The secretary of state for Scotland (; ), also referred to as the Scottish secretary, is a secretary of state in the

Government of the United Kingdom His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government or otherwise UK Government, is the central government, central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

, with responsibility for the

Scotland Office The Scotland Office (Scottish Gaelic: ''An Oifis Albannach''), known as the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland from 2018 to 2024, is a department of His Majesty's Government headed by the secretary of state for Scotland and respon ...

. The incumbent is a member of the

Cabinet of the United Kingdom The Cabinet of the United Kingdom is the senior decision-making body of the Government of the United Kingdom. A committee of the Privy Council (United Kingdom), Privy Council, it is chaired by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Prime M ...

. The Secretary of State for Scotland serves as the custodian of the

Scottish devolution Scottish devolution is the process of the UK Parliament granting powers (excluding powers over reserved matters) to the devolved Scottish Parliament. Prior to the advent of devolution, some had argued for a Scottish Parliament within the United ...

settlement as outlined in the

Scotland Act 1998 The Scotland Act 1998 (c. 46) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which legislated for the establishment of the devolved Scottish Parliament with tax varying powers and the Scottish Government (then Scottish Executive). It was o ...

, and represent Scottish interests within the UK Government as well as advocate for UK Government policies in Scotland. The secretary of state for Scotland is additionally responsible for partnership between the UK Government and the

Scottish Government The Scottish Government (, ) is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was formed in 1999 as the Scottish Executive following the 1997 referendum on Scottish devolution, and is headquartered at St Andrew's House in ...

, as well as relations between the

Parliament of the United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, and may also legislate for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace ...

and the

Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( ; ) is the Devolution in the United Kingdom, devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. It is located in the Holyrood, Edinburgh, Holyrood area of Edinburgh, and is frequently referred to by the metonym 'Holyrood'. ...

. Much of the secretary of state for Scotland's responsibility transferred to the office of the

first minister of Scotland The first minister of Scotland () is the head of government of Scotland. The first minister leads the Scottish Government, the Executive (government), executive branch of the devolved government and is th ...

upon the establishment of a new

Scottish Executive The Scottish Government (, ) is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was formed in 1999 as the Scottish Executive following the 1997 referendum on Scottish devolution, and is headquartered at St Andrew's House in t ...

, since renamed the Scottish Government, and a new devolved

in 1999 following the

. The office holder works alongside the other Scotland Office ministers. The secretary of state for Scotland is supported by their deputy, the

parliamentary under-secretary of state for Scotland The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland is a junior ministerial post (of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State rank) in the Government of the United Kingdom, supporting the Secretary of State for Scotland. The post is also know ...

. The incumbent is Ian Murray, following his appointment by

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Keir Starmer Sir Keir Rodney Starmer (born 2 September 1962) is a British politician and lawyer who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 2024 and as Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party since 2020. He previously ...

in July 2024. The corresponding shadow minister is the

shadow secretary of state for Scotland The shadow secretary of state for Scotland is a member of the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet (United Kingdom), UK Shadow Cabinet responsible for the scrutiny of the Secretary of State for Scotland, secretary of state for Scotland and his/he ...

Overview

History of office

Acts of Union, 1707

The post was first created after the

Acts of Union 1707 The Acts of Union refer to two acts of Parliament, one by the Parliament of Scotland in March 1707, followed shortly thereafter by an equivalent act of the Parliament of England. They put into effect the international Treaty of Union agree ...

created the

Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain, also known as the Kingdom of Great Britain, was a sovereign state in Western Europe from 1707 to the end of 1800. The state was created by the 1706 Treaty of Union and ratified by the Acts of Union 1707, which united the Kingd ...

from the

Kingdom of England The Kingdom of England was a sovereign state on the island of Great Britain from the late 9th century, when it was unified from various Heptarchy, Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, until 1 May 1707, when it united with Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland to f ...

and the

Kingdom of Scotland The Kingdom of Scotland was a sovereign state in northwest Europe, traditionally said to have been founded in 843. Its territories expanded and shrank, but it came to occupy the northern third of the island of Great Britain, sharing a Anglo-Sc ...

. It was abolished in 1746, following the

Jacobite rising of 1745 The Jacobite rising of 1745 was an attempt by Charles Edward Stuart to regain the Monarchy of Great Britain, British throne for his father, James Francis Edward Stuart. It took place during the War of the Austrian Succession, when the bulk of t ...

