Deputy First Minister of Scotland: Difference between revisions

Deputy First Minister of Scotland
Deputy First Minister of Scotland
Scottish Gaelic: Leas-Phrìomh Mhinistear na h-Alba
	Incumbent; Kate Forbes; since 8 May 2024
	Scottish Government; Scottish Cabinet; Scottish Parliament
Member of	Scottish Parliament; Scottish Cabinet;
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 £64,470 MSP salary)
Website	www.gov.scot

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The deputy first minister of Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: Leas-Phrìomh Mhinistear na h-Alba) is the second highest minister in the executive branch of the Scottish Government after the first minister of Scotland. The role is currently held by Kate Forbes since 8 May 2024, following her appointment by John Swinney alongside her portfolio as Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic.^[1]

The post-holder is appointed by the First Minister, and deputises for the First Minister during a period of absence or whilst they are outwith Scotland undertaking overseas visits. During any period of the First Minister's absence, the DFM will be expected to answer to the Scottish Parliament on behalf of the First Minister at First Minister's Questions.

Overview

Status

The post is not recognised in statute (in comparison with the post of First Minister which is established by the Scotland Act 1998), and its holder is simply an ordinary member of the Scottish Government. The post has nonetheless existed since the establishment of the Scottish Parliament and Scottish 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 with Nicola Sturgeon when she was SNP depute leader though at present this is not the case with the current SNP depute leader Keith Brown. When the government is formed by a coalition, the Deputy First Minister is usually the leader of the minority partner.

Role

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.^[2] 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.

Nomination and election

The Additional Member System used to elect Members 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 a Labour and Liberal Democrat coalition, with the leader of Scottish Labour serving as First Minister and the leader of the Scottish Lib Dems serving as Deputy First Minister.

Although the Scottish National Party (SNP) formed a single party minority administration following the 2007 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.^[3] When Sturgeon became First Minister, the party's depute leader, Stewart Hosie, was serving in the Parliament of the United Kingdom and did not have a seat in the Scottish Parliament. The Deputy First Minister's post thus went to John Swinney.

Cabinet Secretary position

Shona Robison, appointed Deputy First Minister under Humza Yousaf in March 2023, also serves as the Cabinet Secretary for Finance. Alongside her responsibilities as Deputy First Minister, Robison is also responsible for the delivery of the Scottish 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".^[2]

Kate Forbes, who was appointed Deputy First Minister by John Swinney in May 2024, holds the additional cabinet responsibility for Economy and Gaelic.^[4] Shona Robison, the former Deputy First Minister, became the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government in Swinney's government.^[5]

Responsibilities

Government duties

The post holder of the Deputy First Minister of Scotland is solely responsible for the following areas within the Scottish Government (as of May 2024):^[2]

Direct government business

business, industry and manufacturing support
Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry
cross-government delivery and outcomes
economic policy and prosperity
enterprise agencies
entrepreneurship
green industrial strategy (jointly with Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy)
Historical Abuse Inquiry
inter-governmental relations (British–Irish Council, Council of the Nations and Regions, Prime Minister and Heads of Devolved Governments Council)
labour market strategy (long-term)
languages, including Gaelic, Scots and British Sign Language (BSL)
National Performance Framework
Office of the Chief Economic Adviser
redress
Scottish National Investment Bank
Sheku Bayoh public inquiry
UK government engagement on shared prosperity fund, levelling up fund, European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF)

Infrastructure investment

city and regional growth deals
Clyde Mission
government investments and public corporations of the Scottish Government (Glasgow Prestwick Airport, Ferguson Marine, BiFab, Caledonian MacBrayne, Caledonian Maritime Assets)
regional economic partnerships

