Hybrid voting system labelled 'farcical' as MSP lodges motion for it to be withdrawn

Scottish Labour MSP Neil Findlay has called on MSPs to say they have “no faith” in the system.

The voting system in Holyrood has come under criticism.

Holyrood’s hybrid voting system which allows MSPs to vote away from the Scottish Parliament building has been labelled a “shambles” amid calls for it to be withdrawn.

Scottish Labour MSP Neil Findlay has tabled a motion on the issue following what he labelled a “farcical” vote in the chamber on Tuesday night when several MSPs struggled or even failed to vote on his amendment to a motion on mesh implants.

The motion, which states that parliament has “no faith” in the system to “deliver fair and accurate results”, could see the system shelved by parliament.

Mr Findlay, whose amendment was defeated by the vote, said the result should be annulled and called on the voting system to be withdrawn.

He said: “Yesterday’s vote on mesh implants was very important. My amendment was lost by one vote following a shambles with the hybrid voting system.

"The vote should have been annulled and rerun but today the Presiding Officer allowed it stand.

"The voting system does not carry the confidence of MSPs and need withdrawn until it can be sorted out.”

During the debate on Tuesday on the amendment around mesh implants, Mr Findlay had labelled the system “farcical” and said faith in the system was “ebbing away every single day we come here".

He received the backing of constitution minister and SNP MSP Michael Russell who said he had been “terrified” in recent weeks about whether votes were being counted.

Mr Russell added: “Today, we have seen a vote that, at the very least, must be one in which those in the chamber will have no confidence. The amendment was disagreed to by a single vote, and we do not know whether individuals have voted.”

However, in an letter to MSPs, the presiding officer Ken Macintosh said the result of the vote was reliable and would have seen him cast his deciding vote against the amendment, in line with convention.

Mr Macintosh apologised to MSPs in the letter and said the reason why some MSPs had struggled to vote was due to an “administrative error” which involved a pin code needed to access the system being changed.

He said: “I am confident that the result of the vote is reliable and, as such, the vote on Neil Findlay’s amendment stands. I appreciate and acknowledge that not all Members will be happy at my decision but I believe that to rerun the vote would be even more unfair.

"I do however understand that the administrative error followed by a lack of clarity as to what was happening has had the effect that some members are starting to lose confidence in the system. I would like to apologise unreservedly for this.

“The decision to ‘go live’ at the earliest opportunity with the remote voting system developed over the short summer recess was taken in the knowledge that we would all be learning as we go along and I know we have some way to go to build more confidence in the system.”

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