Two new Conservative MSPs sworn in at Holyrood

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Jamie and Tom
Image caption,

Jamie Halcro Johnston and Tom Mason were sworn in as MSPs for the Highland and North East regions respectively

Two new Scottish Conservative MSPs have been sworn in at Holyrood.

The addition of Jamie Halcro-Johnstone and Tom Mason brings the parliament back up to its 129-member capacity.

They take the places of Douglas Ross and Ross Thomson, who resigned from their regional list seats after winning places at Westminster on 8 June.

Four MSPs have now been sworn in at Holyrood due to the snap general election, all on the Conservative benches.

Rachael Hamilton quit her list seat and subsequently was sworn in as the constituency member for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire after winning a by-election, which itself was triggered by John Lamont resigning and ultimately winning a seat at Westminster. Michelle Ballantyne then took on Ms Hamilton's vacant South Scotland list seat.

The two latest additions come from the Highlands list, after Mr Ross won the Moray constituency, and the North East list, due to Mr Thomson winning Aberdeen South.

Mr Halcro Johnston has stood in a series of elections for the party, most recently finishing fourth in Orkney and Shetland in the snap general election.

Mr Mason is currently a councillor and depute provost on Aberdeen City Council, and has said he intends to stay on in that role while donating his council salary to charity.

He is the final name on the Tories' North East list, with all of the other candidates elected either to Holyrood or Westminster - or, in one case, having left the party. If a party runs out of regional list members, then the seat is left empty for the duration of the parliament.

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