First Yousaf government
Scottish Government from 2023 to 2024
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Humza Yousaf formed the first Yousaf government on 29 March 2023 following his appointment as First Minister of Scotland at the Court of Session. It followed the resignation of Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) on 15 February, triggering a leadership contest that Yousaf won.[1]
First Yousaf government | |
|---|---|
10th Government of Scotland | |
| 2023–2024 | |
 Yousaf's cabinet outside Bute House, 2023 | |
| Date formed | 29 March 2023 |
| Date dissolved | 25 April 2024 |
| People and organisations | |
Monarch | Charles III |
First Minister | Humza Yousaf |
First Minister's history | MSP for Glasgow Pollok (2016–present) Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care (2021–2023) Cabinet Secretary for Justice (2018–2021) |
Deputy First Minister | Shona Robison |
Member parties | |
Status in legislature | Majority (coalition) cooperation and confidence and supply agreement between the SNP and the Greens |
Opposition cabinet | Opposition Parties |
Opposition party | |
Opposition leader | Douglas Ross |
| History | |
Incoming formation | 2023 leadership election |
Outgoing formation | 2024 government crisis |
| Legislature term | 6th Scottish Parliament |
| Budget | 2024 Scottish budget |
| Predecessor | Third Sturgeon government |
| Successor | Second Yousaf government |
The Scottish Green Party voted to remain in government with the SNP, which saw Yousaf's administration continue with the Bute House agreement, a pro-independence majority government. His cabinet consists of seven women and three men, the first majority women cabinet.
Yousaf dissolved the power-sharing agreement with the Greens on 25 April 2024.[2] On 29 April 2024, Humza Yousaf announced that he was resigning, after dissolving the power-sharing agreement with the Greens and after two votes of no confidence were put forward - one by the Scottish Conservatives against him, the other by Scottish Labour against the whole SNP government.
History
2023
On 15 February 2023, Nicola Sturgeon announced her intention to resign the leadership of the SNP and as First Minister.[3] Yousaf declared his candidacy for the 2023 leadership election. He won the internal party contest to become leader on 27 March 2023.
On 28 March, Yousaf was nominated by the Scottish Parliament to become the next first minister and on the same day he announced Shona Robison as his deputy first minister.[4] Yousaf offered Kate Forbes, who he had beaten in the leadership race, a demotion as rural affairs secretary, but she turned down this offer and left government.[5][6] Forbes' campaign manager in the election race and who served as the business minister under Sturgeon, Ivan McKee, also announced he would leave government.[7]
Yousaf was formally sworn into office as first minister on 29 March 2023 and announced the formation of a new government.[8] There was speculation Robison, who he announced the previous day as his deputy, was to take over the finance portfolio from Forbes, which was later confirmed as true.[9][10] Neil Gray, who was Yousaf's campaign manager, was appointed the wellbeing economy secretary, with responsibility for energy.[11] Michael Matheson succeeded Yousaf as health secretary, with Shirley-Anne Somerville succeeding Robison as the social justice secretary.[12]
Angus Robertson and Mairi Gourgeon remained in their respective roles as the constitution secretary and rural affairs secretary.[13][14]
Jenny Gilruth was promoted to cabinet as education secretary, along with Màiri McAllan as the net zero secretary.[15] Angela Constance, who previously served in the cabinets of Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon, returned to cabinet as the justice secretary.[16] She succeeded Keith Brown, the SNP's depute leader, who was removed from government.[17]
Yousaf appointed Jamie Hepburn the minister for independence, something the Scottish Conservatives criticised for being a “taxpayer-funded nationalist campaigner”.[18][19][20]
In early April 2023, in response to Operation Branchform and the arrest of former SNP CEO Peter Murrell, Johnston Carmichael, the auditor for the SNP, publicly announced they had resigned.[21] Yousaf later confirmed that Johnston Carmichael had resigned around October 2022 but he was unaware of this until after winning the leadership campaign.[22]
SNP President Michael Russell claimed in April 2023 that the SNP was facing its biggest challenge in 50 years.[23] On 11 April 2023, Yousaf stated that Peter Murrell would not be suspended because he is "innocent until proven guilty".[24]
2024
On 25 April 2024 Scottish National Party First Minister Humza Yousaf unilaterally 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, moving to form an SNP minority government.
This resulted in the Green Party's two Ministers Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater leaving government and their posts of Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights and Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity being abolished.[25][2]
Cabinet
March 2023 to February 2024
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February 2024 to April 2024
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List of junior ministers
March 2023 to April 2024
Scottish law officers
|
Law officers[28] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Post | Name | Portrait | Term |
| Lord Advocate | The Rt Hon. Dorothy Bain KC |  |
2021–present |
| Solicitor General for Scotland | Ruth Charteris KC |  |
2021–present |
Notes
- The Co-leaders of the Scottish Greens also attend cabinet twice a year as part of the Bute House Agreement