Secretary of State for Scotland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Secretary of State for Scotland
Royal Arms of His Majesty's Government in Scotland
Incumbent Ian Murray since 5 July 2024
Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland
Style	Scottish Secretary (informal) The Right Honourable (within the UK and Commonwealth)
Member of	Cabinet Privy Council
Reports to	The Prime Minister
Seat	Westminster
Nominator	The Prime Minister
Appointer	The Monarch (on the advice of the Prime Minister)
Term length	At His Majesty's pleasure
Formation	1 May 1707 (as Secretary of State for Scotland) 17 August 1885 (as Secretary for Scotland) 26 July 1926 : (as Secretary of State for Scotland)
Deputy	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland
Salary	£159,038 per annum (2022) (including £86,584 MP salary)
Website	Scotland Office

The Secretary of State for Scotland is a very important job in the Government of the United Kingdom. This person is also known as the Scottish Secretary. Their main role is to look after the Scotland Office. The person holding this job is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom, which is a group of the most important ministers in the government.

The Secretary of State for Scotland helps make sure that the rules about how Scotland is governed, set out in the Scotland Act 1998, are followed. They also speak up for Scotland's interests within the UK Government. At the same time, they explain the UK Government's plans and policies to people in Scotland.

A big part of this job is working closely with the Scottish Government and making sure the Parliament of the United Kingdom and the Scottish Parliament work well together.

After 1999, when Scotland gained more power to make its own laws (this is called Scottish devolution), many of the Secretary of State's duties moved to the First Minister of Scotland. The First Minister leads the Scottish Government.

The Secretary of State for Scotland works with other ministers in the Scotland Office. Their main helper is the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland. The current Secretary of State is Ian Murray. He was chosen by Prime Minister Keir Starmer in July 2024.

What Does the Scottish Secretary Do?

The Job's History

How the Role Began in 1707

The job of Secretary of State for Scotland was first created in 1707. This was when the Kingdom of Great Britain was formed by joining the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland.

However, the job was stopped in 1746 after a rebellion called the Jacobite rising of 1745. For many years after that, Scottish matters were handled by the Lord Advocate. Later, in 1827, the Home Office took over these duties.

In 1885, the job was brought back, but it was called "Secretary for Scotland." This person was usually part of the UK Cabinet. Then, in 1926, the job was made even more important and became the "Secretary of State for Scotland" again.

Changes After 1999: Devolution

In 1999, Scotland got its own Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government. This was a big change called devolution. Because of this, the Scottish Office's powers were split up. Most of them went to the new Scottish Government or to other UK government departments. This meant the Secretary of State for Scotland had a smaller role.

From 2003 to 2008, the person holding this job also had another important role in the Cabinet at the same time. Some people thought this made the Scottish Secretary job seem less important.

What the Secretary Does Now

Fewer Responsibilities, New Focus

Since Scotland got its own parliament in 1999, the Secretary of State for Scotland's job changed a lot. Many of the duties that had been part of the role for a long time were given to the new Scottish Ministers or other UK government ministers. Most of the powers went to the First Minister of Scotland, who leads the Scottish Government. Donald Dewar was the first First Minister of Scotland. Before that, he was the Secretary of State for Scotland.

However, the Secretary of State still has important duties. They represent Scotland in the UK Cabinet for things that the Scottish Parliament does not control. They also hold "Scotland Questions" every month. During this time, any Member of Parliament (MP) can ask questions about Scotland. But MPs usually don't ask about things that the Scottish Government handles.

The Secretary of State for Scotland also cannot introduce new laws in the UK Parliament about things that Scotland's Parliament can decide on. This is a rule to respect Scotland's power to make its own laws. The Secretary of State also leads the Scottish MPs from the government's political party.

Working with the Scottish Government

First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon and Scottish Secretary David Mundell at a meeting in Glasgow in 2016.

The Secretary of State mainly acts as a link between the UK Government and the Scottish Government and Parliaments. Because they are a minister in the UK government, they must support the government's decisions. This means they often promote the UK government's plans in Scotland.

As the Scottish National Party (SNP) has become more popular, and with more talk about Scottish Independence, the Secretary of State's role has become more visible. The Scotland Office has even received more money in its budget in recent years.

Key Responsibilities

The UK government's website lists the main duties of the Secretary of State for Scotland:

• They are the UK Government's Cabinet Minister who represents Scotland.
• They make sure the rules for Scotland's self-governance are kept.
• They speak for Scotland's interests within the UK Government.
• They explain the UK Government's policies in Scotland.
• They help the UK Government and the Scottish Government work together.
• They also help the UK Parliament and the Scottish Parliament have good relations.

Dover House, the London office of the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland.

Some people have suggested that the role of Secretary of State for Scotland, along with similar roles for Northern Ireland and Wales, could be combined into one "Secretary of State for the Union." This new role would focus on how the different parts of the UK work together.

More generally, all UK Government ministers who are Secretaries of State for a specific part of the UK are responsible for:

• Making sure the agreements about self-governance run smoothly.
• Handling laws that affect their part of the UK.
• Representing their area's interests in Cabinet meetings.
• Responding to Parliament's questions about their area.
• Sending money (called a block grant) to the local government.
• Helping the UK Government and the local government work together.
• Promoting the interests of their area.

Who Has Been Scottish Secretary?

Secretaries of State for Scotland (1707–1746)

The job of Secretary of State for Scotland existed from 1707 until 1746. After the 1745 rebellion, the Home Secretary usually handled Scottish matters, often with help from the Lord Advocate.

