Premiership of Jack McConnell 22 November 2001 –16 May 2007 | |
Monarch | Elizabeth II |
---|---|
Cabinet | 1st McConnell government 2nd McConnell government |
Party | Labour Party in Scotland |
Election | 2003 |
Seat | Bute House |
Jack McConnell's term as First Minister of Scotland began on 22 November 2001 when he was formally sworn into office at the Court of Session. It followed the resignation of Henry McLeish over the Officegate scandal. His term ended on 16 May 2007,following the defeat of the Scottish Labour Party in the 2007 Scottish Parliament election,where the Scottish National Party formed a minority government.
McConnell entered office amid the aftermath of the Scottish Parliament's first political scandal and suffered fierce opposition from the Leader of the Opposition and other Opposition Shadow Cabinets of the Scottish Parliament.
Henry McLeish resigned as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Labour Party in Scotland [a] on 8 November 2001 over the Officegate scandal,regarding the sub let of his constituency office. In the resulting search for a leader,Jack McConnell was seen by many political analysts as the likely successor. McConnell had previously contested against McLeish on the 2000 leadership election following the death of Donald Dewar,but lost. [1] [2] Other likely candidates included Wendy Alexander and Susan Deacon. [3] [4]
McConnell launched his bid to be the next leader and on the 13 November 2001,he emerged as the only candidate to secure the seven nominations needed to run. [5] Left-wing Labour activist,John McAllion,announced his candidacy,however,he only received one nominee from Elaine Smith. [6] [7]
On the same day McConnell was announced leader-elect of Scottish Labour,he revealed he had an extra-marital affair seven years prior. [8] [9] In a press conference in Edinburgh with his wife,Bridget McConnell,he stated:"If I become first minister,it would be very wrong for my family or anybody else to suffer because my behaviour then is still a secret today. That is why we are now being open about the fact that I did have an affair seven years ago. At the time I made mistakes,including denying the facts publicly and privately". [10] [11]
Although McConnell emerged as the only candidate,he still needed more than 50% of the support of Labour MSPs. [12] [13] On 17 November 2001,he was officially elected unopposed as Leader of the Labour Party in Scotland after receiving the support of 97.23% of MSPs. [14] In his acceptance speech,he stated he was "deeply honoured to receive such overwhelming support" and highlighted that much work still needed to be done "to make devolution a success" and achieve "first class public services". [15]
On 22 November 2001,McConnell was elected by the Scottish Parliament to be the next First Minister of Scotland. He had support of his Labour Party and their coalition partner the Liberal Democrats,following talks over concession for electoral reform for local government elections and the abolishment of university tuition fees. [16] McConnell received 70 votes,defeating the leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP),John Swinney,leader of the Scottish Conservatives,David McLetchie,and Independent MSP,Dennis Canavan,by 34,19,3 respectively. [17] [18] [19] [20]
Following his nomination,the First Minister-elect visited London to meet the British Prime Minister,Tony Blair. Then after,McConnell attended Buckingham Palace,where he was issued the Royal Warrant of Appointment by Her Majesty the Queen. [21] [22] On 27 November 2001,McConnell was officially sworn into office as First Minister of Scotland at the Court of Session in Edinburgh. [23]
As a result of him becoming First Minister,he was appointed Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland and to the Privy Council,earning the title 'The Right Honourable' for life. [24] [25]
Shortly after being appointed McConnell began making appointments to his cabinet. Jim Wallace remained in the post of Deputy First Minister and Wendy Alexander and Ross Finnie remained as ministers. Sam Galbraith and Angus MacKay stood down and Jackie Baillie,Sarah Boyack and Tom McCabe were reshuffled out of government,while Susan Deacon was offered the post of social justice minister but refused the offer and moved to the backbenches. Cathy Jamieson,Mike Watson,Malcolm Chisholm,Iain Gray,Patricia Ferguson and Andy Kerr were all promoted to cabinet. [26] [27] [28]
Following the appointment of his first government,McConnell used the first meeting of his newly formed cabinet that he intended for his administration to focus on the priorities of both the country and its people,pledging for unnecessary distractions to be avoided. Speaking during the first meeting of his cabinet,McConnell told his ministerial team he wished for them to "get rid of unnecessary paperwork and diversions" in order for ministers to be able to focus on the "key areas". [29]
