The First Minister of Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: Prìomh Mhinistear na h-Alba; Scots: Heid Meinister o Scotland) is the leader of the The Scottish Government. The First Minister chairs the Scottish Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development, and presentation of Scottish Government policy.
The First Minister is a Member of The Scottish Parliament (MSP) and nominated by the Scottish Parliament. Members of the Scottish Cabinet are appointed by the First Minister and all are directly accountable to the Scottish Parliament for their actions and the actions of the wider government.
Election and term[]
The First Minister is nominated by the Scottish Parliament from among its members. They are then formally appointed by the monarch.
In theory, any member of the Scottish Parliament can be nominated for First Minister. However, the government must maintain the confidence of the Scottish Parliament. For this reason, the First Minister is almost always 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 Her Majesty's pleasure". In practice, they hold office as long as they retain the confidence of the chamber. Whenever the office of First Minister falls vacant, or his or her government "no longer enjoys the confidence of the Parliament" then the next senior leader is to take the position, as in the Deputy Prime Minister or an opposite party leader.
First Ministers[]
| Nº | Name | Region | Tenure | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mairi Gougeon | South Western Scotland | 16th February 2020-Present | 
|
| Scotland |
|---|
| The Scottish Government |
| First Minister • Deputy First Minister |
| Cabinet Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs • Cabinet Secretary for Justice • Lord Advocate |
| Cabinet Secretary for Health, Education, and Social Services • Cabinet Secretary for Trade, Business, and Labour |
| The Scottish Parliament |
| Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament |
| Scottish National Party |
| Scottish Regions |
| Northern Scotland • Eastern Scotland • South Western Scotland |