Ken Macintosh has been elected as the Scottish Parliament's next presiding officer.

Macintosh, who has been an MSP since 1999, was elected to the position after three rounds of voting. He defeated fellow candidates John Scott, Elaine Smith, Murdo Fraser and Johann Lamont.

After the third round of voting Macintosh had received 71 votes, needing 65 for a majority. His nearest competitor was Murdo Fraser on 31 votes followed by Johann Lamont on 26 votes.

He will be the fifth presiding officer since legislative devolution in 1999. David Steel presided over the first full parliamentary term and has been followed by George Reid, Alex Fergusson and Tricia Marwick.

The election process was chaired by outgoing presiding officer Tricia Marwick. Marwick is retiring from politics and did not stand for re-election at last week's Holyrood election.

As the office requires the holder to be completely non-partisan, Macintosh will now relinquish his Labour Party membership and any political affiliations he holds outside of Holyrood.

Macintosh will be assisted in his role by two deputy presiding officers. MSPs elected the SNP's Christine Grahame and Linda Fabiani as deputies.

He will now take up office at Queensberry House which is part of the parliamentary estate.

Macintosh told STV that it is not the government's job to tell Parliament what to do.

He said: "I think the most important, perhaps, is to re-assert the authority, or the separation of identity - probably the best way of putting it - between Parliament and the executive.

"It is not Parliament's job to be an alternative government. Nor is it the government's job to tell Parliament what to do. It is our job to scrutinise their work.

"I think you cold reflect that in the role and function of committees for example. But it is also in the power of any MSP - backbench, government or whatever - to be able to stand up here and assert the view on behalf of the people they represent".

Presiding officers are paid a salary of £45,605 in addition to their annual salary as an MSP. This means their total salary is £106,290.

Macintosh will also benefit from an annual presiding officer's pension when leaving Holyrood of half of their annual salary.

Over the next five years Macintosh will be charged with keeping order in debates, chairing the body which sets Holyrood's legislative timetable, helping run the Parliament's own spending on services plus staff, and serving a diplomatic role by representing Holyrood both domestically and internationally.

Later this year by convention Macintosh will be invited to join the Privy Council which informs and advises the Queen on political matters.

Macintosh was Labour MSP for the Eastwood constituency from 1999 until losing the seat in the 2016 Holyrood election to Jackson Carlaw of the Scottish Conservatives. He was re-elected on the West of Scotland regional list.