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List of Scottish governments facts for kids

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Scotland has its own special government and parliament, which make laws and decisions for the country. This is called devolved government, meaning some powers have been transferred from the main UK Parliament in London to Scotland.

Since 1999, when this devolved government started, Scotland has had several different governments and parliaments. At first, the government was called the Scottish Executive, but in 2008, its name changed to the Scottish Government.

This article lists all the different governments and the people who led them since 1999.

Understanding Scottish Governments

In Scotland's government, the most important person is the First Minister. They are like the leader of the country. The Deputy First Minister helps the First Minister.

Governments are usually formed by one or more political parties. Here are the main parties mentioned in this list:

Party key Labour
Liberal Democrat
Scottish Greens
Scottish National Party

The First Scottish Parliament (1999–2003)

The first Scottish Parliament was elected in 1999. During this time, Scotland had three different governments.

The Dewar Government (1999–2000)

Donald Dewar was Scotland's very first First Minister.

The McLeish Government (2000–2001)

  • First Minister: Henry McLeish (from the Labour Party)
  • Deputy First Minister: Jim Wallace (from the Liberal Democrats)
  • Parties in Government: Labour and Liberal Democrats.

Henry McLeish took over as First Minister after Donald Dewar.

The First McConnell Government (2001–2003)

  • First Minister: Jack McConnell (from the Labour Party)
  • Deputy First Minister: Jim Wallace (from the Liberal Democrats)
  • Parties in Government: Labour and Liberal Democrats.

Jack McConnell became First Minister in 2001.

The Second Scottish Parliament (2003–2007)

The second Scottish Parliament was elected in 2003.

The Second McConnell Government (2003–2007)

  • First Minister: Jack McConnell (from the Labour Party)
  • Deputy First Minister: Jim Wallace (until 2005), then Nicol Stephen (from the Liberal Democrats)
  • Parties in Government: Labour and Liberal Democrats.

Jack McConnell continued as First Minister for the whole of this Parliament.

The Third Scottish Parliament (2007–2011)

The third Scottish Parliament was elected in 2007.

The First Salmond Government (2007–2011)

This was the first time the Scottish National Party (SNP) led the government.

The Fourth Scottish Parliament (2011–2016)

The fourth Scottish Parliament was elected in 2011.

The Second Salmond Government (2011–2014)

The SNP won enough seats to govern by themselves.

The First Sturgeon Government (2014–2016)

Nicola Sturgeon became First Minister in 2014.

The Fifth Scottish Parliament (2016–2021)

The fifth Scottish Parliament was elected in 2016.

The Second Sturgeon Government (2016–2021)

Nicola Sturgeon continued to lead the government.

The Sixth Scottish Parliament (2021–Present)

The sixth Scottish Parliament was elected in 2021.

The Third Sturgeon Government (2021–2023)

This government was a partnership between the SNP and the Scottish Greens.

The First Yousaf Government (2023–2024)

Humza Yousaf became First Minister in 2023.

The Second Yousaf Government (2024–Present)

This government is led by the Scottish National Party alone.

See also

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