Editing Perth, Scotland (section)

==Governance==
===Representation===
Perth forms part of the [[United Kingdom constituencies|county constituency]] of [[Perth and Kinross-shire (UK Parliament constituency)|Perth and Kinross-shire ]], electing one [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) to the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] of the Parliament of the United Kingdom by the first past the post system. [[Pete Wishart]] of the [[Scottish National Party]] (SNP) is the [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|MP]] for [[Perth and Kinross-shire (UK Parliament constituency)|Perth and Kinross-shire]].<ref name="Pete Wishart MP">{{cite web |url=http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/commons/pete-wishart/1440 |title=Pete Wishart MP |publisher=UK Parliament |access-date=27 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150608180501/http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/commons/pete-wishart/1440 |archive-date=8 June 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

For the purposes of the [[Scottish Parliament]], Perth forms part of the constituencies of [[Perthshire North (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Perthshire North]] and [[Perthshire South and Kinross-shire (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Perthshire South and Kinross-shire]]. These two constituencies were created in 2011 as two of the nine constituencies within the [[Mid Scotland and Fife (Scottish Parliament electoral region)|Mid Scotland and Fife]] electoral region. Each constituency elects one [[Member of the Scottish Parliament]] (MSP) by the first past the post system of election, and the region elects seven additional members to produce a form of proportional representation. Perthshire North is currently represented by [[John Swinney]]<ref name="John Swinney MSP">{{cite web |url=http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msps/currentmsps/John-Swinney-MSP.aspx |title=John Swinney MSP |publisher=The Scottish Parliament |access-date=27 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150608175701/http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msps/currentmsps/John-Swinney-MSP.aspx |archive-date=8 June 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> ([[Scottish National Party|SNP]]) and Perthshire South and Kinross-shire is currently represented by [[Jim Fairlie (MSP)|Jim Fairlie]] ([[Scottish National Party|SNP]]).

===Judicial system===
[[File:Perth_Sheriff_Court_2.jpg|thumb|Perth Sheriff Court]]
Perth's [[Perth Sheriff Court|Sheriff Court]], on Tay Street, is a Category A [[listed building]]. The building was designed by London architect Sir [[Robert Smirke (architect)|Robert Smirke]], built in 1819 and stands on the site of Gowrie House, the place where a plot to kill [[King James VI]] was hatched in 1600.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/coming-to-court/location-information?loc=Perth%20Sheriff%20Court%20and%20Justice%20of%20the%20Peace%20Court |title=Location information |publisher=Scotcourts.gov.uk |access-date=2 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004230811/http://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/coming-to-court/location-information?loc=Perth%20Sheriff%20Court%20and%20Justice%20of%20the%20Peace%20Court |archive-date=4 October 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Perth is also home to a large prison, [[HM Prison Perth]].

===City status===
The classic definition of Perth has been as a city. In the late 1990s, the [[UK Government]] and the devolved [[Scottish Executive]] re-examined the definition<ref name="Scottish City Status">{{cite web |url=http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/society/rsca-02.asp |title=Review of Scotland's Cities – The Analysis |publisher=[[Scottish Government]] |date=January 2003 |access-date=14 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060424174336/http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/society/rsca-02.asp |archive-date=24 April 2006 |url-status=live}}</ref> of a city and produced a list of approved cities, from which Perth was omitted. It was therefore considered to be a "former city", like [[Brechin]] and [[Elgin, Moray|Elgin]].

Yet road signs around the borders used the term "The City of Perth", and directional signs within indicated "City Centre". In June 2007, [[Alex Salmond]], then the [[First Minister of Scotland]], backed a campaign to confer city status on Perth, saying it should be granted "at the next commemorative opportunity".<ref name="Salmond backs bid for city">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/6728337.stm |title=Salmond backs bid for city status |work=BBC News |date=7 June 2007 |access-date=14 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071010095453/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/6728337.stm |archive-date=10 October 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref> The local authority, [[Perth and Kinross Council|Perth and Kinross]], stated that the 800th anniversary of the city in 2009 should create "a foundation for Perth to bid for formal city status".<ref name="foundation for Perth City Status">{{cite news |url=http://www.pkc.gov.uk/Tourism+and+visitor+attractions/Events+and+festivals/Perth+800/800th+Anniversary+of+Perth.htm |title=800th Anniversary of Perth |publisher=Perth and Kinross Council |date=29 May 2009 |access-date=30 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100817144928/http://www.pkc.gov.uk/Tourism+and+visitor+attractions/Events+and+festivals/Perth+800/800th+Anniversary+of+Perth.htm |archive-date=17 August 2010 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Perth was one of the 26 bidders for city status to mark the [[Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II|Queen's Diamond Jubilee]] in 2012. On 14 March 2012, Perth's city status was successfully reinstated, along with [[Chelmsford]] and [[St Asaph]]. It became Scotland's seventh city.<ref name="Perth wins city status">{{cite news |last=Clegg |first=David |title=''Perth gets back its city status'' |page=1 |publisher=The Courier |date=14 March 2012}}</ref><ref name="Perth becomes Scotland's seventh city">{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-17365611 |title=''Perth wins Diamond Jubilee contest to be named seventh Scottish city'' |publisher=BBC News (Tayside and Central Scotland) |date=14 March 2012 |access-date=27 March 2012 |work=BBC News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319013149/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-17365611 |archive-date=19 March 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Elizabeth II|The Queen]] visited Perth on 6 July 2012, for what was the culmination of the Scottish leg of her Diamond Jubilee tour. Her previous visit to the city had been to open the [[Perth Concert Hall (Scotland)|Perth Concert Hall]], in 2005.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thecourier.co.uk/News/Perthshire/article/23744/queen-s-visit-the-crowning-glory-of-perth-s-special-year.html |title=The Courier – Queen's visit the crowning glory of Perth's special year |access-date=2012-07-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120709085852/http://www.thecourier.co.uk/News/Perthshire/article/23744/queen-s-visit-the-crowning-glory-of-perth-s-special-year.html |archive-date=9 July 2012 |df=dmy-all}}]</ref>

===Heraldry===
The [[coat of arms]] of Perth is a [[Gules (heraldry)|gules]] shield depicting an [[Argent (heraldry)|argent]] [[Lamb of God|Paschal lamb]], [[Attitude (heraldry)|reguardant]] and [[Or (heraldry)|or]] haloed, holding under its right foreleg a flagpole topped with a cross, to which is attached a banner [[Azure (heraldry)|azure]] a [[Flag of Scotland|saltire]] argent, all within a [[Orle (heraldry)|tressure]] flory-counter-flory. The shield is [[Supporter (heraldry)|supported]] by a [[double-headed eagle]] and the motto is ''Pro Lege Rege et Grege'' ([[Latin language|Latin]]: For the Law, King and People).<ref name="heraldry">{{cite book |last=Urquhart |first=R.M. |title=Scottish Burgh and County Heraldry |publisher=Heraldry Today |place=London |date=1973 |isbn=978-0900455247 |pages=108–109}}</ref>

The coat of arms dates back to at least the 14th century, and is first recorded, as described, on a seal of 1378. Red and silver are the colours of [[John the Baptist]], the town's patron saint, and the lamb is his symbol. The double-headed eagle, originally a Roman symbol, may refer to a former Roman settlement called "[[Bertha (Perth)|Bertha]]" near where Perth now stands.<ref name="heraldry" />

The double-headed eagle was adopted as the supporter of the arms of [[Perth and Kinross]] when that [[Subdivisions of Scotland#Council areas|council area]] was created in 1975.