His cabinet appointments were met with criticism by opposition parties in parliament,with the Scottish National Party (SNP) leader John Swinney claiming that McConnell had used his cabinet reshuffle as an opportunity to "settle scores and stab colleagues in the back". Swinney further claimed that "Labour are now in turmoil" and suggested that following McConnell's cabinet appointments it would be seen as "the day Labour admitted they have failed to deliver". The Scottish Conservatives leader David McLetchie expressed disappointment that McConnell did not reduce the number of cabinet ministers during the formation of his first cabinet,claiming that McConnell was "more concerned about putting one over on his political opponents" and suggested that McConnell was not interested in "delivering a keener,fitter government for the people of Scotland". [30]
McConnell advised his cabinet that he was not seeking a large volume of new initiatives and policies for his administration,but rather that he remained committed to the policy areas of the previous administration. A spokesperson for the Scottish Executive said that McConnell had told his cabinet for the need to "focus on delivering what is already there" as he felt it was important that his administration "makes sure we are delivering on the targets that have been set". [29]
McConnell announced that under his premiership,the Scottish Executive would not change its position on issues such as private involvement in public services,proportional representation for local government elections and the financial independence of the Scottish Parliament. [31] Ministers of his government were given suggestions by McConnell to follow his tactic he deployed whilst serving as the Minister for Education under Henry McLeish by speaking with the public to gauge public opinion to drive forward policy objectives rather than "listening to the interest groups that may come to Edinburgh to lobby". [29]
Entering government,McConnell vowed that his key policy objectives would relate to schools,health services,jobs,crime and transport which he dubbed "the peoples priorities". He remained committed to the Scottish Labour–Scottish Liberal Democrat coalition agreement which had been in place since the creation of the Dewar government in 1999,but acknowledged that some of the policies and priorities of the coalition administration could "take some time" to implement. He appeared to criticise the predecessor administrations to his,particularly relating to education,stating that "failures in relation to children" by the previous governments were "unacceptable". [32]
Following his appointment as Leader of the Scottish Labour Party unopposed,opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament,particularly the Scottish National Party (SNP),were critical of the manner in which McConnell was elected as both party leader and subsequently first minister. The leader of the SNP,John Swinney,said that McConnell's victory unopposed was "deeply damaging to democracy". The Scottish Conservatives said that his appointment as Scottish Labour leader was a "sham",claiming that by being elected unopposed he had "no real mandate" to become the next first minister of the country. [33] In response,McConnell said that he respected "democratic open politics" and vowed to project such values. [32]
One of the earliest announcements by the new executive under McConnell was the ability for the Scottish Parliament to raise or lower income tax by up to 3p in the pound would not be invoked under a McConnell administration. [29] Shortly afterwards,the Constitution Unit think tank operated by University College London issued a warning that disputed McConnell's position on not altering the rate of income tax in Scotland by suggesting that the Scottish Executive may be required to raise income tax in order to fund the executives increase in spending.
The Constitution Unit warned that as devolution became embedded into Scottish political and public life there was an increased risk of the financial pressures in Scotland being greater than they were prior to devolution coming into force in 1999. The issue of finance and funding public spending on services were widely speculated to be a key debating issue ahead of the 2003 Scottish Parliament election. [34] The Scottish Executive was warned that it could face a funding shortfall of £2 billion as a result on its pledge to increase the pay of teachers,spending on education,free care for the elderly and local government. [34]
McConnell gave no indication that following the 2003 election that his position on not changing the rate of income tax would change. [34]
In February 2002,Scotland joined forces with the Republic of Ireland in a bid to host the 2008 European Football Championship. [35] McConnell was initially unconvinced that it was worth spending around £100 million on the tournament,but he later put his support behind the joint bid with the Irish.