. Scottish affairs thereafter were managed by the

lord advocate His Majesty's Advocate, known as the Lord Advocate (), is the principal legal adviser of both the Scottish Government and the Crown in Scotland for civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolution, devolved powers of the Scottish P ...

until 1827, when responsibility passed to the

Home Office The Home Office (HO), also known (especially in official papers and when referred to in Parliament) as the Home Department, is the United Kingdom's interior ministry. It is responsible for public safety and policing, border security, immigr ...

. In 1885 the post of secretary for Scotland was re-created, with the incumbent usually a member of the

Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...

. In 1926 this post was upgraded to a full secretary of state appointment.

Devolution, 1999

After the 1999 Scottish

devolution Devolution is the statutory delegation of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to govern at a subnational level, such as a regional or local level. It is a form of administrative decentralization. Devolved territori ...

, the powers of the

Scottish Office The Scottish Office was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom from 1885 until 1999, exercising a wide range of government functions in relation to Scotland under the control of the Secretary of State for Scotland. Following the es ...

were divided, with most transferred to the

or to other

British government departments The Government of the United Kingdom is divided into departments that each have responsibility, according to the government, for putting government policy into practice. There are currently 24 ministerial departments, 20 non-ministerial departm ...

, leaving only a limited role for the

. From June 2003 to October 2008, the holder of the office of secretary of state for Scotland also held another Cabinet post concurrently, leading to claims that the Scottish role was seen as a part-time ministry.

Functions

Reduced responsibility

With the advent of legislative devolution for Scotland in 1999, the role of secretary of state for Scotland was diminished. Most of the functions vested in the office since administrative devolution in the 19th century were transferred to the newly established Scottish Ministers upon the opening of the

, or to other UK government ministers. Most of the functions and powers of the secretary of state for Scotland transferred to the

as the head of the

Donald Dewar Donald Campbell Dewar (21 August 1937 – 11 October 2000) was a Scottish statesman and politician who served as the inaugural First Minister of Scotland, first minister of Scotland from 1999 until his death in 2000 and leader of the Labour Par ...

served as the first first minister of Scotland between 1999–2000, having previously served as the secretary of state for Scotland between 1997–1999. However, the secretary of state does represent Scotland in the Cabinet of the United Kingdom on matters that are not devolved to the Scottish Parliament, and also holds Scotland Questions on the first Wednesday of every month between 11:30 am and 12 noon, when any member of Parliament can ask a question on any matter relating to Scotland. However, devolved issues are not usually raised by MPs, as these are decided solely by Scottish Government policy, and influenced, discussed and voted on by

members of the Scottish Parliament Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP; ; ) is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament. Electoral system The additional member system produces a form of proportional representation, where ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

. Moreover, the secretary of state for Scotland cannot introduce any bill or legislation in the UK Parliament relating to a devolved matter under the convention that the UK Government will not introduce legislation on devolved areas without the agreement of the Scottish Parliament. The secretary of state is also the group leader of the Scottish MPs from the government party.

Scottish Government collaboration

The office mainly acts as a go-between for the UK and Scottish Governments and Parliaments. However, due to the secretary's position as a minister in the British government, the convention of

Cabinet collective responsibility Cabinet collective responsibility, also known as collective ministerial responsibility, is a constitutional convention in parliamentary systems and a cornerstone of the Westminster system of government, that members of the cabinet must publicly ...

applies, and as such the post is usually viewed as being a partisan one to promote the UK government's decision-making in Scotland, as adherence to the convention precludes doing anything else. With the rise of the

Scottish National Party The Scottish National Party (SNP; ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic party. The party holds 61 of the 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament, and holds 9 out of the 57 Scottish seats in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, ...

(SNP) in both the Scottish Parliament and the

British Parliament The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, and may also legislate for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of ...

and the resultant interest in Scottish Independence, the secretary of state's role has also subsequently increased in prominence. The

itself has received a cumulative increase in budget of 20% from 2013 to 2017, with a 14.4% increase in 2015/16 alone.

Responsibilities

The UK government's website lists the secretary of state for Scotland's responsibilities as being: * The secretary of state for Scotland is the UK Government Cabinet Minister representing Scotland. * They act as the custodian of the Scottish devolution settlement. * They represent Scottish interests within the UK Government * They advocate for the UK Government’s policies in Scotland. * They also promote partnership between the UK Government and the Scottish Government, as well as relations between the UK and Scottish Parliaments. This seeming lack of responsibility has in recent years seen calls from opposition MPs for the scrapping of the role and the Scotland Office. Robert Hazell has suggested merging the offices of

secretary of state for Northern Ireland The secretary of state for Northern Ireland (; ), also referred to as Northern Ireland Secretary or SoSNI, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with overall responsibility for the Northern Ireland Office. The offi ...