List of officeholders

	Term of office		Party	Other offices held whilst in post
Jim Wallace	19 May 1999	23 June 2005	Liberal Democrats	Minister for Justice (1999–2003) Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning (2003–2005)	Donald Dewar
					Henry McLeish
					Jack McConnell
Nicol Stephen	27 June 2005	17 May 2007	Liberal Democrats	Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning	Jack McConnell
Nicola Sturgeon	17 May 2007	20 November 2014	Scottish National Party	Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing (2007–2012) Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment (2012–2014)	Alex Salmond
John Swinney	21 November 2014	28 March 2023	Scottish National Party	Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy (2014–2016) Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills (2016–2021) Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery (2021–2023)	Nicola Sturgeon
Shona Robison	29 March 2023	8 May 2024	Scottish National Party	Cabinet Secretary for Finance (2023–2024)	Humza Yousaf
Kate Forbes	8 May 2024	Incumbent	Scottish National Party	Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic	John Swinney

References

^ "Deputy First Minister". www.gov.scot. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Deputy First Minister". www.gov.scot. Retrieved 3 April 2024. Text was copied from this source, which is available under an Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright.
^ "Salmond announces his new cabinet". BBC News. 16 May 2007. Retrieved 16 May 2007.
^ "New Scottish Cabinet". www.gov.scot. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
^ "New Scottish Cabinet". www.gov.scot. Retrieved 25 May 2024.

[1] "Deputy First Minister". www.gov.scot. Retrieved 8 May 2024.

[Auto0V-4-2] "Deputy First Minister". www.gov.scot. Retrieved 3 April 2024. Text was copied from this source, which is available under an Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright.

[3] "Salmond announces his new cabinet". BBC News. 16 May 2007. Retrieved 16 May 2007.

[4] "New Scottish Cabinet". www.gov.scot. Retrieved 25 May 2024.

[5] "New Scottish Cabinet". www.gov.scot. Retrieved 25 May 2024.