Although the bid lost out to Austria/Switzerland,McConnell later supported other attempts to land major supporting events including London's successful bid for the 2012 Olympic Games [36] and Glasgow's bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. [37]
In 2002,McConnell pledged that the Scottish Executive would commit to building 100 new schools across Scotland by 2006. In order to achieve this,McConnell advocated for the use of Public Private Partnerships (PPP),stating "we'll work together to sort out how we give people maximum return for every one of their pounds we are spending. Sometimes we'll invest with public capital and sometimes we'll invest with private capital. Let's be clear. We set the standards. We demand the quality and PPPs don't just attract finance;they make sure private contractors deliver hospitals and schools for our communities on time,within budget,well designed and easily maintained". At that time,he advocated that "private finance would facilitate the construction or rebuilding of 100 schools around the country". [38]
In November 2002,McConnell claimed that teachers in Scotland should have the ability to move between primary and secondary schools to assist in the transition of children from primary school to secondary school. [39] One of McConnell's spokesperson said that McConnell had been driven to implement policy changes on the backdrop of "children making the transition can have some problems. The first minister will be setting out the first steps towards addressing what is a problem that has been around for as long as we can remember". [40]
In order to drive standards in Scottish schools,in November 2002,McConnell announced plans that would allow Head Teachers in Scotland to have more authority in regards to setting their own standards and priorities for their respective schools. [41] During this period,McConnell also used his position as First Minister to advocate for schools to provide more vocational education courses to pupils,as well as increased links and partnerships with local colleges and businesses to improve training and educational programmes for young people. Additionally,McConnell advocated for greatest use of specialist teachers in schools to provide learning in subjects including music and sport. [42]
In December 2002,McConnell launched his government's campaign against sectarianism. [43] McConnell pledged that his government would: [44]
McConnell was re elected MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw at the Scottish Parliament elections. The Labour Party in Scotland won 50 seats,the largest number,and formed another coalition government with the Liberal Democrats which won 17 seats.
On 15 May,McConnell was re-appointed First Minister of Scotland and on the same day the Scottish government published A Partnership for a Better Scotland which set out the government's priorities for the four-year term ahead. This was followed by the "Fresh Talent initiative" which was created and developed to focus at addressing the demographic decline in Scotland and ageing Scottish population by attracting young and skilled immigrants,primarily from other European Union countries (such as Poland and Slovakia primarily) to be attracted to Scotland as a place to live and work.
McConnell announced his second government on 20 May 2003 and promised to "restore public confidence in devolution" with a pledge to tackle issues including youth crime and anti-social behaviour within communities. Jim Wallace,the Minister for Justice in McConnell's first government,moved to Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning,whilst the Cathy Jamieson,the previous holder of Wallace's new cabinet position was moved into Wallace's vacant post of Minister for Justice. Jamieson was tasked with overseeing the implementation of the youth crime initiative launched by the Labour Party,which would see parents of persistent young offenders penalised. The initiative was criticised by the administrations coalition partners,the Scottish Liberal Democrats,but they became natural on their position of the initiative following assurances from McConnell that Scottish Liberal Democrat members would have an increase role in his new cabinet and the return of the proportional representation (PR) voting system for elections to local government in the country. [45]
Widely seen as an important and significant ally for McConnell,Andy Kerr retained his cabinet position as Minister for Finance,whilst Mike Watson was removed from his cabinet position as Minister for Tourism. There had been a significant amount of speculation that Wendy Alexander would return to the cabinet under McConnell. Whilst it was not known as to which role Alexander would have been offered,she was ultimately not appointed to the cabinet nor was it known whether she was asked by McConnell to join his government. [45] Facing criticism over the number of ministers within the Scottish Executive,McConnell reduced the number of total ministers in his government from 20 to 18,but increased the number of cabinet ministers from 10 to 11. McConnell introduced his new cabinet by claiming that with his new cabinet in place there was "a chance to change Scotland for good". [45]