, Scotland and

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

into one secretary of state for the Union, in a department into which

Rodney Brazier Rodney Brazier MVO, LLD, FRHistS (born 1946) is emeritus professor of constitutional law at the University of Manchester and a barrister and an emeritus bencher of Lincoln's Inn. His expertise on the British constitution has been provided to ...

has suggested adding a minister of state for England with responsibility for

English local government The subdivisions of England constitute a hierarchy of administrative divisions and non-administrative ceremonial areas. Overall, England is divided into nine regions and 48 ceremonial counties, although these have only a limited role in pu ...

. More broadly, the UK Government advocates that all UK Government cabinet ministers with responsibility for a territorial secretary of state position are responsible for: * the smooth running of the devolution settlements and act as the lynchpin of the relationship between the devolved government and HM Government * handling legislation as it affects the territory * representing the territory’s interests in cabinet and cabinet committees * responding to parliamentary interests in territorial affairs * transmitting the block grant to the devolved administration * supporting collaboration between HM Government and the devolved administration * promoting the interests of the territory

List of Scottish secretaries

Secretaries of state for Scotland (1707–1746)

:'' John Erskine, Earl of Mar had served as Secretary of State of the independent Scotland from 1705. Following the

, he remained in office.'' The post of secretary of state for Scotland existed after the Union of the

Parliament of Scotland In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

and the

Parliament of England The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England from the 13th century until 1707 when it was replaced by the Parliament of Great Britain. Parliament evolved from the Great Council of England, great council of Lords Spi ...

in 1707 till the

. After the rising, responsibility for Scotland lay primarily with the office of the

home secretary The secretary of state for the Home Department, more commonly known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom and the head of the Home Office. The position is a Great Office of State, maki ...

, usually exercised by the

. {, class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! colspan=2 , Secretary of State ! colspan=2 , Term of office , - , John Erskine - Earl of Mar - Project Gutenberg etext 20946

John Erskine - Earl of Mar - Project Gutenberg etext 20946

, John Erskine
Earl of Mar ,

1707 ,
1709 , - , James 2nd dukeofqueensberry

, James Douglas
2nd Duke of Queensberry ,
1709 ,
1711 , - , John Erskine - Earl of Mar - Project Gutenberg etext 20946

, John Erskine
Earl of Mar ,
1713 ,
1714 , - , James Graham 1682-1742

, James Graham
1st Duke of Montrose ,
1714 ,
1715 , - , , John Ker
1st Duke of Roxburghe ,
1716 ,
1725 , - , - , , John Hay
4th Marquess of Tweeddale , {{Small, 25 February
1742 , {{Small, 3 January
1746 Office thereafter vacant.

Secretaries for Scotland (1885–1926)

{{Infobox UK legislation , short_title = Secretary for Scotland Act 1885 , type = Act , parliament = Parliament of the United Kingdom , long_title = An Act for appointing a Secretary for Scotland and Vice-President of the Scotch Education Department. , year = 1885 , citation = 48 & 49 Vict. c. 61 , introduced_commons = , introduced_lords = , territorial_extent = , royal_assent = 14 August 1885 , commencement = , expiry_date = , repeal_date = , amends = , replaces = , amendments = , repealing_legislation = , related_legislation = , status = amended , legislation_history = , theyworkforyou = , millbankhansard = , original_text = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/48-49/61/contents/enacted , revised_text = , use_new_UK-LEG = , UK-LEG_title = Secretary for Scotland Act 1885 , collapsed = yes The secretary for Scotland was chief minister in charge of the

in the

United Kingdom government His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government or otherwise UK Government, is the central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

. The Scottish Office was created with the post of secretary for Scotland by the {{visible anchor, Secretary for Scotland Act 1885. From 1892 the secretary for Scotland sat in

cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...

. The post was upgraded to full secretary of state rank as the secretary of state for Scotland in 1926. From 1885 to 1999, secretaries for Scotland and secretaries of state for Scotland also ''

ex officio An ''ex officio'' member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, or council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office. The term '' ex officio'' is Latin, meaning literally 'from the office', and the sense intended is 'by r ...

