Reform 21 12 56 5 2 4 <1 3,117
Lab 47 11 7 18 9 9 <1 2,615
Green 34 4 <1 9 47 6 – 2,276
LD 30 11 3 9 11 36 <1 773
Ind 38 23 13 19 – 7 – 69

Numbers are % of the row party’s signatures. under 5% about 25% 80% or more. Outlined squares are a party signing its own MSPs’ motions. Hover a square for the counts.

Support from outside the party

MSPs: cross-party signing

131 MSPs · showing 1–50

Sort by Cross-party share ↓ Signatures given Signatures received Name

MSP Signed Cross-party Most often alongside Lodged Received
Paul Sweeney Lab 1,641 91% Miles Briggs Con 1,243
Colin Beattie SNP 1,165 		23 243 72% other parties
Liam McArthur LD 146 86% Andrew Baxter LD 63
Tim Eagle Con 86 		49 616 85% other parties
Miles Briggs Con 1,289 85% Paul Sweeney Lab 1,243
Colin Beattie SNP 1,024 		12 163 73% other parties
Yi-pei Chou Turvey LD 213 85% Dawn Black SNP 139
Andrew Baxter LD 54 		32 254 81% other parties
Maggie Chapman Green 336 77% Ariane Burgess Green 194
Cara McKee Green 175 		28 348 52% other parties
Adam Harley LD 25 76% Alex Cole-Hamilton LD 11
Duncan Dunlop LD 11 		6 54 80% other parties
Jackie Baillie Lab 380 75% Stuart McMillan SNP 272
Miles Briggs Con 339 		39 326 74% other parties
Monica Lennon Lab 116 72% Katy Clark Lab 33
Jackie Baillie Lab 70 		7 53 62% other parties
David Kirkwood Reform 38 71% Duncan Massey Reform 12
Max Bannerman Reform 15 		0 0
Carol Mochan Lab 67 67% Katy Clark Lab 30
Pauline McNeill Lab 18 		8 87 71% other parties
Katy Clark Lab 74 66% Carol Mochan Lab 30
Monica Lennon Lab 33 		6 60 62% other parties
Helen McDade Reform 211 66% Julie MacDougall Reform 132
Amanda Bland Ind 94 		11 138 40% other parties
Finlay Carson Con 48 65% Liam Kerr Con 35
Russell Findlay Con 37 		27 350 53% other parties
James Adams Con 64 64% Craig Hoy Con 42
Russell Findlay Con 41 		20 250 43% other parties
Tim Eagle Con 391 64% Alexander Burnett Con 201
Russell Findlay Con 161 		20 259 48% other parties
Neil Bibby Lab 125 62% Jackie Baillie Lab 92
Cara McKee Green 50 		11 69 67% other parties
Amanda Bland Reform 244 60% Amanda Lindsay Reform 147
Senga Beresford Reform 127 		12 130 34% other parties
Duncan Dunlop LD 116 59% Andrew Baxter LD 43
Alex Cole-Hamilton LD 30 		12 64 91% other parties
Iris Duane Green 129 58% Laura Moodie Green 85
Holly Bruce Green 49 		11 128 36% other parties
Kristopher Leask Green 43 58% Mark Ruskell Green 16
Gillian Mackay Green 15 		6 71 49% other parties
Cara McKee Green 297 58% Kate Nevens Green 171
Ariane Burgess Green 192 		9 127 54% other parties
Julie MacDougall Reform 357 57% Senga Beresford Reform 183
Amanda Lindsay Reform 195 		24 313 37% other parties
Jamie Langan Reform 288 57% Senga Beresford Reform 163
David Smith Reform 142 		16 185 32% other parties
Ariane Burgess Green 325 57% Laura Moodie Green 192
Kate Nevens Green 181 		10 128 46% other parties
Kate Nevens Green 244 56% Ariane Burgess Green 181
Cara McKee Green 171 		17 225 49% other parties
Graham Simpson Reform 30 53% Duncan Massey Reform 15
Mark Simpson Reform 14 		2 19
Joe Fagan Lab 82 52% Monica Lennon Lab 26
Neil Bibby Lab 21 		3 30 53% other parties
Laura Moodie Green 262 52% Ariane Burgess Green 192
Kate Nevens Green 156 		17 217 52% other parties
Alexander Burnett Con 320 51% Russell Findlay Con 169
Craig Hoy Con 156 		13 136 43% other parties
Murdo Fraser Con 217 51% Russell Findlay Con 114
Craig Hoy Con 107 		14 120 53% other parties
Kayleigh Kinross-O'Neill Green 88 51% Kate Nevens Green 65
Mark Ruskell Green 34 		12 203 59% other parties
Victor Currie Reform 266 47% Senga Beresford Reform 154
David Smith Reform 154 		13 133 20% other parties
Emma Roddick SNP 131 46% Laura Mitchell SNP 28
Dawn Black SNP 68 		9 99 47% other parties
Colin Beattie SNP 1,202 46% Miles Briggs Con 1,024
Paul Sweeney Lab 1,165 		36 320 42% other parties
Amanda Lindsay Reform 285 44% Senga Beresford Reform 178
Thomas Kerr Reform 171 		9 148 41% other parties
Kim Schmulian Reform 157 43% Senga Beresford Reform 96
Thomas Kerr Reform 98 		4 55 33% other parties
Gillian Mackay Green 100 43% Ross Greer Green 41
Laura Moodie Green 71 		7 108 66% other parties
Thomas Kerr Reform 224 41% Senga Beresford Reform 172
Amanda Lindsay Reform 171 		39 456 15% other parties
Q Manivannan Green 84 40% Ross Greer Green 45
Kate Nevens Green 70 		12 166 52% other parties
Angela Ross Reform 178 40% Senga Beresford Reform 116
David Smith Reform 121 		14 170 34% other parties
Pauline McNeill Lab 45 40% Carol Mochan Lab 18
Katy Clark Lab 15 		11 100 68% other parties
Paul McLennan SNP 138 40% Ariane Burgess Green 90
David Torrance SNP 138 		78 815 40% other parties
Stuart McMillan SNP 930 40% Colin Beattie SNP 770
Fulton MacGregor SNP 554 		17 173 35% other parties
Dawn Black SNP 500 39% Colin Beattie SNP 424
Stuart McMillan SNP 352 		43 465 36% other parties
David Linden SNP 29 38% Alyn Smith SNP 12
Thomas Kerr Reform 18 		19 108 44% other parties
Lorna Slater Green 37 38% Q Manivannan Green 24
Holly Bruce Green 23 		7 106 50% other parties
Holly Bruce Green 88 38% Ross Greer Green 51
Iris Duane Green 49 		16 211 47% other parties
Clare Adamson SNP 368 37% Jackie Dunbar SNP 262
Miles Briggs Con 360 		83 965 38% other parties
Fulton MacGregor SNP 599 37% Stuart McMillan SNP 554
Heather Anderson SNP 362 		30 343 39% other parties
Mark Simpson Reform 133 37% Senga Beresford Reform 98
Max Bannerman Reform 84 		14 175 25% other parties