During November 2003 and November 2004,McConnell held the Presidency of the Conference of European Regions with Legislative Power (REGLEG). His presidency of the conference was described by the European Strategy as "providing an important opportunity for Scotland to play a key role on the EU stage". Additionally,it was argued that McConnell and Scotland's presidency "will allow Scotland to build strong allies and promote Scottish interests among the leading legislative regions of the EU". Scotland's involvement in REGLEG was said to be "principally about advancing Scotland’s position as a major legislative region in Europe". [46]
One of the most significant implementations during his tenure as first minister was the successful campaign to ban smoking in Scottish public places,such as pubs,public transport and restaurants,making Scotland the first country within the United Kingdom to do so,which lead to McConnell receiving praise for his leadership on this issue,ultimately leading other countries to follow. [47]
Despite earlier doubts about a widespread ban on smoking in public places,in 2004,McConnell issued his strongest commitment to a public smoking ban being implemented in Scotland. Following a visit to Dublin,where the Republic of Ireland had already implemented a public smoking band,he said that it was clear to see the "policy's overwhelming popularity and high level of compliance with the public". The Minister for Health in the Irish Government,Micheal Martin,advised McConnell not to be "worried about the backlash such a controversial move could provoke" and assured McConnell that it was the Irish people that "wanted it to happen and then made it happen". [48]
He suggested that it was both "desirable and possible" for the same policy to be issued in Scotland and confirmed that he would issue a public statement by the end of the year on what a smoking ban in public places would both look like and mean for Scotland. [48] By contrast,the public opinion on a smoking ban in public places in the country was varied,with organisations such as Freedom2Choose and the Scottish Licensed Trade Association against the legislation,whilst the Royal College of General Practitioners Scotland were supportive. [49]
A ban on smoking in public places in Scotland eventually came into force by the end of March 2006,with McConnell claiming that there was expected to be "issued" in the early days of the new legislation coming into force. McConnell pledged that local councils would receive an additional investment of £6 million over the next three years in order to provide financial assistance to councils to implement the legislation and allow them to employ more environmental health officers to enforce the new law. [50]
On 29 April 2005,the Scotland Malawi Partnership held a 'Shaping the Partnership' consultative conference at the University of Strathclyde where the proposed structure and remit of the partnership were decided upon. [51]
In May 2005,Bob Geldoff addressed the Scottish Parliament which he used as an opportunity to highlight the role McConnell can play "in addressing the issue of political corruption in Africa" by "using the Scottish Parliament to underpin efforts to entrench honest,open democracy in Africa". McConnell instructed the Scottish Executive to produce findings on the role Scotland could play in tackling issues in African communities such as poverty and the aids pandemic. Additionally,he confirmed that he would visit Malawi that month with a "group of youngsters" as part of their education to "study the issue of education for young people in Africa". A stronger collaboration between schools in Scotland and Malawi was given priority by McConnell,and following the visit to Malawi in May with the group of pupils,an exchange programme would be established between the schools involved with McConnell's visit to Malawi. [52]
In November 2005,the Malawi After Gleneagles:A Commission for Africa Case-Study was held at the Scottish Parliament which included over 250 delegates from Malawi and Scotland to discuss international development between the two countries. [53] [54] McConnell and President of Malawi,Dr Bingu wa Mutharika were keynote speakers during the event at the Scottish Parliament,and during the President of Malawi's visit,the Cooperation Agreement between Scotland and Malawi was signed between McConnell and Mutharika. [55]
As the United Kingdom,and ultimately Scotland,was scheduled to host the 31st G8 summit at the Gleneagles Hotel,McConnell expressed his wish for the UK Government to pay for any and all associated costs as a result of hosting the summit and claimed that the Scottish Executive was being placed in an "intolerable position". Under McConnell,the executive warned that it would make the costs of security and policing the event public. [56]
Despite assurances to the Scottish Parliament in May 2005 that the cost of hosting the G8 summit "would be nowhere near £100 million",overall cost of hosting the event was estimated to be £90.9 million. [57] In addition to the £20 million contributed by HM Treasury,the Foreign Office contributed £10 million whilst the Scottish Executive was expected to pay the remaining £65 million. [56]
McConnell attended the 31st G8 summit which was held in Gleneagles Hotel,Scotland,and welcomed guests invited to the conference to Glasgow Prestwick Airport on arrival.
