Second Yousaf government

Second Yousaf government
11th Government of Scotland
April - May 2024
Yousaf announcing his intention to resign, 2024
Date formed	25 April 2024
Date dissolved	7 May 2024
People and organisations
Monarch	Charles III
First Minister	Humza Yousaf
Deputy First Minister	Shona Robison
Member parties	Scottish National Party
Status in legislature	Minority 63 / 129 (49%)
Opposition cabinet	Opposition Parties
Opposition party	Scottish Conservative
Opposition leader	Douglas Ross
History
Legislature term	6th Scottish Parliament
Predecessor	First Yousaf government
Successor	Swinney government

Humza Yousaf formed the Second Yousaf government on 25 April 2024 following his dissolution of the Scottish National Party's power sharing agreement with the Scottish Greens. ^[1] This resulted in a government crisis, where Yousaf faced the threat of a vote of no confidence now that the SNP was leading a minority government. Days later, Yousaf announced his intention to resign as First Minister and leader of the SNP. John Swinney succeeded Yousaf on 8 May 2024 following a leadership election.

History

On 25 April 2024 Scottish National Party First Minister Humza Yousaf announced that the power sharing agreement with the Scottish Green Party — which had been in place since 31 August 2021 — was dissolved with immediate effect. This resulted in the Green Party's two Ministers Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater leaving government and their respective posts of Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights and Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity being abolished. ^[2]

First Minister Humza Yousaf formed a SNP minority government, and faced separate motions of no confidence from Labour and the Conservatives, following the Greens withdrawing support. ^[3]

On 29 April, Yousaf announced his intention to resign as First Minister following the election of a new leader of the SNP. The Conservatives would withdraw their no confidence motion in Yousaf, following the announcement of his resignation, whilst the Labour Party would push their no confidence motion in the government to a vote - it being defeated by 70 votes to 58. ^[4]

Cabinet

Portfolio	Portrait	Minister	Term
Cabinet secretaries
First Minister		The Rt Hon Humza Yousaf MSP	2023–2024
Deputy First Minister		Shona Robison MSP	2023–2024
Cabinet Secretary for Finance			2023–present
Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care		Neil Gray MSP	2024-present
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills		Jenny Gilruth MSP	2023–present
Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy		Màiri McAllan MSP	2024-2025
Cabinet Secretary for Transport		Fiona Hyslop MSP	2024-present
Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands		Mairi Gougeon MSP	2021–present
Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture		The Rt Hon Angus Robertson MSP	2021–present
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice		Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP	2023–present
Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs		Angela Constance MSP	2023–present
Also attending cabinet meetings
Permanent Secretary		John-Paul Marks	2022–2025
Minister for Cabinet and Parliamentary Business		George Adam MSP	2021–2024
Lord Advocate		The Rt Hon. Dorothy Bain KC	2021–present

List of junior ministers

Post	Minister	Term
Minister for Independence	Jamie Hepburn MSP	2023–2024
Minister for Cabinet and Parliamentary Business	George Adam MSP	2021–2024
Minister for Community Wealth and Public Finance	Tom Arthur MSP	2021–2024
Minister for Local Government Empowerment and Planning	Joe FitzPatrick MSP	2023–2024
Minister for Public Health and Women's Health	Jenni Minto MSP	2023–present
Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport	Maree Todd MSP	2023–2025
Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise	Natalie Don MSP	2023–present
Minister for Higher and Further Education Minister for Veterans	Graeme Dey MSP	2023–present
Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade	Richard Lochhead MSP	2023–present
Minister for Energy	Gillian Martin MSP	2023–2024
Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy	Christina McKelvie MSP	2024-2025
Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees	Emma Roddick MSP	2023–2024
Minister for Housing	Paul McLennan MSP	2023–2025
Minister for Victims and Community Safety	Siobhian Brown MSP	2023–present
Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity	Jim Fairlie MSP	2024-present
Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development	Kaukab Stewart MSP	2024-2024

Scottish law officers

Law officers [5]
Post	Name	Portrait	Term
Lord Advocate	The Rt Hon. Dorothy Bain KC		2021–present
Solicitor General for Scotland	Ruth Charteris KC		2021–present

References

1. "SNP's power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens collapses". BBC. 25 April 2024. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
2. "SNP's power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens collapses". BBC. 25 April 2024. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
3. "How big a threat to Humza Yousaf is a no-confidence vote?". BBC News. 25 April 2024. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
4. "Scottish government survives no confidence vote after leader's resignation". Reuters. 1 May 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
5. "Law Officer appointments - gov.scot". www.gov.scot. Retrieved 19 June 2021.