'' held the post of Keeper of the

Great Seal of Scotland The Great Seal of Scotland (; also the Scottish Seal; formally the Seal appointed by the Treaty of Union to be kept and made use of in place of the Great Seal of Scotland) is a seal used by the first minister of Scotland to seal letters pate ...

. From 1999, the position of

keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland The keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: ''Neach-gleidhidh Seula Mòr na h-Alba'') is one of the great officers of state in Scotland held concurrently with the post of first minister of Scotland. The office holder is the keeper ...

has been held by the

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{{Small, 6th Duke of Richmond

Duke of Lennox The title Duke of Lennox has been created several times in the peerage of Scotland, for Clan Stewart of Darnley. The dukedom, named for the district of Lennox in Dumbarton Dumbarton (; , or ; or , meaning 'fort of the Britons (histo ...

in the peerage of Scotland , {{Small, 17 August
1885 , {{Small, 28 January
1886 ,

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

, style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , Salisbury I , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Liberal Party (UK)" , , , George Trevelyan
{{Small, MP for Hawick Burghs , {{Small, 8 February
1886 , {{Small, March
1886 ,

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, rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Liberal Party (UK)" , , rowspan=2 , Gladstone III , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Liberal Party (UK)" , , , John Ramsay
{{Small, 13th Earl of Dalhousie , {{Small, 5 April
1886 , {{Small, 20 July
1886 ,

, - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , Arthur-James-Balfour-1st-Earl-of-Balfour

Arthur Balfour Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour (; 25 July 184819 March 1930) was a British statesman and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1902 to 1905. As Foreign Secretary ...

{{Small, MP for Manchester East , {{Small, 5 August
1886 , {{Small, 11 March
1887 ,

, rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , rowspan=2 , Salisbury II , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , Lord Lotian

, Schomberg Kerr
{{Small, 9th Marquess of Lothian , {{Small, 11 March
1887 , {{Small, 11 August
1892 ,

, - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Liberal Party (UK)" , , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 , George Trevelyan
{{Small, MP for Glasgow Bridgeton , rowspan=2 , {{Small, 18 August
1892 , rowspan=2 , {{Small, 21 June
1895 , rowspan=2 ,

, style="background-color:{{Party color, Liberal Party (UK)" , , {{Party shading/Liberal (UK) , Gladstone IV , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Liberal Party (UK)" , , {{Party shading/Liberal (UK) , Rosebery , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , rowspan=2 ,

, rowspan=2 , Alexander Bruce
{{Small, 6th Lord Balfour of Burleigh , rowspan=2 , {{Small, 29 June
1895 , rowspan=2 , {{Small, 9 October
1903
, rowspan=2 ,

, style="background-color:#ddd" , , Salisbury
{{Small, (III & IV)
{{Small, ('' Con.– Lib.U.'') , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=3 style="background-color:#ddd" , , rowspan=3 , Balfour
{{Small, ('' Con.– Lib.U.'') , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , Lord Dunedin

, Andrew Murray
{{Small, MP for

Buteshire The County of Bute (), also known as Buteshire, is a historic county and registration county of Scotland. Now replaced by Argyll and Bute for the Isle of Bute, with the Argyll and Bute Council. The Isle of Arran and The Cumbraes are now ...

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{{Small, 1st Baron PentlandMP for

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{{Small, MP for Glasgow St Rollox , rowspan=2 , {{Small, 13 February
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Harold Tennant Harold John Tennant Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, PC (18 November 1865 – 9 November 1935), often known as Jack Tennant, was a Scottish Liberal Party (UK), Liberal politician. He served as Secretary of State for Scotland, Secre ...

{{Small, MP for

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, - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Liberal Party (UK)" , , , Robert Munro
{{Small, MP for Roxburgh and Selkirk MP for

Wick Burghs Wick Burghs, sometimes known as Northern Burghs, was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1918. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post voting system. A similar ...

until 1918; MP for Roxburgh and Selkirk thereafter , {{Small, 10 December
1916 , {{Small, 19 October
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, - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , Baldwin I , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , Cropped photograph of William Adamson

William Adamson William Adamson (2 April 1863 – 23 February 1936) was a Scottish trade unionist and Labour Party (UK), Labour Party politician. He was Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 1917 to 1921 and was Secretary of State for Scotland in ...

