The first minister of Scotland () is the head of government of Scotland and the keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland, one of the great officers of state in the country. The first minister leads the Scottish Government, the executive branch of the devolved government.
The first minister chairs the Scottish Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development, and presentation of the Scottish Government's policies. Additional functions of the first minister include promoting and representing Scotland in an official capacity, at home and abroad, as part of the Scottish Government's approach to international relations. The first minister is nominated by the Scottish Parliament by members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs), and is formally appointed by the monarch.
Members of the Scottish Cabinet and junior ministers of the Scottish Government are appointed by the first minister. The first minister is directly accountable to the Scottish Parliament for their actions and the actions of the wider government and cabinet. Additionally, the first minister is responsible for appointing the country's law officers – the Lord Advocate and Solicitor General for Scotland, as well as nominating and appointing the Lord President of the Court of Session, the Lord Justice Clerk and Senator's of the College of Justice, judges who sit within the Supreme Courts of Scotland.
The first minister is supported by their deputy first minister, as well as cabinet secretaries, junior ministers, government directorates and civil servants. The first minister is advised on matters by their chief of staff. The office is currently held by John Swinney, the MSP for Perthshire North and the leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP). Swinney was elected first minister by the Scottish Parliament on 7 May 2024, and was sworn in the following day at the Court of Session.
History
Following the referendum in 1997, in which the Scottish electorate gave their consent, the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Executive (later the Scottish Government) were established by the Parliament of the United Kingdom and the Labour government of the prime minister, Tony Blair.
Under the Acts of Union 1707, the former Parliament of Scotland merged with the English parliament, forming the Parliament of Great Britain. The re-establishment of a dedicated legislature and executive for Scotland was known as devolution and initiated a measure of home rule (self-governance) in its domestic affairs, such as health, education and justice. The devolution movement came to a head in the 1970s, and resulted in a Royal Commission on the Constitution, leading to the Scotland Act 1978. This would have established an autonomous Scottish Executive with a leader termed 'First Secretary', a post for which Strathclyde political leader Geoff Shaw was widely expected to be chosen. Shaw died prematurely and the failure of the referendum of 1979 led to the Act not being implemented.
Following the 1997 referendum and Scotland Act 1998, Scottish devolution led to the establishment of a post of first minister as head of the devolved Scottish Government.
Since 1999, the Secretary of State for Scotland of the British Government has had a much reduced role at the renamed Scotland Office as a result of the transfer of responsibilities to the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government.
Election and term
Nomination and selection
The first minister is nominated by the Scottish Parliament at the beginning of each term, by means of an exhaustive ballot among its members, and is then formally appointed by the monarch.
Although any member of the Scottish Parliament can be nominated for first minister, the government must maintain the confidence of the Scottish Parliament in order to gain supply (access to exchequer funds) and remain in office. For this reason, every permanent first minister has been the leader of the largest party, or the leader of the senior partner in any majority coalition. There is no term of office for a first minister; they hold office "at His Majesty's pleasure". In practice, a first minister cannot remain in office against the will of the Scottish Parliament; indeed, the Scotland Act explicitly requires the first minister to either resign or seek a parliamentary dissolution (and with it, new elections) if his or her government "no longer enjoys the confidence of the Parliament." Whenever the office of first minister falls vacant, the sovereign is responsible for appointing the new incumbent upon nomination by the Scottish Parliament; the appointment is formalised at a meeting between the sovereign and the first minister designate. The SNP did gain an overall majority of seats in the 2011 election, and thus had enough numbers to vote in its leader, Alex Salmond, as first minister for a second term.
After the election of the Scottish Parliament, a first minister must be nominated within a period of 28 days. The oath is tendered by the Lord President of the Court of Session at a sitting of the Court in Parliament House in Edinburgh. The Act specifies that an election to the Scottish Parliament will be held on the first Thursday in May, every four years, starting from 1999.
The first minister, once appointed, continues in office as the head of the Scottish Government until they resign, are dismissed or die in office. Resignation can be triggered by the passage of a Motion of No Confidence in the first minister or the Scottish Government or by rejecting a motion of confidence in the Scottish Parliament.
