Parliamentary oath-taking rarely causes excitement. MPs swearing the oath of allegiance to the Crown after an election is an archaic yet prosaic sight: line up, shuffle in, say the words, shuffle off. Repeat 600-odd times.
It’s a bit different this time, because so many of the MPs are first-timers. Nonetheless most of their swearing-in moments go unnoticed to all but friends and family.
Yet one swearing-in has caused a minor ripple, because it wasn’t in English. Torcuil Crichton, newly-elected MP for the constituency of Na h-Eileanan an Iar, formerly the Western Isles, swore his oath in Scots Gaelic and in the Scottish manner – right hand raised, not resting on a holy book.
‘S e urram a th’ ann mo bhòidean a ghabhail agus Na h-Eileanan an Iar a riochdachadh sa phàrlamaid. An obair a-nis air tòiseachadh. pic.twitter.com/Fn8AgrLKiy
— Torcuil Crichton for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (@Torcuil) July 11, 2024
‘Se urram a th’ ann mo bhòidean a ghabhail agus Na h-Eileanan an Iar a riochdachadh sa phàrlamaid,’ he said.
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