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[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Short description|none}}
+{{Short description|Deputy leader of the Scottish Government}}
 {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}}
 {{Use British English|date=February 2018}}
 {{Infobox Political post
-| post = {{flagicon image|Flag of Scotland.svg}} <br /> Deputy First Minister of Scotland<br /><small>''Leas-Phrìomh Mhinistear na h-Alba''</small>
+| post = Deputy First Minister of Scotland
+| native_name = {{langx|gd|Leas-Phrìomh Mhinistear na h-Alba}}
 | insignia = [[File:Scottish Government Logo.svg|250px]]
-| image = Cabinet_Secretary,_Shona_Robison,_2021.jpg
+| image = Kate Forbes - 53727242856.jpg
-| incumbent = [[Shona Robison]]
+| incumbent = [[Kate Forbes]]
-| incumbentsince = 28 March 2023
+| incumbentsince = 8 May 2024
 | appointer = [[First Minister of Scotland]]
-| termlength = Scottish Parliament elections are held every five years. The Deputy First Minister is appointed by the First Minister. No term limits are imposed on the office.
+| termlength = The Deputy First Minister is appointed by the First Minister. No term limits are imposed on the office.
 | formation = 19 May 1999
+| department = [[Scottish Government]]<br />[[Scottish Cabinet]]<br />[[Scottish Parliament]]
 | succession =
 | inaugural = [[Jim Wallace, Baron Wallace of Tankerness|Jim Wallace]]
 | website = {{url|http://www.gov.scot}}
 | body =
-| style = Deputy First Minister
+| style =
-| abbreviation = DFM
+| abbreviation =
 | member_of = {{Hlist|[[Scottish Parliament]]|[[Scottish Government#Cabinet|Scottish Cabinet]]}}
 | reports_to = [[Scottish Parliament]]
-| seat = [[Edinburgh]]
+| seat = [[St Andrew's House]], [[Edinburgh]]
 | salary = £112,919 annually
 (including £64,470 [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]] salary)
 }}
 {{PoliticsScotland}}
-The '''Deputy First Minister of Scotland''' ({{lang-gd|Leas-Phrìomh Mhinistear na h-Alba}}; {{lang-sco|Heid Meinister Depute o Scotland}})  is the second highest ranking minister of the [[Government of Scotland]], behind the [[First Minister of Scotland]]. The post-holder deputises for the [[First Minister of Scotland]] in period of absence or overseas visits, and will be expected to answer to the [[Scottish Parliament]] on behalf of the First Minister at [[First Minister's Questions (Scottish Parliament)|First Minister's Questions]].
+The '''deputy first minister of Scotland''' ({{langx|gd|Leas-Phrìomh Mhinistear na h-Alba}}) is the second highest minister in the [[executive branch]] of the [[Scottish Government]] after the [[First Minister of Scotland|first minister of Scotland]]. The role is currently held by [[Kate Forbes]] since 8 May 2024, following her appointment by [[John Swinney]] alongside her portfolio as [[Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Deputy First Minister |url=http://www.gov.scot/about/who-runs-government/cabinet-and-ministers/deputy-first-minister/ |access-date=2024-05-08 |website=www.gov.scot |language=en}}</ref>
-[[Shona Robison]] of the [[Scottish National Party]] (SNP) is the current Deputy First Minister of Scotland, she was appointed by [[First Minister of Scotland|First Minister]] [[Humza Yousaf]] on the 28 March 2023.
+The post-holder is appointed by the First Minister, and deputises for the First Minister during a period of absence or whilst they are outwith Scotland undertaking overseas visits. During any period of the First Minister's absence, the DFM will be expected to answer to the [[Scottish Parliament]] on behalf of the First Minister at [[First Minister's Questions (Scottish Parliament)|First Minister's Questions]].
-==Functioning responsibilities==
+==Overview==
-The post is not recognised in statute (in comparison with the post of First Minister which is established by the [[Scotland Act 1998]]), and its holder is simply an ordinary member of the [[Scottish Government]]. The post has nonetheless existed since the establishment of the [[Scottish Parliament]] and [[Scottish Government]] in 1999. When one party governs alone, the Deputy First Minister is a senior member of the governing party, typically the party's deputy leader (though at present this is not the case, as [[Keith Brown (Scottish politician)|Keith Brown]] is the [[Scottish National Party]] depute leader). When the government is formed by a coalition, the Deputy First Minister is usually the leader of the minority partner.
+===Status===
+The post is not recognised in statute (in comparison with the post of First Minister which is established by the [[Scotland Act 1998]]), and its holder is simply an ordinary member of the [[Scottish Government]]. The post has nonetheless existed since the establishment of the [[Scottish Parliament]] and [[Scottish 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 with [[Nicola Sturgeon]] when she was [[Depute Leader of the Scottish National Party|SNP depute leader]] though at present this is not the case with the current [[Scottish National Party|SNP]] depute leader [[Keith Brown (Scottish politician)|Keith Brown]]. When the government is formed by a coalition, the Deputy First Minister is usually the leader of the minority partner.