The Scottish Parliament general election of 3 May 2007 saw McConnell re elected as the MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw with a majority of 5,938 votes,representing 48% of the vote with a turnout of 50.3%. The Labour Party in Scotland was defeated by the SNP with the SNP winning 47 seats to Labour's 46,leaving the SNP short of an overall majority in the Parliament. [58]
McConnell left office as First Minister on 16 May 2007,when the Scottish Parliament elected Alex Salmond as his successor. [59] On 17 May 2007,the Scottish National Party (SNP) officially formed the first nationalist Scottish Government and McConnell became Leader of the Opposition. [60]
On 17 May 2007,McConnell told Salmond he would abstain in a Parliament vote to appoint ministers. In his first speech as opposition leader,McConnell listed a series of 'hypocritical' remarks that SNP ministers had made about the Labour administration. [61]
My predecessor had problems over a muddle. I can only describe Mr Salmond's first decisions as a guddle. He has learned nothing in opposition, despite what he said about doing so. He will regret deprioritising culture, sport and housing, but those who value them will regret it more. Those who want to see action on affordable homes will regret it too.
— McConnell's response to Alex Salmond's administration
As Leader of the Opposition in Holyrood, McConnell took part in First Minister's Questions (FMQs). In one session of FMQs, he claimed the new SNP administration was making several U-turns on transport policy and its position on student debt and council taxes. [62]
On 15 August 2007, McConnell announced his intention to resign as Scottish Labour Leader. [63]
During his tenure as first minister, McConnell made visits to the following countries: [64]
Donald Campbell Dewar was a Scottish statesman and politician who served as the inaugural first minister of Scotland and leader of the Labour Party in Scotland from 1999 until his death in 2000. He was widely regarded as the "Father of the Nation" during his tenure as first minister, and the "Architect of Devolution" whilst serving as Secretary of State for Scotland from 1997 to 1999. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Glasgow Anniesland from 1978 to 2000. Dewar was also Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the equivalent seat from 1999 to 2000.
The Scottish National Party is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic party. The party holds 62 of the 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament, and holds 9 out of the 57 Scottish seats in the House of Commons. It has 453 local councillors of the 1,227 available. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom and for Scotland's membership in the European Union, with a platform based on progressive social policies and civic nationalism. Founded in 1934 with the amalgamation of the National Party of Scotland and the Scottish Party, the party has had continuous parliamentary representation in Westminster since Winnie Ewing won the 1967 Hamilton by-election.
Alexander Neil is a Scottish politician who served as Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing from 2012 to 2014 and Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners' Rights from 2014 to 2016. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), he was the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Airdrie and Shotts constituency from 2011 until his retirement in 2021.
John Ramsay Swinney is a Scottish politician who has served as First Minister of Scotland since May 2024. Swinney has served as Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) on two occasions, since May 2024 and between 2000 and 2004. He has held various roles within the Scottish Cabinet from 2007 to 2023 under First Ministers Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon. Swinney was Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for North Tayside from 1999 to 2011 and, following boundary changes, has been MSP for Perthshire North since 2011. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Tayside North from 1997 to 2001.
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.
Kenneth Wright MacAskill is a Scottish politician who was Member of Parliament (MP) for East Lothian from 2019 to 2024. He previously served as Cabinet Secretary for Justice from 2007 to 2014 and was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) from 1999 to 2016. A former member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), he defected to the Alba Party in 2021 and currently serves as the party's acting leader, following Alex Salmond's death.
George Foulkes, Baron Foulkes of CumnockPC is a British politician and life peer who served as Minister of State for Scotland from 2001 to 2002. A member of Scottish Labour and the Co-operative Party, he was Member of Parliament (MP) for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, formerly South Ayrshire, from 1979 to 2005. He was later a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP), as one of the additional members for the Lothians region, from 2007 to 2011.