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1924 , {{Small, 3 November
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{{Small, MP for Glasgow Pollok , {{Small, 6 November
1924 , {{Small, 26 July
1926{{Inconsistent, date=6 September 2020, reason=Table below states he was Secretary of State for Scotland from 15 July. , Unionist , style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , Baldwin II

Secretaries of state for Scotland (1926–)

{, class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! colspan=3 , Secretary of State ! colspan=2 , Term of office ! Party ! colspan=2 , Ministry , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Unionist Party (Scotland)" , , Sir John Gilmour

, John Gilmour
{{Small, MP for Glasgow Pollok , 26 July
1926
{{Inconsistent, date=6 September 2020, reason=Table above states he was Secretary for Scotland until 26 July. , 4 June
1929 , Unionist , style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , Baldwin II , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , Cropped photograph of William Adamson

{{Small, MP for

, 7 June
1929 , 24 August
1931 , Labour , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , MacDonald II , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Liberal Party (UK)" , , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 ,

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{{Small, MP for

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, rowspan=2 , 25 August
1931 , rowspan=2 , 28 September
1932 , rowspan=2 ,

, style="background-color:#ddd" , , National Government (1931), National I
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{{Small, (''National Labour Organisation, N.Lab.– Con.–National Liberal Party (UK, 1931), Lib.N.– Lib.'') , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)" , , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 , Godfrey Collins
{{Small, MP for Greenock (UK Parliament constituency), Greenock , rowspan=2 , 28 September
1932 , rowspan=2 , 29 October
1936 , rowspan=2 , National Liberal Party (UK, 1931), Liberal National , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:#ddd" , , rowspan=2 , National Government (1935–1937), National III
{{Small, ('' Con.–National Labour Organisation, N.Lab.–National Liberal Party (UK, 1931), Lib.N.'') , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Unionist Party (Scotland)" , , rowspan=2 , Walter Elliott MP

, rowspan=2 , Walter Elliot (Scottish politician), Walter Elliot
{{Small, MP for Glasgow Kelvingrove (UK Parliament constituency), Glasgow Kelvingrove , rowspan=2 , 29 October
1936 , rowspan=2 , 6 May
1938 , rowspan=2 , Unionist , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:#ddd" , , rowspan=2 , National Government (1937–1939), National IV
{{Small, ('' Con.–National Labour Organisation, N.Lab.–National Liberal Party (UK, 1931), Lib.N.'') , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Unionist Party (Scotland)" , , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 , John Colville, 1st Baron Clydesmuir, John Colville
{{Small, MP for Midlothian and Peebles Northern (UK Parliament constituency), Midlothian and Peebles Northern , rowspan=2 , 6 May
1938 , rowspan=2 , 10 May
1940 , rowspan=2 , Unionist , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:#ddd" , , Chamberlain war ministry, Chamberlain War
{{Small, ('' Con.–National Labour Organisation, N.Lab.–National Liberal Party (UK, 1931), Lib.N.'') , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)" , , BrownErnest

, Ernest Brown (British politician), Ernest Brown
{{Small, MP for Leith (UK Parliament constituency), Leith , 14 May
1940 , 8 February
1941 , National Liberal Party (UK, 1931), Liberal National , rowspan=2 style="background-color:#ddd" , , rowspan=2 , Churchill war ministry, Churchill War
{{Small, (''All parties'') , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , ,

, Tom Johnston (Scottish politician), Thomas Johnston
{{Small, MP for West Stirlingshire (UK Parliament constituency), West Stirlingshire , 8 February
1941 , 23 May
1945 , Labour , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)" , , , Harry Primrose, 6th Earl of Rosebery, Harry Primrose
6th Earl of Rosebery , 25 May
1945 , 26 July
1945 , National Liberal Party (UK, 1931), Liberal National , style="background-color:#ddd" , , Churchill caretaker ministry, Churchill Caretaker
{{Small, ('' Con.–National Liberal Party (UK, 1931), N.Lib.'') , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , No image

, Joseph Westwood
{{Small, MP for Stirling and Falkirk (UK Parliament constituency), Stirling and Falkirk , 3 August
1945 , 7 October
1947 , Labour , rowspan=3 style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , rowspan=3 , Attlee ministry, Attlee
{{Small, (I & II) , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , No image

, Arthur Woodburn
{{Small, MP for Clackmannan and Eastern Stirlingshire (UK Parliament constituency), Clackmannan and Eastern Stirlingshire , 7 October
1947 , 28 February
1950 , Labour , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , ,