+===Role===
-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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.scot/about/who-runs-government/cabinet-and-ministers/deputy-first-minister/|title=Deputy First Minister - gov.scot|website=www.gov.scot}}</ref> 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 current Deputy First Minister, John Swinney, is also [[Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery]].
+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.<ref name="Auto0V-4"/> 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.
-==Nomination and election==
+===Nomination and election===
 The [[Additional Member System]] used to elect [[Members 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 a [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] and [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrat]] [[Lib-Lab pact|coalition]], with the leader of Scottish Labour serving as First Minister and the leader of the Scottish Lib Dems serving as Deputy First Minister.
@@ Line 40: / Line 45: @@
 Although the [[Scottish National Party]] (SNP) formed a [[Government of the 3rd Scottish Parliament|single party minority administration]] following the [[2007 Scottish Parliament election|2007 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]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/6663031.stm|title=Salmond announces his new cabinet|date=2007-05-16|access-date=2007-05-16|work=BBC News}}</ref>  When Sturgeon became First Minister, the party's depute leader, [[Stewart Hosie]], was serving in the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]] and did not have a seat in the Scottish Parliament.  The Deputy First Minister's post thus went to [[John Swinney]].
+===Cabinet Secretary position===
-== List of Acting First Ministers ==
-{| class="wikitable"
+Shona Robison, appointed Deputy First Minister under Humza Yousaf in March 2023, also serves as the [[Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government|Cabinet Secretary for Finance]]. Alongside her responsibilities as Deputy First Minister, Robison is also responsible for the delivery of the [[Scottish 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".<REF name="Auto0V-4"/>
-! colspan=2|Name
-!width=75|Portrait
+Kate Forbes, who was appointed Deputy First Minister by John Swinney in May 2024, holds the additional cabinet responsibility for [[Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic|Economy and Gaelic]].<ref>{{cite web |title=New Scottish Cabinet |url=https://www.gov.scot/news/new-scottish-cabinet-1/ |website=www.gov.scot |access-date=25 May 2024 |language=en}}</ref> Shona Robison, the former Deputy First Minister, became the [[Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government]] in Swinney's government.<ref>{{cite web |title=New Scottish Cabinet |url=https://www.gov.scot/news/new-scottish-cabinet-1/ |website=www.gov.scot |access-date=25 May 2024 |language=en}}</ref>
-!colspan="2"|Term of office
-!Party
+==Responsibilities==
-!Other offices held whilst in post
+===Government duties===
-|-
+[[File:Deputy First Minister observes National Moment of Reflection (52366163407).jpg|thumb|right|Deputy first minister John Swinney (centre) leads Scottish Government tributes during the National Moment of Reflection, 2022]]
-| {{party color cell|Scottish Liberal Democrats|rowspan=3}}
+The post holder of the Deputy First Minister of Scotland is solely responsible for the following areas within the Scottish Government (as of May 2024):<ref name="Auto0V-4">{{cite web |title=Deputy First Minister |url=https://www.gov.scot/about/who-runs-government/cabinet-and-ministers/deputy-first-minister/ |website=www.gov.scot |access-date=3 April 2024 |language=en}} [[File:UKOpenGovernmentLicence.svg|30px]] Text was copied from this source, which is available under an [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/  Open Government Licence v3.0]. © Crown copyright.</ref>
-| rowspan="3" | [[Jim Wallace, Baron Wallace of Tankerness|Jim Wallace]]
+===Direct government business===
-| rowspan="3" | [[File:Jim Wallace.jpg|75px]]
+[[File:Meeting of the National Advisory Council on Women and Girls (NACWG) and Empowering Wowmen Panel - 53656068763.jpg|thumb|right|Deputy first minister Shona Robison alongside First Minister Humza Yousaf in April 2024]]
-| rowspan="3" | 8 November 2001
+* business, industry and manufacturing support
-| rowspan="3" | 27 November 2001
-| rowspan="3" | [[Scottish Liberal Democrats|Liberal Democrats]]
+* [[Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry]]
+* cross-government delivery and outcomes
-| rowspan="3" | [[Cabinet Secretary for Justice|Minister for Justice]] (1999–2003)
+* economic policy and prosperity
-|}
+* enterprise agencies