Motions that drew the most parties

Parties = the lodger’s party plus every signer’s party
  1. S7M-00003
    Arthritis Awareness Month
    Lodged by Rachael Hamilton Con 14 May 2026
    SNP 13Con 11Reform 6Green 5Lab 4LD 2NPA 1
    7 parties
    42 signatures
  2. S7M-00747
    World Stroke Day 2026
    Lodged by Gary Bouse SNP 28 Oct 2026
    SNP 16Green 7Reform 4Lab 2Con 2LD 2Ind 1
    7 parties
    34 signatures
  3. S7M-01970
    Let's Respect Retail
    Lodged by Daniel Johnson Lab 9 Nov 2026
    Lab 9SNP 7Con 5LD 2Green 2Reform 2Ind 1
    7 parties
    28 signatures
  4. S7M-01971
    Scottish Mountain Rescue
    Lodged by Heather Anderson SNP 9 Nov 2026
    SNP 13Reform 5Con 3LD 2Lab 2Ind 1Green 1
    7 parties
    27 signatures
  5. S7M-01531
    Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month 2026
    Lodged by Miles Briggs Con 7 Oct 2026
    SNP 9Lab 5Con 5Reform 3LD 2Green 1Ind 1
    7 parties
    26 signatures
  6. S7M-01909
    Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month 2026
    Lodged by Clare Adamson SNP 5 Nov 2026
    SNP 13Lab 5Reform 3LD 1Con 1Green 1Ind 1
    7 parties
    25 signatures
  7. S7M-01786
    Welcoming Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland Guide for MSPs on Mental Health and Mental Illness
    Lodged by Joe Long Lab 29 Oct 2026
    SNP 6Lab 3Reform 2LD 1Con 1Green 1Ind 1
    7 parties
    15 signatures
  8. S7M-01686
    Celebrating Five Years of NHS Scotland Academy
    Lodged by Jackie Baillie Lab 21 Oct 2026
    SNP 3Con 2Lab 2Reform 2LD 1Green 1Ind 1
    7 parties
    12 signatures
  9. S7M-00815
    Baby Loss Awareness Week 2026
    Lodged by Patricia Gibson SNP 7 Oct 2026
    SNP 22Reform 8Con 6Lab 5LD 3Green 2
    6 parties
    46 signatures
  10. S7M-00586
    World Arthritis Day
    Lodged by Rachael Hamilton Con 7 Jul 2026
    SNP 12Con 10LD 6Reform 6Lab 5Green 4
    6 parties
    43 signatures
  11. S7M-00180
    The 10th Anniversary of the Death of Jo Cox
    Lodged by Jenny Young Lab 16 Jun 2026
    SNP 13Lab 9Reform 8Green 7LD 3Con 2
    6 parties
    42 signatures
  12. S7M-00708
    Breast Cancer Now Wear It Pink Day 2026
    Lodged by Clare Adamson SNP 29 Sep 2026
    SNP 18Green 6Lab 4LD 3Reform 3Con 1
    6 parties
    35 signatures

