Dewar government
Scottish Government from 1999 to 2000
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Donald Dewar formed the Dewar government on 17 May 1999 following his appointment as the inaugural First Minister of Scotland. The first devolved executive of Scotland, it consisted of Scottish Labour and the Scottish Liberal Democrats, who formed a coalition on 14 May 1999.[1] The government dissolved and was succeeded by the McLeish government in the aftermath of Dewar's death on 11 October 2000.[2][3][4][5]
Dewar government | |
|---|---|
1st government of Scotland | |
| 1999–2000 | |
 First meeting of the Dewar cabinet, 1999 | |
| Date formed | 17 May 1999 |
| Date dissolved | 11 October 2000 |
| People and organisations | |
Monarch | Elizabeth II |
First Minister | Donald Dewar |
First Minister's history | 1999–2000 |
Deputy First Minister | Jim Wallace |
Member parties | |
Status in legislature | Majority (coalition) |
Opposition party | Scottish National Party |
Opposition leader | Alex Salmond (1999–2000) John Swinney (2000) |
| History | |
| Election | 1999 Scottish Parliament election |
| Legislature term | 1st Scottish Parliament |
| Budget | 2000 Scottish budget |
| Successor | McLeish government |
Cabinet
May 1999 to October 2000
| Portfolio | Portrait | Minister | Term | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabinet ministers | |||||
| First Minister |  |
The Rt Hon | 1999–2000 | Labour | |
| Deputy First Minister |  |
Jim Wallace QC MSP | 1999–2005 | Lib Dem | |
| Minister for Justice | 1999–2003 | ||||
| Minister for Finance |  |
Jack McConnell MSP | 1999–2000 | Labour | |
| Minister for Health and Community Care |  |
Susan Deacon MSP | 1999–2000 | Labour | |
| Minister for Communities |  |
Wendy Alexander MSP | 1999–2000 | Labour | |
| Minister for Transport and the Environment |  |
Sarah Boyack MSP | 1999–2000 | Labour | |
| Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning |  |
Henry McLeish MSP | 1999–2000 | Labour | |
| Minister for Rural Affairs |  |
Ross Finnie MSP | 1999–2000 | Lib Dem | |
| Minister for Children and Education |  |
Sam Galbraith MSP | 1999–2000 | Labour | |
| Also attending cabinet meetings | |||||
| Permanent Secretary |  |
Muir Russell | 1999–2003 | Independent | |
| Chief Whip and Government Business Manager |  |
Tom McCabe MSP | 1999–2000 | Labour | |
| Lord Advocate |  |
The Rt Hon Colin Boyd QC | 2000–2006 | Labour | |
Changes
- Lord Hardie unexpectedly resigned from his post as Lord Advocate on 17 February 2000. The post was filled by the then Solicitor General, Colin Boyd, who was in turn replaced by Neil Davidson.[7]