Holyrood has closed the door on MSPs holding council seats at the same time. New regulations now in force disqualify anyone who is both a councillor and a Member of the Scottish Parliament, tightening up rules ahead of the 2026 vote. The Scottish Government says the aim is clearer accountability and full‑time focus on one role.

Crucially, the disqualification does not bite until the day of the next Scottish Parliament election. Ministers told MSPs the rules would take effect for that poll, giving current members and councils a clean transition in the final months of this session.

There are two safety valves built in. If a councillor wins a Holyrood seat within 372 days of the next ordinary council elections, they can finish their council term. Otherwise, anyone who ends up holding both roles has 49 days to choose one-whether they became an MSP first or a councillor first.

Double pay is off the table. If, during any permitted overlap, an MSP is also paid as a councillor, their MSP salary must be cut by the amount of the basic councillor salary set under the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 remuneration rules.

Legally, the regulations modify the Scotland Act 1998-adding “councillor” to the list of disqualifications and setting out the short grace periods above. The power to make these changes comes from the Scottish Elections (Representation and Reform) Act 2025, passed unanimously last year.

For readers north of the Tyne who work with Scottish partners, the message is simple: from the next Holyrood election, MSPs won’t also be serving on Scottish councils. That should make it clearer who to contact on cross‑border issues-from rail and energy to skills-when you’re chasing decisions.

The timing matters for the Borders and nearby city regions. Candidate selections for 2026 are under way; councillors eyeing Holyrood will need to plan for either a swift resignation within 49 days or, if they’re inside that 372‑day window, a tidy handover at the next council election.

Across the UK, devolved parliaments are tightening rules on “double‑hatting”. Scotland’s move sits alongside existing and planned restrictions in Wales and Northern Ireland, including the end of Wales’s 372‑day grace period for councillor‑MSs from April 2026.

“It will fall to the next Parliament to monitor their effectiveness,” Minister for Parliamentary Business and Veterans Graeme Dey told MSPs when the committee signed off the plan, signalling scope to refine the system after 2026 if needed.

For local activists and business groups in the North, this is a clean rule with clear deadlines. Expect fewer blurred lines between constituency casework and council business in Scotland, and a more straightforward chain of accountability when you need answers fast.