Legislative powers
Scots Law and civil service
thumb|right|Scotland's law officers – the [[Lord Advocate and Solicitor General for Scotland are appointed by the first minister]]
As detailed in the Scotland Act 1998, the First Minister is responsible for recommending to the monarch a nominee for the position of Lord Advocate and Solicitor General for Scotland. The First Minister is also responsible for advocating whether a Lord Advocate or Solicitor General who is currently in post should be removed, subject to the approval of the Scottish Parliament. Additionally, the First Minister has various functions and responsibilities regarding the appointments and removal of Scottish judges within the Scottish court system. The function of the resilience room committee is to co-ordinate policy and response to major events in Scotland that affect the population and, with the help of specialist teams within the division assist department, develop detailed risk assessments which are used to inform policy across Scotland.
Resilience response
There are currently different levels of resilience response in Scotland which is overseen by the First Minister and Scottish Government ministers:
- Cabinet Sub-Committee: Scottish Government Resilience CSC
- The Scottish Resilience Partnership (SRP)
- Scottish Government Resilience (Ministerial): SGoR(M)
- Scottish Government Resilience (Officials): SGoR(O)
- Scottish Government Resilience Room (SGoRR)
The first minister has chaired meetings of the Scottish Government Resilience Room on numerous occasions, such as in the aftermath of the 2007 Glasgow Airport attack and ahead of Storm Éowyn making landfall in Scotland in January 2025.
Resilience levels
The First Minister is directly responsible for each of the corresponding resilience levels in Scotland, and has the responsibility of the Scottish Government Liaison Offices who can be deployed in emergencies and national crisis to act as the principal point of contact for the First Minister, Scottish Government and other Scottish ministers.
Privy Council
thumb|left|The First Minister becomes a member of the [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|Privy Council upon receiving the Royal Warrant from the monarch]]
The First Minister is a member of the Privy Council and is appointed by the Monarch. There are a variety of matters in which the Prime Minister would offer advice to the monarch on the exercise of their functions and on which it would be appropriate for the Prime Minister to consult or to take advice from the First Minister. Such matters include the recommendations of Scottish candidates for honours and dignities, which are currently a reserved matter under the devolution settlement, and advice on the appointment of the Lords Lieutenants in Scotland, the Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and members of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution and the Forestry Commission. There are also matters where a Minister of the Crown gives advice to the reigning monarch and the First Minister would need to be consulted by the Minister of the Crown, or would be required to give advice to that Minister of the Crown. The role and powers of the first minister are set out in sections 45 to 49 of the Scotland Act 1998.
International and foreign relations
Foreign policy
thumb|right|First Minister [[Humza Yousaf with President of Iceland, Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, at Bute House]]
Whilst foreign policy remains a reserved matter, the Scottish Government, and the First Minister, are able to promote the economy of the country and Scottish interests internationally and encourage foreign businesses, international devolved, regional and central governments to invest in Scotland.
Whilst the first minister usually undertakes a number of international visits to promote Scotland, international relations, European and Commonwealth relations are also included within the portfolios of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs (responsible for international development) and the Minister for International Development and Europe (responsible for European Union relations and international relations).
Overall accountability for intergovernmental relations is the responsibility of the First Minister.
International relations
During Donald Dewar's tenure as First Minister, he made a total of five international visits – Belgium, Republic of Ireland, Netherlands, Japan and another in Ireland – before his death in October 2000. Henry McLeish conducted six international visits – Italy, three in Belgium, United States of America, Finland, and a joint visit to Japan and Taiwan. McLeish led the Scottish Executive's response to the September 11 attacks in the United States. He was initially concerned about Scotland's defence strategy and feared the country's major cities, such as Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, would be targets based on their economic strength and significance to the Scottish, UK and European economies. Through the motion, McLeish said "the Parliament condemns the senseless and abhorrent acts of terrorism carried out in the United States yesterday and extends our deepest sympathies to those whose loved ones have been killed or injured". Henry McLeish's successor, Jack McConnell engaged in a total of 28 international visits during his tenure as First Minister between 2001 and 2007. McConnell carried out international engagements in Ireland, five in the United States, eight in Belgium, South Africa, two in Italy, Austria, three in France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, China, Malawi, Canada and Australia. McConnell spearheaded the establishment of the Scotland Malawi Partnership in 2004, which co-ordinates the activities of Scottish individuals and organisations with existing links to Malawi, and aims to foster further links between both countries.