, Hector McNeil
{{Small, MP for Greenock (UK Parliament constituency), Greenock , 28 February
1950 , 26 October
1951 , Labour , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Unionist Party (Scotland)" , , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 , James Stuart, 1st Viscount Stuart of Findhorn, James Stuart
{{Small, MP for Moray and Nairn (UK Parliament constituency), Moray and Nairn , rowspan=2 , 30 October
1951 , rowspan=2 , 13 January
1957 , rowspan=2 , Unionist , style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , Third Churchill ministry, Churchill III , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , Eden ministry, Eden , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Unionist Party (Scotland)" , ,

, John Maclay, 1st Viscount Muirshiel, John Maclay
{{Small, MP for West Renfrewshire (UK Parliament constituency), West Renfrewshire , 13 January
1957 , Night of the Long Knives (1962), 13 July
1962 , Unionist , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , rowspan=2 , Conservative government, 1957–1964, Macmillan
{{Small, (I & II) , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Unionist Party (Scotland)" , , rowspan=2 ,

, rowspan=2 , Michael Noble, Baron Glenkinglas, Michael Noble
{{Small, MP for Argyllshire (UK Parliament constituency), Argyllshire , rowspan=2 , Night of the Long Knives (1962), 13 July
1962 , rowspan=2 , 16 October
1964 , rowspan=2 , Unionist , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , Conservative government, 1957–1964, Douglas-Home , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , ,

, Willie Ross, Baron Ross of Marnock, Willie Ross{{Cite web, url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-william-ross/index.html , title=Mr William Ross , website=Hansard, Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) , access-date=24 September 2017
{{Small, MP for Kilmarnock (UK Parliament constituency), Kilmarnock , 18 October
1964 , 19 June
1970 , Labour , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , Labour government, 1964–1970, Wilson
{{Small, (I & II) , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , ,

, Gordon Campbell, Baron Campbell of Croy, Gordon Campbell
{{Small, MP for Moray and Nairn (UK Parliament constituency), Moray and Nairn , 20 June
1970 , 4 March
1974 ,

, style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , Heath ministry, Heath , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , ,

, Willie Ross, Baron Ross of Marnock, Willie Ross
{{Small, MP for Kilmarnock (UK Parliament constituency), Kilmarnock , 5 March
1974 , 8 April
1976 , Labour , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , Labour government, 1974–1979, Wilson
{{Small, (III & IV) , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , , Bruce Millan
{{Small, MP for Glasgow Craigton (UK Parliament constituency), Glasgow Craigton , 8 April
1976 , 4 May
1979 , Labour , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , Labour government, 1974–1979, Callaghan , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , rowspan=2 ,

, rowspan=2 , George Younger, 4th Viscount Younger of Leckie, George Younger
{{Small, MP for Ayr (UK Parliament constituency), Ayr , rowspan=2 , 5 May
1979 , rowspan=2 , 11 January
1986 , rowspan=2 ,

, style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , First Thatcher ministry, Thatcher I , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , rowspan=2 , Second Thatcher ministry, Thatcher II , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , rowspan=2 ,

, rowspan=2 , Malcolm Rifkind
{{Small, MP for Edinburgh Pentlands (UK Parliament constituency), Edinburgh Pentlands , rowspan=2 , 11 January
1986 , rowspan=2 , 28 November
1990 , rowspan=2 ,

, - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , Third Thatcher ministry, Thatcher III , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , rowspan=2 , Official portrait of Lord Lang of Monkton 2020 crop 2

Official portrait of Lord Lang of Monkton 2020 crop 2

, rowspan=2 , Ian Lang, Baron Lang of Monkton, Ian Lang
{{Small, MP for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale (UK Parliament constituency), Galloway and Upper Nithsdale , rowspan=2 , 28 November
1990 , rowspan=2 , 5 July
1995 , rowspan=2 ,

, style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , First Major ministry, Major I , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , rowspan=2 , Second Major ministry, Major II , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , , Michael Forsyth, Baron Forsyth of Drumlean, Michael Forsyth
{{Small, MP for Stirling (UK Parliament constituency), Stirling , 5 July
1995 , 2 May
1997 ,

, - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , Donald Dewar First Minister

{{Small, MP for Glasgow Anniesland (UK Parliament constituency), Glasgow Anniesland , 2 May
1997 , Dewar government, 17 May
1999 , Labour , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , rowspan=2 , First Blair ministry, Blair I , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , , John Reid, Baron Reid of Cardowan, John Reid
{{Small, MP for Hamilton North and Bellshill (UK Parliament constituency), Hamilton North and Bellshill , Dewar government, 17 May
1999 , 25 January
2001 , Labour , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , , Helen Liddell
{{Small, MP for Airdrie and Shotts (UK Parliament constituency), Airdrie and Shotts , 25 January
2001 , 13 June
2003 , Labour , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , rowspan=2 , Second Blair ministry, Blair II , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , rowspan=2 , AlistairDarlingABr cropped

