| First Minister of Scotland | |
|---|---|
| Scottish Gaelic: Prìomh Mhinistear na h-Alba | |
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 Flag of Scotland | |
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| Office of the First Minister Scottish Government Scottish Cabinet Scottish Parliament | |
| Style | First Minister and Keeper of the Scottish Seal[1] (formal) First Minister (informal) The Right Honourable (UK and Commonwealth) His/Her Excellency[2] (international) |
| Status | Head of government |
| Member of | |
| Reports to | Scottish Parliament |
| Residence | Bute House |
| Seat | St Andrew's House |
| Nominator | Scottish Parliament |
| Appointer | The Monarch |
| Term length | At His Majesty's pleasure (following nomination by the Scottish Parliament) |
| Inaugural holder | Donald Dewar |
| Formation | 17 May 1999 |
| Deputy | Deputy First Minister of Scotland |
| Salary | £165,678 per annum (2023)[a][4] (including £67,662 MSP salary) |
| Website | firstminister |
| This article is part of a series within the Politics of the United Kingdom on the |
| Politics of Scotland |
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The first minister of Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: prìomh mhinistear na h-Alba, [ˈpʰrʲiəv ˈvinɪʃtʲɛr nə ˈhal̪ˠapə], formally known as the First Minister and Keeper of the Scottish Seal,[5] is the head of government of Scotland and the leader of the Scottish Government, the executive branch of the devolved government of Scotland. The first minister also serves as the keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland whilst in office.
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.[6] 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, junior ministers of the Scottish Government, as well as the Scottish law officers, 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.
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 on the following day.[7]
- ^ "The Keeper". insideros.blog. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ "Nicola Sturgeon named as global advocate for UN gender equality campaign". BelfastTelegraph. 6 February 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
UN under-secretary-general Ms Mlambo-Ngcuka said: "It is my honour to announce today her excellency Ms Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland, as an inaugural HeForShe global advocate for gender equality.
- ^ "Five things about Scottish politicians' tax returns". BBC News Online. 7 February 2023.
- ^ "MSP salaries". parliament.scot. The Scottish Parliament. 5 April 2023.
- ^ "The Keeper - The Great Seal of Scotland". insideros.blog. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ "About the Scottish Government > Who runs government > First Minister". Scottish Government. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
- ^ "John Swinney officially sworn in as Scotland's seventh First Minister". STV News. 8 May 2024.
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