thumb|left|First Minister [[John Swinney meets with US President, Donald Trump, in the Oval Office at the White House, September 2025]]
Alex Salmond, Scotland's fourth First Minister from 2007 to 2014, engaged in a total of twenty overseas visits during his tenure as First Minister. Salmond's international engagements included visits to Belgium, five in the United States, Sri Lanka, three in Ireland, Spain, Hong Kong, two in China, Denmark, Guernsey, two in the Isle of Man, Norway and India. In response to the Brexit vote, first minister Nicola Sturgeon travelled to Brussels to meet with both Jean-Claude Juncker, the President of the European Commission as well as Martin Schulz, the President of the European Parliament, to discuss Scotland's future within the European Union. Sturgeon's successor, Humza Yousaf's first international visit as First Minister was to Brussels in June 2023, which, during a three-day visit, sought to set out his "vision for a meaningful and mutually beneficial relationship" between Scotland and the European Union. Yousaf declared his desire to set up a permanent Scottish Government envoy to the European Union in Brussels to "aid the cause of independence". During a visit to Germany in June 2024, Swinney met with the British Ambassador to Germany, Jill Gallard, and visited Munich in order to promote Scotland, Scottish culture and tourism.
thumb|right|Nicola Sturgeon addressing the [[United Nations]]
Membership bodies
The first minister is a member of the Prime Minister and Heads of Devolved Governments Council, the Council of Nations and Regions and Conference of European Regions with Legislative Power (REGLEG). During the premiership of Jack McConnell, Scotland held the presidency of REGLEG between 2003 and 2004. Other cabinet secretaries and junior ministers within the Scottish Government participate in tier two (the Inter-ministerial Standing Committee) and tier 3 (the Inter-ministerial Group) of The Council which may include areas including education, finance and economy, investment and trade and rural affairs. Incumbent first ministers also attend meetings of the United Nations on occasions. First minister Nicola Sturgeon addressed the United Nations General Assembly on the issue of gender equality and the role of women in conflict resolution in April 2017. Additionally, Sturgeon addressed the 2017 United Nations Climate Change Conference.
Deputy and 'Acting' First Minister
thumb|left|The first minister is supported by the deputy first minister
Associated with the office of first minister, there is also the post of deputy first minister. Unlike the office of first minister, the post of deputy is not recognised in statute and confers no extra status on the holder. Like the first minister, the deputy first minister is an elected member of the Scottish Parliament and a member of the Scottish Government. From 1999 to 2007, when Scotland was governed by a Labour–Liberal Democrat coalition, the leader of the Liberal Democrats – the junior government party – was given the role of deputy first minister; a title which they held in conjunction with another ministerial portfolio. For example, Nicol Stephen, deputy first minister from 2005 to 2007, simultaneously held the post of Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning.
On two occasions since 1999, the deputy first minister has assumed the role of 'acting' first minister, inheriting the powers of the first minister in their absence or incapacitation. From 11 October 2000 to 26 October 2000, following the death in office of the then First Minister Donald Dewar, his deputy Jim Wallace became acting first minister, until the Labour party appointed a new leader, and consequently first minister. Wallace also became Acting First Minister between 8 November 2001 and 22 November 2001, following the resignation of Henry McLeish. The scale of precedence in Scotland was amended by royal warrant on 30 June 1999 to take account of devolution and the establishment of the post of first minister.