, rowspan=2 , Alistair Darling{{Efn, name="auto", Concurrently served as Secretary of State for Transport
{{Small, MP for Edinburgh South West (UK Parliament constituency), Edinburgh South West{{Efn, MP for Edinburgh Central (UK Parliament constituency), Edinburgh Central until 2005; MP for Edinburgh South West (UK Parliament constituency), Edinburgh South West thereafter
, rowspan=2 , 13 June
2003 , rowspan=2 , 2006 British cabinet reshuffle, 5 May
2006 , rowspan=2 , Labour , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , rowspan=2 , Third Blair ministry, Blair III , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , , Douglas Alexander{{Efn, name="auto"
{{Small, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South (UK Parliament constituency), Paisley and Renfrewshire South , 2006 British cabinet reshuffle, 5 May
2006 , 28 June
2007 , Labour , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , , Des Browne{{Efn, Concurrently served as Secretary of State for Defence
{{Small, MP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun (UK Parliament constituency), Kilmarnock and Loudoun , 28 June
2007 , 3 October
2008 , Labour , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , rowspan=2 , Brown ministry, Brown , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , , Jim Murphy
{{Small, MP for East Renfrewshire (UK Parliament constituency), East Renfrewshire , 3 October
2008 , 11 May
2010 , Labour , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Liberal Democrats (UK)" , , Danny alexander hi

, Danny Alexander
{{Small, MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (UK Parliament constituency), Inverness, Nairn,
Badenoch and Strathspey , 12 May
2010 , 29 May
2010 , Liberal Democrats (UK), Liberal Democrat , rowspan=3 style="background-color:#ddd" , , rowspan=3 , Cameron–Clegg coalition, Cameron–Clegg
{{Small, ('' Con.–Liberal Democrats (UK), L.D.'') , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Liberal Democrats (UK)" , , , Michael Moore (Scottish politician), Michael Moore
{{Small, MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (UK Parliament constituency), Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk , 29 May
2010 , 7 October
2013 , Liberal Democrats (UK), Liberal Democrat , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Liberal Democrats (UK)" , , , Alistair Carmichael
{{Small, MP for Orkney and Shetland (UK Parliament constituency), Orkney and Shetland , 7 October
2013 , 8 May
2015 , Liberal Democrats (UK), Liberal Democrat , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=3 style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , rowspan=3 , , rowspan=3 , David Mundell
{{Small, MP for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale (UK Parliament constituency), Dumfriesshire,
Clydesdale and Tweeddale , rowspan=3 , 11 May
2015 , rowspan=3 , 24 July
2019 , rowspan=3 ,

, style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , Second Cameron ministry, Cameron II , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , First May ministry, May I , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , Second May ministry, May II , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=4 style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , rowspan=4 , , rowspan=4 , Alister Jack{{Cite web, url=https://www.parliament.uk/biographies/commons/mr-alister-jack/4619 , title=Mr Alistair Jack MP , publisher=UK Parliament , access-date=24 July 2019
{{Small, MP for Dumfries and Galloway (UK Parliament constituency), Dumfries and Galloway , rowspan=4 , 24 July
2019 , rowspan=4 , 5 July
2024 , rowspan=4 ,

, style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , First Johnson ministry, Johnson I , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , Second Johnson ministry, Johnson II , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , Truss ministry, Truss , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , Sunak ministry, Sunak , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , , Ian Murray
{{Small, MP for Edinburgh South (UK Parliament constituency), Edinburgh South , 5 July
2024
, ''Incumbent'' , Labour , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , Starmer ministry, Starmer

