John Ramsay Swinney is a Scottish politician who served as Deputy First Minister of Scotland from 2014 to 2023. He held various Scottish Cabinet roles under First Ministers Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon from 2007 to 2023. Swinney has served as the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Perthshire North since 2011, having previously represented North Tayside from 1999 to 2011. He was the Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) from 2000 to 2004.
The Scottish Government is the devolved government of Scotland. It was formed in 1999 as the Scottish Executive following the 1997 referendum on Scottish devolution. Amongst its areas for responsibility of decision making and domestic policy in the country include the economy, education system, health care, justice and the legal system, rural affairs, housing, the crown estate, the environment, the fire service, equal opportunities, the transportation network and tax, amongst others.
Fergus Stewart Ewing is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician who served as the Scottish Government's Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Tourism from 2016 to 2021, having previously held two junior ministerial posts. He has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) since 1999, representing Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber until 2011, and then its successor seat Inverness and Nairn.
Shona McRory Robison is a Scottish politician serving as Deputy First Minister of Scotland and Cabinet Secretary for Finance since 2023. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), she has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Dundee City East since 2003 and was an additional member for the North East Scotland region from 1999 to 2003.
Patrick Harvie is a Scottish politician who served as Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights from 2021 to 2024. He has served as one of two co-leaders of the Scottish Greens since 2008, and is one of the first Green politicians in the UK to serve as a government minister. Harvie has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Glasgow region since 2003.
The Cabinet Secretary for Finance, commonly referred to as the Finance Secretary, is a member of the Cabinet in the Scottish Government. The Cabinet Secretary has Ministerial responsibility for the Scottish Government's Finance Directorates.
The Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy, commonly referred to as the Wellbeing Economy Secretary, is a Scottish Government Cabinet position with responsibility for the economy of Scotland. The role in it current form is effectively a recreation of the former position of Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work.
Scottish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that Scotland should be a republic; the nation is currently a monarchy as part of the United Kingdom. Republicanism is associated with Scottish nationalism and the Scottish independence movement, but also with British republicanism and the movement for federalism in the United Kingdom.
Climate change in Scotland is causing a range of impacts on Scotland, and its mitigation and adaptation is a matter for the devolved Scottish Parliament. Climate change has already changed timings of spring events such as leaf unfolding, bird migration and egg-laying. Severe effects are likely to occur on biodiversity.
The Scottish Government Economy Directorates are a group of Directorates of the Scottish Government. They were rebranded as the Economy Directorates in July 2016, having previously been reorganised in December 2010 and then in June 2014. In July 2021, a further re-organisation led to the creation of the Net Zero Directorates, with Agriculture & Rural Economy, Marine Scotland, Energy & Climate Change, Environment & Forestry, Transport Scotland, Forestry and Land Scotland and Scottish Forestry moving to the new Directorate General.
The Cabinet Secretary for Transport is a position in the Scottish Government Cabinet. The Cabinet Secretary has responsibilities for infrastructure, transport and energy. The Cabinet Secretary is assisted by the Minister for Transport, Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform and Minister for Just Transition, Employment and Fair Work.
The Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform was a junior ministerial post in the Scottish Government. As a result, the Minister did not attend the Scottish Cabinet, but supported the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport who continues to attend the cabinet.
Lorna Slater is a Scottish-Canadian politician, who served as Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity in the Scottish Government from 2021 to 2024. She has served as co-leader of the Scottish Greens alongside Patrick Harvie since 2019, and who were the first Green politicians in the UK to serve as government ministers. Slater has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Lothian region since 2021.
Màiri Louise McAllan is a Scottish politician serving as Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy since 2024. She previously served as Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition from 2023 to 2024 and Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform from 2021 to 2023. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), she has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Clydesdale since 2021. McAllan is a former corporate solicitor, who also served as a special advisor to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon prior to her election to the Scottish Parliament.
Nicola Sturgeon formed the third Sturgeon government following her Scottish National Party's victory in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election. Sturgeon was nominated by a vote of the 6th Scottish Parliament for appointment to the post of First Minister on 18 May 2021 and announced the formation of a new Scottish National Party minority government on 20 May.
The Minister for Just Transition, Employment and Fair Work is a junior ministerial post in the Scottish Government that was created in May 2021. As a result, the minister does not attend the Scottish Cabinet, but supports the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy and Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport, who both attend the cabinet.
The Bute House Agreement, officially the Cooperation Agreement between the Scottish Government and the Scottish Green Party Parliamentary Group was a power-sharing agreement between the Scottish National Party (SNP) Scottish Government and the Scottish Greens which was agreed in August 2021 to support the Third Sturgeon government and then was reaffirmed to support the First Yousaf government.
The Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights is a junior ministerial post in the Scottish Government. As a result, the minister does not attend the Scottish Cabinet but reports directly to the First Minister of Scotland. The only individual who has held the post is Patrick Harvie, who was appointed in August 2021 after the Bute House Agreement. Following the dissolution of the Bute House Agreement on 25 April 2024 the post is now vacant.
The Scottish Government Net Zero Directorates are a group of Directorates of the Scottish Government. The group was created in July 2021, with Agriculture & Rural Economy, Marine, Energy & Climate Change, Environment & Forestry, Transport Scotland, Forestry and Land Scotland and Scottish Forestry moving from the Economy Directorates.
The deposit-return scheme (DRS), is a container return scheme being planned for Scotland. The scheme has been delayed several times and is now due to start in 2025 to coincide with the a United Kingdom scheme. A not-for-profit, publicly owned company, Circularity Scotland Ltd, was set up to operate the scheme however, it went into administration following the latest delay of the scheme. The total level of investment lost as a result of the delay is estimated at £300 million including £9 million of public money which had been invested via the Scottish National Investment Bank.
