THIS week, following the elections in which, according to the Unionist press, the Ruth Davidson Look at Me I’m Riding a Buffalo Whoo Hoo Ruth Davidson Party won by coming a very distant second, Scotland’s new MSPs were sworn in to the parliament that represents the democratic will of the Scottish people.

You might think that Scottish MSPs swearing an oath in a Scottish parliament in a nation with a long tradition of popular sovereignty might swear an oath to the people of Scotland, the people who have elected them. But that’s not what happens – instead our MSPs swear an oath of allegiance to the Queen. The people don’t get a look in.

The Scotland Act, which re-established the Scottish Parliament, specifies that new MSPs must take an oath of allegiance, although it doesn’t specify the exact wording of that oath. The form of it is determined by the Promissory Oaths Act of 1886, which specifies the wording of the oath to be taken by public servants, elected representatives, and people who are being naturalised as British citizens.

The exact wording of this oath is: “I do solemnly swear to sook up to the royals, not to tsk or raise two fingers whenever Nicholas Witchell is on the telly being a sycophant, and shall refrain for now and forever from pointing out that the Windsors are a bunch of benefits claimants in fancy dress.”

This is usually shortened to: “I do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors, according to law.”

A lot of MSPs have reservations about the form of the oath. An unofficial and anonymous poll of MSPs some years ago found that most would support an elected head of state to replace the monarchy. That’s not really surprising for elected representatives of a nation where we celebrated the royal wedding with a You Know Where You Can Stick Yer Wedding party in a park in Glasgow. Republicanism is strong in Scotland, as you can tell by the collective lack of enthusiasm whenever there’s some royal event or other. During the last royal nuptials, faced with a distinct lack of Scottish bunting, Reporting Scotland was reduced to broadcasting a piece about royal memorabilia, and how much you could get if you flogged it off on eBay. The answer was, not much.

The form of the oath taken by MSPs is the same as that taken by MPs at Westminster. However, the Scotland Act doesn’t specify that MSPs must swear allegiance to the Queen. The Scotland Act merely states that MSPs must take an oath of allegiance. It doesn’t say that MSPs can’t take an oath of allegiance to the people of Scotland who elected them.

Many MSPs are unhappy with the form of the oath. SNP MSPs preface it with a statement that they pledge allegiance to the people of Scotland. Labour’s Neil Findlay stated that he considered the people to be citizens and not subjects.

Members of the Northern Irish Assembly don’t have to take an oath of allegiance to the Queen unless they choose to. In Stormont, members swear to discharge the duties of their office in good faith, to commit to the democratic process and non-violence, and to serve all the people of Northern Ireland equally. Westminster can hardly argue that there’s no precedent and that it would be unthinkable for Scotland to change the form of the oath for those of us with republican sympathies. Anyway, aren’t the Unionists always arguing that Scottish politics have been Ulsterised? Changing the Scottish oath would confirm it for them. You’d think they’d be pleased. We could tell them that we’re just doing it as a favour to them to give Ruth something to complain about.

There’s currently a petition calling on the Scottish Parliament to change the oath of allegiance to reflect more accurately the democratic sentiments of the people of Scotland. Holyrood, which we’re always being told is the most devolved parliament in the history of devolving things, is surely devolved enough to be able to determine the oath that its own members must take. The Promissory Oaths Act isn’t listed amongst the powers specifically reserved to Westminster, and anything not listed is devolved to Holyrood.

That means that Holyrood has every right to change the wording of the oath of allegiance that new MSPs must swear.

It’s about time. In a democracy the allegiance of elected representatives must be to the people who gave them a mandate. It’s a change that would gain the support of most Labour MSPs, and would irritate the Ruth Davidson Buffalo Fan Club no end.

It would be worth doing if for no other reason than to show the Tories that they don’t get to call the shots in the Scottish Parliament after all and that Scotland has its own traditions and values, traditions and values that are not the same as those of the Tory party and the British establishment.

You can sign said petition to change the oath at you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/scottish-parliament-a-new-oath-of-allegiance-to-the-people-not-the-queen.