Secretary of State		Time in Office
	John Erskine Earl of Mar	1 May 1707	3 February 1709
	James Douglas 2nd Duke of Queensberry	3 February 1709	6 July 1711
	John Erskine Earl of Mar	9 September 1713	24 September 1714
	James Graham 1st Duke of Montrose	24 September 1714	August 1715
	John Ker 1st Duke of Roxburghe	13 December 1716	August 1725
	John Hay 4th Marquess of Tweeddale	25 February 1742	3 January 1746

The job was then empty for a long time.

Secretaries for Scotland (1885–1926)

The Secretary for Scotland was the main minister in charge of the Scottish Office. This office was created in 1885. From 1892, the Secretary for Scotland was part of the Cabinet. In 1926, this job was made into the full Secretary of State for Scotland role.

From 1885 to 1999, the Secretaries for Scotland and Secretaries of State for Scotland also held another job: Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland. Since 1999, the First Minister of Scotland has held this position.

Secretary of State			Time in Office		Party	Government
		Charles Gordon-Lennox 6th Duke of Richmond	17 August 1885	28 January 1886	Conservative		Salisbury I
		George Trevelyan	8 February 1886	March 1886	Liberal		Gladstone III
		John Ramsay 13th Earl of Dalhousie	5 April 1886	20 July 1886	Liberal
		Arthur Balfour	5 August 1886	11 March 1887	Conservative		Salisbury II
		Schomberg Kerr 9th Marquess of Lothian	11 March 1887	11 August 1892	Conservative
		George Trevelyan	18 August 1892	21 June 1895	Liberal		Gladstone IV
							Rosebery
		Alexander Bruce 6th Lord Balfour of Burleigh	29 June 1895	9 October 1903	Conservative		Salisbury
							Balfour
		Andrew Murray	9 October 1903	2 February 1905	Conservative
		John Hope 1st Marquess of Linlithgow	2 February 1905	4 December 1905	Conservative
		John Sinclair 1st Baron Pentland	10 December 1905	13 February 1912	Liberal		Campbell-Bannerman
							Asquith
		Thomas McKinnon Wood	13 February 1912	9 July 1916	Liberal
							Asquith Coalition
		Harold Tennant	9 July 1916	5 December 1916	Liberal
		Robert Munro	10 December 1916	19 October 1922	Liberal		Lloyd George
		Ronald Munro Ferguson 1st Viscount Novar	24 October 1922	22 January 1924	Independent		Law
							Baldwin I
		William Adamson	22 January 1924	3 November 1924	Labour		MacDonald I
		John Gilmour	6 November 1924	26 July 1926	Unionist		Baldwin II

Secretaries of State for Scotland (1926–Present)

Secretary of State			Time in Office		Party	Government
		John Gilmour	26 July 1926	4 June 1929	Unionist		Baldwin II
		William Adamson	7 June 1929	24 August 1931	Labour		MacDonald II
		Archibald Sinclair	25 August 1931	28 September 1932	Liberal		National I
							National II
		Godfrey Collins	28 September 1932	29 October 1936	Liberal National
							National III
		Walter Elliot	29 October 1936	6 May 1938	Unionist
							National IV
		John Colville	6 May 1938	10 May 1940	Unionist
							Chamberlain War
		Ernest Brown	14 May 1940	8 February 1941	Liberal National		Churchill War
		Thomas Johnston	8 February 1941	23 May 1945	Labour
		Harry Primrose 6th Earl of Rosebery	25 May 1945	26 July 1945	Liberal National		Churchill Caretaker
		Joseph Westwood	3 August 1945	7 October 1947	Labour		Attlee
		Arthur Woodburn	7 October 1947	28 February 1950	Labour
		Hector McNeil	28 February 1950	26 October 1951	Labour
		James Stuart	30 October 1951	13 January 1957	Unionist		Churchill III
							Eden
		John Maclay	13 January 1957	13 July 1962	Unionist		Macmillan
		Michael Noble	13 July 1962	16 October 1964	Unionist
							Douglas-Home
		Willie Ross	18 October 1964	19 June 1970	Labour		Wilson
		Gordon Campbell	20 June 1970	4 March 1974	Conservative		Heath
		Willie Ross	5 March 1974	8 April 1976	Labour		Wilson
		Bruce Millan	8 April 1976	4 May 1979	Labour		Callaghan
		George Younger	5 May 1979	11 January 1986	Conservative		Thatcher I
							Thatcher II
		Malcolm Rifkind	11 January 1986	28 November 1990	Conservative
							Thatcher III
		Ian Lang	28 November 1990	5 July 1995	Conservative		Major I
							Major II
		Michael Forsyth	5 July 1995	2 May 1997	Conservative
		Donald Dewar	2 May 1997	17 May 1999	Labour		Blair I
		John Reid	17 May 1999	25 January 2001	Labour
		Helen Liddell	25 January 2001	13 June 2003	Labour		Blair II
		Alistair Darling	13 June 2003	5 May 2006	Labour
							Blair III
		Douglas Alexander	5 May 2006	28 June 2007	Labour
		Des Browne	28 June 2007	3 October 2008	Labour		Brown
		Jim Murphy	3 October 2008	11 May 2010	Labour
		Danny Alexander	12 May 2010	29 May 2010	Liberal Democrat		Cameron–Clegg
		Michael Moore	29 May 2010	7 October 2013	Liberal Democrat
		Alistair Carmichael	7 October 2013	8 May 2015	Liberal Democrat
		David Mundell	11 May 2015	24 July 2019	Conservative		Cameron II
							May I
							May II
		Alister Jack	24 July 2019	5 July 2024	Conservative		Johnson I
							Johnson II
							Truss
							Sunak
		Ian Murray	5 July 2024	Incumbent	Labour		Starmer

Timeline of Secretaries