+* entrepreneurship
+* green industrial strategy (jointly with Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy)
+* Historical Abuse Inquiry
+* [[Intergovernmental relations in the United Kingdom|inter-governmental relations]] ([[British–Irish Council]], [[Council of the Nations and Regions]], [[Prime Minister and Heads of Devolved Governments Council]])
+* labour market strategy (long-term)
+* languages, including Gaelic, Scots and British Sign Language (BSL)
+* National Performance Framework
+* Office of the Chief Economic Adviser
+* redress
+* [[Scottish National Investment Bank]]
+* Sheku Bayoh public inquiry
+* UK government engagement on shared prosperity fund, levelling up fund, European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF)
+===Infrastructure investment===
-== List of Deputy First Ministers ==
+* city and regional growth deals
+* Clyde Mission
+* government investments and [[State-owned enterprise|public corporations]] of the Scottish Government ([[Glasgow Prestwick Airport]], [[Ferguson Marine]], BiFab, [[Caledonian MacBrayne]], [[Caledonian Maritime Assets]])
+* regional economic partnerships
+==List of officeholders==
 {| class="wikitable"
 ! colspan=2|Name
@@ Line 68: / Line 93: @@
 | {{party color cell|Scottish Liberal Democrats|rowspan=3}}
 | rowspan="3" | [[Jim Wallace, Baron Wallace of Tankerness|Jim Wallace]]
-| rowspan="3" | [[File:Jim Wallace.jpg|75px]]
+| rowspan="3" | [[File:Jim Wallace.jpg|133x133px]]
 | rowspan="3" | 19 May 1999
 | rowspan="3" | 23 June 2005
@@ Line 84: / Line 109: @@
 | {{party color cell|Scottish Liberal Democrats}}
 | [[Nicol Stephen]]
-| [[File:Nicol Stephen.jpg|75px]]
+| [[File:Nicol Stephen.jpg|133x133px]]
 | 27 June 2005
 | 17 May 2007
@@ Line 92: / Line 117: @@
 | {{party color cell|Scottish National Party}}
 | [[Nicola Sturgeon]]
-| [[File:Nicola Sturgeon.jpg|frameless|91x91px]]
+| [[File:Nicola Sturgeon, Deputy First Minister & Cabinet Secretary for Health & Wellbeing SMALL.JPG|133x133px]]
 |17 May 2007
 |20 November 2014
@@ Line 102: / Line 127: @@
 | {{party color cell|Scottish National Party}}
 | [[John Swinney]]
-| [[File:Official Portrait of John Swinney.jpg|91x91px]]
+| [[File:Official Portrait of John Swinney.jpg|133x133px]]
 | 21 November 2014
 | 28 March 2023
 | [[Scottish National Party]]
-| [[Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy]] (2014–2016)<br>[[Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills]] (2016–2021)<br>[[Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery]] (2021-present)
+| [[Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government|Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy]] (2014–2016)<br>[[Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills]] (2016–2021)<br>[[Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery]] (2021–2023)
 | {{party color cell|Scottish National Party}}
 | [[Nicola Sturgeon]]
@@ Line 112: / Line 137: @@
 | {{party color cell|Scottish National Party}}
 | [[Shona Robison]]
-| [[File:Cabinet Secretary, Shona Robison, 2021.jpg|91x91px]]
+| [[File:Official portrait of deputy first minister Shona Robison.jpg|133x133px]]
-| 28 March 2023
+| 29 March 2023
+| 8 May 2024
-| ''[[Incumbent]]''
 | [[Scottish National Party]]
-| [[Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government]] <br> [[Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport]] (2016–2018)
+| [[Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government|Cabinet Secretary for Finance]] (2023–2024)
 | {{party color cell|Scottish National Party}}
 | [[Humza Yousaf]]
+|-
+| {{party color cell|Scottish National Party}}
+| [[Kate Forbes]]
+| [[File:Kate Forbes - 53727242856.jpg|124x124px]]
+| 8 May 2024
+| ''Incumbent''
+| [[Scottish National Party]]
+| [[Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic]]
+| {{party color cell|Scottish National Party}}
+| [[John Swinney]]
 |-
 |}
@@ Line 134: / Line 169: @@
 [[Category:Ministerial posts of the Scottish Government]]
-[[Category:Deputy First Ministers of Scotland| ]]
+[[Category:Deputy first ministers of Scotland| ]]
-[[Category:Deputy prime ministers|Scotland]]
+[[Category:Lists of deputy prime ministers|Scotland]]

v t e Scottish Cabinet
Swinney government
First Minister	John Swinney
Deputy First Minister	Kate Forbes
Cabinet Secretaries	Kate Forbes (Economy and Gaelic) Shona Robison (Finance and Local Government) Neil Gray (Health and Social Care) Jenny Gilruth (Education and Skills) Màiri McAllan (Net Zero and Energy) Fiona Hyslop (Transport) Mairi Gougeon (Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands) Angus Robertson (Constitution, External Affairs and Culture) Shirley-Anne Somerville (Social Justice) Angela Constance (Justice and Home Affairs)
May attend cabinet	Dorothy Bain (Lord Advocate) John-Paul Marks (Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government) Jamie Hepburn (Minister for Parliamentary Business) Colin McAllister (Chief of Staff to the First Minister)
Category Politics of Scotland