| Deputy First Minister of Scotland | |
|---|---|
| Scottish Gaelic:Leas-Phrìomh Mhinistear na h-Alba | |
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| Scottish Government Scottish Cabinet Scottish Parliament | |
| Member of | |
| Reports to | Scottish Parliament |
| Seat | St Andrew's House,Edinburgh |
| Appointer | First Minister of Scotland |
| Term length | The Deputy First Minister is appointed by the First Minister. No term limits are imposed on the office. |
| Inaugural holder | Jim Wallace |
| Formation | 19 May 1999 |
| Salary | £112,919 annually(including £64,470MSP salary) |
| Website | www |
Thedeputy first minister of Scotland[a] is the second–highest ranking minister in theexecutive branch of theScottish Government, after thefirst minister of Scotland. The post-holder deputises for the first minister during periods of absence or whilst out–with the country conducting overseas visits. During any period of the first minister's absence, the deputy first minister will be expected to answer to theScottish Parliament on behalf of the First Minister atFirst Minister's Questions. Additionally, the holder of the office of deputy first minister serves within theScottish cabinet as acabinet secretary, a position they hold in conjunction with their responsibilities as deputy first minister.[1]
There have been two occasions where the deputy first minister assumed the roles and responsibilities of the office of first minister as 'acting first minister'. On both occasions,Jim Wallace served as first minister in an acting capacity, first in October 2000 following the death ofDonald Dewar, and again in November 2001 following the resignation ofHenry McLeish.[2]
The inaugural holder of the post wasScottish Liberal Democrat MSPJim Wallace.Nicola Sturgeon became the first female to hold the position of deputy first minister following her appointment byAlex Salmond in 2007.[3] The role is currently held byKate Forbes since 8 May 2024, following her appointment byJohn Swinney alongside her portfolio asCabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic.[4]
The post is not recognised in statute (in comparison with the post of First Minister which is established by theScotland Act 1998), and its holder is simply an ordinary member of theScottish Government. The post has nonetheless existed since the establishment of theScottish Parliament andScottish Government in 1999.
When one party governs alone, the Deputy First Minister is a senior member of the governing party, sometimes the party's deputy leader as withNicola Sturgeon when she wasSNP depute leader though at present this is not the case with the currentSNP depute leaderKeith Brown. When the government is formed by a coalition, the Deputy First Minister is usually the leader of the minority partner.
Shona Robison, appointed Deputy First Minister under Humza Yousaf in March 2023, also served as theCabinet Secretary for Finance. Alongside her responsibilities as Deputy First Minister, Robison was also responsible for the delivery of theScottish budget, as well as "budgetary monitoring and reporting (including Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS)), fiscal policy and taxation (including income tax), exchequer and the public finances, public sector pay, the Scottish Fiscal Commission, fiscal framework review, local government finance and public sector productivity".[5]
Kate Forbes, who was appointed Deputy First Minister by John Swinney in May 2024, holds the additional cabinet responsibility forEconomy and Gaelic.[6] Shona Robison, the former Deputy First Minister, became theCabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government in Swinney's government.[7]
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The Deputy First Minister, within the Scottish Government, has direct responsibility and control over the strategy of the Scottish Government, delivery and outcomes of ministerial portfolios, resilience, as well as cross-government co-ordination of public service reform.[5] Alongside the responsibilities of the post-holders functions as Deputy First Minister, the post holder is also required to have direct responsibility for a cabinet secretary post.