Strongest cross-party pairs

MSPs from different parties who signed each other’s motions most often
  1. Clare Adamson SNP and Paul Sweeney Lab
    Clare Adamson signed 4 of Paul Sweeney’s motions Paul Sweeney signed 81 of Clare Adamson’s
    85 signatures between them
    429 motions together
  2. Miles Briggs Con and David Torrance SNP
    Miles Briggs signed 73 of David Torrance’s motions David Torrance signed 5 of Miles Briggs’s
    78 signatures between them
    604 motions together
  3. Clare Adamson SNP and Miles Briggs Con
    Clare Adamson signed 1 of Miles Briggs’s motions Miles Briggs signed 76 of Clare Adamson’s
    77 signatures between them
    360 motions together
  4. David Torrance SNP and Paul Sweeney Lab
    David Torrance signed 3 of Paul Sweeney’s motions Paul Sweeney signed 73 of David Torrance’s
    76 signatures between them
    672 motions together
  5. Paul McLennan SNP and Paul Sweeney Lab
    Paul McLennan signed 3 of Paul Sweeney’s motions Paul Sweeney signed 73 of Paul McLennan’s
    76 signatures between them
    200 motions together
  6. Rachael Hamilton Con and Paul Sweeney Lab
    Rachael Hamilton signed 0 of Paul Sweeney’s motions Paul Sweeney signed 69 of Rachael Hamilton’s
    69 signatures between them
    72 motions together
  7. David Torrance SNP and Julie MacDougall Reform
    David Torrance signed 3 of Julie MacDougall’s motions Julie MacDougall signed 64 of David Torrance’s
    67 signatures between them
    135 motions together
  8. Paul Sweeney Lab and Jack Middleton SNP
    Paul Sweeney signed 60 of Jack Middleton’s motions Jack Middleton signed 0 of Paul Sweeney’s
    60 signatures between them
    147 motions together
  9. Jackie Dunbar SNP and Paul Sweeney Lab
    Jackie Dunbar signed 0 of Paul Sweeney’s motions Paul Sweeney signed 55 of Jackie Dunbar’s
    55 signatures between them
    492 motions together
  10. Miles Briggs Con and Paul McLennan SNP
    Miles Briggs signed 52 of Paul McLennan’s motions Paul McLennan signed 3 of Miles Briggs’s
    55 signatures between them
    154 motions together
  11. Miles Briggs Con and Jackie Dunbar SNP
    Miles Briggs signed 51 of Jackie Dunbar’s motions Jackie Dunbar signed 1 of Miles Briggs’s
    52 signatures between them
    421 motions together
  12. Colin Beattie SNP and Rachael Hamilton Con
    Colin Beattie signed 52 of Rachael Hamilton’s motions Rachael Hamilton signed 0 of Colin Beattie’s
    52 signatures between them
    55 motions together

Ranked by signatures each gave the other’s motions. Counts favour MSPs who lodge and sign a lot; “motions together” also counts motions lodged by someone else that both signed.

Cross-party signing by year

% of signatures on another party’s motion, every session; Session 7 highlighted

Years with fewer than 500 signatures are left out. 2026 is the year so far. Election years mix two sessions.

How this is worked out

What counts
Signatures on MSPs’ own motions: standard motions, Members’ Business motions and motions for debate. Procedural motions (business, timetable, committee, corporate body and bill motions) and amendments are left out. An MSP shown supporting their own motion is not counted.
Party
The signer’s party on the day they signed, and the lodger’s party when the motion was lodged, not their party today. The source stamps about 335,000 Session 6 signatures with the same date (5 September 2025), and a few with dates months after the motion; where a signing date is more than 120 days after the motion was lodged we use the lodging date instead.
Cross-party
A signature on a motion lodged by an MSP of a different party. Independent and No Party Affiliation MSPs have no party of their own, so every signature they give or receive counts as cross-party.
Cross-party share
Of all the signatures an MSP gave in the period, the share that went on other parties’ motions. Only MSPs with 25 or more signatures in the period get a share; below that one or two signatures swing it too much.
Most often alongside
The MSPs whose motion lists overlap most with this MSP’s: motions both are on (as lodger or signer) divided by motions either is on, among partners sharing 10 or more motions. The number shown is the motions they share. Ranking by overlap rather than raw counts stops the few MSPs who sign thousands of motions topping every list.
Received
Signatures other MSPs put on motions this MSP lodged, and the share of them from other parties.
Session
The session in the motion reference (S6M-… is Session 6).

Built from the Parliament’s motion support records. See also which parties vote together.