The politics of Scotland operate within the constitution of the United Kingdom,of which Scotland is a country. Scotland is a democracy,being represented in both the Scottish Parliament and the Parliament of the United Kingdom since the Scotland Act 1998. Most executive power is exercised by the Scottish Government,led by the first minister of Scotland,the head of government in a multi-party system. The judiciary of Scotland,dealing with Scots law,is independent of the legislature and the Scottish Government,and is headed by the Lord Advocate who is the principal legal adviser to the Scottish Government. Scots law is primarily determined by the Scottish Parliament. The Scottish Government shares limited executive powers,notably over reserved matters,with the Scotland Office,a British government department led by the Secretary of State for Scotland.
James Alexander Stewart Stevenson is a Scottish former politician who served as Minister for Transport,Infrastructure and Climate Change from 2007 to 2010 and Minister for Environment and Climate Change from 2011 to 2012. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP),he was Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Banffshire and Buchan Coast,formerly Banff and Buchan,from 2001 to 2021.
Fiona Jane Hyslop is a Scottish politician who has served as Cabinet Secretary for Transport since 2024. Hyslop has served in various offices under first ministers Salmond,Sturgeon,Yousaf and Swinney;as education secretary,culture secretary,and economy secretary as well as in junior ministerial roles. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP),she has been a member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Linlithgow constituency since 2011,having represented the Lothians region from 1999 to 2011.
Michael Stephen Matheson is a Scottish politician who has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) since 1999,first representing the Central Scotland region and,since 2007,the Falkirk West constituency. Matheson previously served in the Scottish government as Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery,Health and Social Care from 2023 to 2024,Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero,Energy and Transport from 2018 to 2023,and Cabinet Secretary for Justice from 2014 to 2018.
Keith James Brown is a Scottish politician serving as Deputy Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) since 2018. He is a former Royal Marines commando and has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) since 2007,first representing the Ochil constituency from 2007 to 2011,then the Clackmannanshire and Dunblane constituency since 2011. Brown previously served in the Scottish Cabinet,most recently as Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans from 2021 to 2023.
Christina McKelvie is a Scottish politician. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP),she has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Hamilton,Larkhall and Stonehouse since 2011,having previously represented the Central Scotland region from 2007 to 2011.
Shirley-Anne Somerville is a Scottish politician who has served as Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice in the devolved Scottish government since 2023. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP),she has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Dunfermline since 2016,having previously served as an additional member for the Lothians region from 2007 to 2011.
Edinburgh Northern and Leith is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) covering part of the council area of Edinburgh. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the plurality method of election. It is one of nine constituencies in the Lothian electoral region,which elects seven additional members,in addition to the nine constituency MSPs,to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.
Humza Haroon Yousaf is a Scottish politician who served as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) from March 2023 until his resignation in May 2024. He served under his predecessor Nicola Sturgeon as justice secretary from 2018 to 2021 and then as health secretary from 2021 to 2023. He has been Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Glasgow Pollok since 2016,having previously been a regional MSP for Glasgow from 2011 to 2016.
Clare Joan Haughey is a Scottish politician who served as Minister for Children and Young People from 2021 to 2023,having previously served as Minister for Mental Health from 2018 to 2021. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP),she has served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Rutherglen since in the 2016.
Jennifer Madeleine Gilruth is a Scottish politician who has served as the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills since 2023. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP),she has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Mid Fife and Glenrothes since 2016.
Alexander Geoffrey Cole-Hamilton is a British politician who has served as Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats since 2021 and the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Edinburgh Western constituency since 2016.
Ashten Regan is a Scottish politician. She has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Edinburgh Eastern since 2016. Initially elected to parliament for the Scottish National Party (SNP),she defected to the Alba Party. Regan served under First Minister Nicola Sturgeon as the minister for community safety from 2018 until she resigned in 2022 in protest against her government's Gender Recognition Reform bill.
Thomas Compton Arthur MSP is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician. He is the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the constituency of Renfrewshire South,having been first elected in 2016 and re-elected in 2021. He has served as Minister for Employment and Investment since 2024.
Maree Todd is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician who has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Caithness,Sutherland and Ross since May 2021. She was previously an MSP for the Highlands and Islands from the election in May 2016. She has been serving as the Minister for Social Care,Mental Wellbeing and Sport since March 2023. She previously served as the Minister for Public Health,Women's Health and Sport from 2021 to 2023,and as the Minister for Children and Young People from 2017 to 2021.
Lorna Slater is a Canadian-born Scottish politician,who served as Minister for Green Skills,Circular Economy and Biodiversity in the Scottish Government from 2021 to 2024. She has been co-leader of the Scottish Greens,alongside Patrick Harvie,since 2019,and was one of the first Green politicians in the UK to serve as government ministers.
The 6th Scottish Parliament was elected at the 2021 Scottish Parliament election. It was opened with the Escort to the Crown of Scotland Parade and Speech from the Throne on 2 October 2021.
Natalie Don-Innes is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician who has served as the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Renfrewshire North and West since 2021.
Jennifer Margot Minto is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician who has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Argyll and Bute since 2021. She has been serving as Minister for Public Health and Women's Health since March 2023.
Emma Roddick is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician. Emma served as the Minister for Equalities,Migration and Refugees between 2023 and 2024;stepping down when John Swinney was appointed first minister She has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Highlands and Islands since May 2021.