As of April 2015, the first minister is entitled to draw a total salary of £144,687, which is composed of a basic MSP salary of £59,089 plus an additional salary of £85,598 for the role as first minister. This can be compared to the UK Prime Minister who is entitled to draw a total salary of £142,500, composed of a basic MP salary of £67,060 and an additional office holder's salary of £75,440 (the total entitlement for the prime minister had peaked at £198,661 in April 2011 but this was then dropped by around 25%). The first minister is the highest paid member of the Scottish Government. Sturgeon said she would claim £135,605, £9,082 less than her entitlement, as part of a voluntary pay freeze pegging her salary to 2008/09 levels.
The first minister traditionally resides at Bute House which is located at number 6 Charlotte Square in the New Town of Edinburgh. The house became the property of the National Trust for Scotland in 1966, after the death of the previous owner John Crichton-Stuart, 4th Marquess of Bute and remains in the ownership of the National Trust for Scotland.
Appointments to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom are made by the monarch. Once appointed, the first minister joins the Privy Council and advises the monarch on exercising their statutory and prerogative powers. To date all first ministers have been appointed members of the Privy Council, and therefore entitled to use the style 'Right Honourable'. Additionally, as the leader of the Scottish Government, the first minister and monarch have a private audience where they discuss issues relating to Scotland and the workings of the Scottish Government.
20100731 kia k5 01.jpg|The First Minister, and other ministers, also use the Kia Optima
| Donald Dewar
|71
|-
| Alex Salmond
|35
|-
| David McLetchie
|17
|-
| Dennis Canavan
|3
|-
|rowspan="4"|26 October 2000
| Henry McLeish
|68
|-
| John Swinney
|33
|-
| David McLetchie
|19
|-
| Dennis Canavan
|3
|-
|rowspan="4"|22 November 2001
| Jack McConnell
|70
|-
| John Swinney
|34
|-
| David McLetchie
|19
|-
| Dennis Canavan
|3
|-
|rowspan="7"|2nd Parliament
|rowspan="7"|15 May 2003
| Jack McConnell
|67
|-
| John Swinney
|26
|-
| David McLetchie
|18
|-
| Robin Harper
|6
|-
| Tommy Sheridan
|6
|-
| Dennis Canavan
|2
|-
| Margo MacDonald
|2
|-
|rowspan="4"|3rd Parliament
|rowspan="4"|16 May 2007
| Alex Salmond
|49
|49
|-
| Jack McConnell
|46
|46
|-
| Annabel Goldie
|16
|Eliminated
|-
| Nicol Stephen
|16
|Eliminated
|-
|rowspan="3"|4th Parliament
|18 May 2011
| Alex Salmond
|68
|-
|rowspan="2"|19 November 2014
| Nicola Sturgeon
|66
|-
| Ruth Davidson
|15
|-
|rowspan="2"|5th Parliament
|rowspan="2"|17 May 2016
| Nicola Sturgeon
|63
|-
| Willie Rennie
|5
|-
|rowspan="11"|6th Parliament
|rowspan="3"|18 May 2021
| Nicola Sturgeon
|64
|-
| Douglas Ross
|31
|-
| Willie Rennie
|4
|-
|rowspan="4"|28 March 2023
| Humza Yousaf
|71
|-
| Douglas Ross
|31
|-
| Anas Sarwar
|22
|-
| Alex Cole-Hamilton
|4
|-
|rowspan="4"|7 May 2024
| John Swinney
|64
|-
| Douglas Ross
|31
|-
| Anas Sarwar
|22
|-
| Alex Cole-Hamilton
|4
|-
|rowspan="6"|7th Parliament
|rowspan="6"|19 May 2026
| John Swinney
|57
|57
|56
|-
| Anas Sarwar
|17
|17
|17
|-
| Malcolm Offord
|17
|17
|17
|-
| Gillian Mackay
|15
|13
|15
|-
| Russell Findlay
|12
|11
|Eliminated
|-
| Alex Cole-Hamilton
|10
|colspan="2"|Eliminated
|-
|}
Timeline of Scottish first ministers
See also
- List of current heads of government in the United Kingdom and dependencies
Notes
References
External links
- Office of the First Minister of Scotland website
- Scottish Cabinet
- Scottish Parliament Official Report