The deputy first minister is supported by twojunior ministers of the Scottish Government – theMinister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise and theMinister for Employment and Investment.[8]
The deputy first minister has some governmental responsibility for inter–governmental relations relating to Scotland, both within the United Kingdom and wider Europe, as well as internationally. The deputy first minister can be asked by the first minister to attend inter–governmental conferences and forums, such as theBritish-Irish Council, on their behalf.[9] On some occasions, the deputy first minister may accompany the first minister to government forums and conferences. In December 2024, deputy first minister Kate Forbes attended the 42nd summit of the British-Irish Council, hosted by Scotland, alongside first ministerJohn Swinney.[10]
They are responsible for the cross-government approach towards inter-governmental relations. The deputy first minister is often expected to collaborate with ministers and members from all Scottish Government portfolios to "make the democratic case for the powers and responsibilities of the Scottish Parliament to be protected and enhanced from further encroachment by the UK Government".Shona Robison, deputy first minister between 2023 and 2024, was given additional responsibility by first ministerHumza Yousaf in 2023 to ensure that devolution was no longer undermined by the UK Government as it had been since 2016.[11]
TheAdditional Member System used to electMembers of the Scottish Parliament makes it difficult for a single party to have an absolute majority. Between 1999 and 2007, the Scottish Executive was formed by aLabour andLiberal Democratcoalition, with the leader of Scottish Labour serving as First Minister and the leader of the Scottish Lib Dems serving as Deputy First Minister.
Although theScottish National Party (SNP) formed asingle party minority administration following the2007 election, the post was not abolished despite there being no need to recognise the status of a second party leader, instead being given to the SNP's depute leader,Nicola Sturgeon.[12] When Sturgeon became First Minister, the party's depute leader,Stewart Hosie, was serving in theParliament of the United Kingdom and did not have a seat in the Scottish Parliament. The Deputy First Minister's post thus went toJohn Swinney.
In the history of the Scottish Government, there have only been two official occasions where the incumbent deputy first minister has assumed the roles and responsibilities granted to the first minister, thus becoming the 'acting first minister'. On both official occasions, deputy first minister Jim Wallace served as 'acting first minister', firstly in October 2000, following the sudden death of the incumbent first ministerDonald Dewar following abrain hemorrhage following a fall. Wallace also served as 'acting first minister' informally during a period when Dewar was in hospital undergoing heart surgery.[13]
Dewar's successor as first minister,Henry McLeish, resigned in 2001 following apolitical scandal relating to his unregistered finances. Wallace again served as 'acting first minister' from 8 November until 27 November 2001 when a successor to McLeish was chosen.Jack McConnell became first minister of Scotland on 27 November, retaining Wallace as his deputy until he was replaced byNicol Stephen in June 2005.[14][15]
First Minister's Questions within the Scottish Parliament take place each Thursday, beginning at 12 noon.[16] On some occasions, such as the first minister being outwith Scotland, or unable to attend parliament for other reasons, the deputy first minister will be expected to answer questions from parliament during first minister's questions on behalf of the first minister.[17]
The deputy first minister is appointed to the position by the first minister, and therefore is directly accountable and reports to the first minister.[18] The deputy first minister, like other government ministers and the first minister, is accountable to theScottish Parliament. In a similar style tofirst minister's questions, the deputy first minister is asked questions by Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) on a weekly basis during Deputy First Minister's Questions.[19]
As the second highest ranking minister within the Scottish Government, the deputy first minister has a leading role in leading and delivering government policy. The deputy first minister has responsibility for leading Cabinet Secretaries of the Scottish Government to ensure "alignment" of government policy.[11] During the premiership of Humza Yousaf, the deputy first minister had responsibility for theBute House Agreement and the coalition agreement between theScottish National Party (SNP) andScottish Green Party. Additionally, the deputy first minister was accountable for relations between the Scottish Government and each of Scotland's 32local authorities, as well as relations between theConvention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and the Scottish Government.[11]
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Upon the appointment of Kate Forbes as deputy first minister in May 2024, the post holder of the deputy first minister was solely responsible for business, industry and manufacturing support, theScottish COVID-19 Inquiry, cross-government delivery and outcomes, green industrial strategy (jointly with Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy), Historical Abuse Inquiry andinter-governmental relations (British–Irish Council,Council of the Nations and Regions,Prime Minister and Heads of Devolved Governments Council).
In addition, the deputy first minister has direct responsibility for a number of areas relating to the economy, business and investment opportunities in Scotland, notably:
As the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic, incumbent deputy first minister is also responsible for languages, including Gaelic, Scots and British Sign Language (BSL). Other areas of responsibility for Forbes as deputy first minister include the Scottish Government'sNational Performance Framework, redress and the Sheku Bayoh public inquiry.
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