Jack Wilson McConnell, Baron McConnell of Glenscorrodale, is a Scottish politician who served as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Labour Party in Scotland from 2001 to 2007. McConnell served as the Minister for Finance from 1999 to 2000 and Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs from 2000 to 2001. He has been a Labour life peer in the House of Lords since 2010 and previously served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Motherwell and Wishaw from 1999 to 2011. McConnell held the Presidency of the Conference of European Regions with Legislative Power (REGLEG) during November 2003 to November 2004.
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.
Margaret Patricia Curran is a Scottish Labour Party politician. She served in the British House of Commons as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Glasgow East from 2010 to 2015 and was Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland from 2011 until 2015. She was previously the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Glasgow Baillieston from 1999 to 2011, and held a number of posts within the Scottish Executive, including Minister for Parliamentary Business, Minister for Social Justice and Minister for Communities.
Catherine Mary Jamieson is a Scottish business director, currently a director at Kilmarnock Football Club and former politician. She served as the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party in Scotland from 2000 to 2008. She previously served in the Scottish Executive as Minister for Justice from 2003 to 2007 and Minister for Education and Young People from 2001 to 2003. Jamieson was Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley from 1999 to 2011 and was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Kilmarnock and Loudoun from 2010 to 2015.
Andy Kerr is a Scottish politician who served as Minister for Finance and Public Services from 2001 to 2004 and Minister for Health and Community Care from 2004 to 2007. A member of the Scottish Labour Party, he was Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the East Kilbride constituency from 1999 to 2011.
Patricia Josephine Ferguson is a British politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Glasgow West since the 2024 United Kingdom general election. Ferguson was also a Glasgow City Council Councillor, until her resignation on September 2nd 2024.
Stewart Hosie is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Dundee East from 2005 to 2024. He served as the SNP Treasury Spokesperson from 2022 to 2023, and previously from 2015 to 2017. He served as the SNP Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office since 2021. He served as Deputy Leader of the SNP to Nicola Sturgeon from November 2014 to October 2016. He was also the SNP Deputy Westminster Leader and the SNP Treasury Spokesperson from May 2015, until he was succeeded in both positions by Kirsty Blackman in June 2017.
Scottish Labour, is the part of the UK Labour Party active in Scotland. Ideologically social democratic and unionist, it holds 22 of 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament and 37 of 57 Scottish seats in the House of Commons. It is represented by 262 of the 1,227 local councillors across Scotland. The Scottish Labour party has no separate Chief Whip at Westminster.
Iain Cumming Gray is a Scottish politician who served as Leader of the Scottish Labour Party from 2008 to 2011. He was the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the East Lothian constituency from 2007 to 2021, having previously represented Edinburgh Pentlands from 1999 to 2003. A former aid worker and teacher of mathematics and physics, Gray was first elected to the Scottish Parliament in 1999 as MSP for the Edinburgh Pentlands constituency, which he lost to Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party David McLetchie in 2003. Gray was returned to Holyrood in 2007 as MSP for East Lothian. Following Wendy Alexander's resignation as Leader of the Scottish Labour Party in 2008, Gray stood at the subsequent leadership election, and was elected with a 57.8% share of the vote in the second round.
Keith James Brown is a Scottish politician serving as Depute 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.
Alexander Elliot Anderson Salmond was a Scottish politician who served as First Minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014. A prominent figure in the Scottish nationalist movement, he was Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) on two occasions, from 1990 to 2000 and from 2004 to 2014. He then served as leader of the Alba Party from 2021 until his death in 2024.
The 2014 Scottish National Party leadership election was held to choose the leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and First Minister of Scotland, following the resignation of Alex Salmond as first minister and leader. Nicola Sturgeon emerged as the only candidate and was elected unopposed as leader of the SNP.
In the Scottish Parliament, the Leader of the Opposition is an unofficial title often used to describe the leader of the largest political party in the Scottish Parliament that is not in government. This leader has also been referred to as the Shadow First Minister.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)