Timeline

{{#tag:timeline, ImageSize=width:1100 height:auto barincrement:13 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal AlignBars = late PlotArea = width:90% left:10 top:10 bottom:80 Legend = columns:1 left:120 top:50 columnwidth:175 Define $today = {{#time:d/m/Y DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1885 till:31/12/{{#time:Y, +1 year TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal Colors = id:conservative value:rgb(0,0.53,0.86) legend: Conservative_and_Unionist_Party id:liberal value:rgb(1,0.84,0) legend: Liberal_Party id:labour value:rgb(0.86,0.08,0.18) legend: Labour_Party id:unionist value:rgb(0.333,0.333,1) legend: Unionist_Party id:natliberal value:rgb(0,0.83,0.90) legend: National_Liberal_Party id:libdem value:rgb(0.98,0.651,0.102) legend: Liberal_Democrats id:independent value:rgb(0.8,0.8,0.8) legend: Independent_or_no_party id:liteline value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.9) id:line value:rgb(0.8,0.8,0.8) ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:10 start:1890 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:liteline unit:year increment:5 start:1885 TextData = pos:(20,55) textcolor:black fontsize:M text:"Political parties:" BarData = bar:Gordon-Lennox bar:Trevelyan bar:Ramsay bar:Balfour bar:Kerr bar:Bruce bar:Murray bar:Hope bar:JSinclair bar:McKinnon_Wood bar:Tennant bar:Munro bar:Munro_Ferguson bar:Adamson bar:Gilmour bar:ASinclair bar:Collins bar:Elliot bar:Colville bar:Brown bar:Johnston bar:Primrose bar:Westwood bar:Woodburn bar:McNeil bar:Stuart bar:Maclay bar:Noble bar:Ross bar:Campbell bar:Millan bar:Younger bar:Rifkind bar:Lang bar:Forsyth bar:Dewar bar:Reid bar:Liddell bar:Darling bar:Alexander bar:Browne bar:Murphy bar:DAlexander bar:Moore bar:Carmichael bar:Mundell bar:Jack bar:Murray1 PlotData= width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till bar:Gordon-Lennox from: 17/08/1885 till: 28/01/1886 color:Conservative text:"Charles Gordon-Lennox, 6th Duke of Richmond, Charles Gordon-Lennox" bar:Trevelyan from: 08/02/1886 till: 01/03/1886 color:Liberal from: 18/08/1892 till: 21/06/1895 color:Liberal text:"Sir George Trevelyan, 2nd Baronet, George Trevelyan" bar:Ramsay from: 05/04/1886 till: 20/07/1886 color:Liberal text:"John Ramsay, 13th Earl of Dalhousie, John Ramsay" bar:Balfour from: 05/08/1886 till: 11/03/1887 color:Conservative text:"

" bar:Kerr from: 11/03/1887 till: 11/08/1892 color:Conservative text:"Schomberg Kerr" bar:Bruce from: 29/06/1895 till: 09/10/1903 color:Conservative text:"Alexander Bruce, 6th Lord Balfour of Burleigh, Alexander Bruce" bar:Murray from: 09/10/1903 till: 02/02/1905 color:Conservative text:"Andrew Murray, 1st Viscount Dunedin, Andrew Murray" bar:Hope from: 02/02/1905 till: 04/12/1905 color:Conservative text:"John Hope, 7th Earl of Hopetoun, John Hope" bar:JSinclair from: 10/12/1905 till: 13/02/1912 color:Liberal text:"John Sinclair, 1st Baron Pentland, John Sinclair" bar:McKinnon_Wood from: 13/02/1912 till: 09/07/1916 color:Liberal text:"

" bar:Tennant from: 09/07/1916 till: 05/12/1916 color:Liberal text:"

" bar:Munro from: 10/12/1916 till: 19/10/1922 color:Liberal text:"Robert Munro, 1st Baron Alness, Robert Munro" bar:Munro_Ferguson from: 24/10/1922 till: 22/01/1924 color:Independent text:"Ronald Munro Ferguson bar:Adamson from: 22/01/1924 till: 03/11/1924 color:Labour from: 07/06/1929 till: 24/08/1931 color:Labour text:"

" bar:Gilmour from: 06/11/1924 till: 04/06/1929 color:Unionist text:" John Gilmour" bar:ASinclair from: 25/08/1931 till: 28/09/1932 color:Liberal text:"Archibald Sinclair" bar:Collins from: 28/09/1932 till: 29/10/1936 color:NatLiberal text:"Godfrey Collins" bar:Elliot from: 29/10/1936 till: 06/05/1938 color:Unionist text:"Walter Elliot (Scottish politician), Walter Elliot" bar:Colville from: 06/05/1938 till: 10/05/1940 color:Unionist text:"John Colville, 1st Baron Clydesmuir, John Colville" bar:Brown from: 14/05/1940 till: 08/02/1941 color:NatLiberal text:"Ernest Brown (British politician), Ernest Brown" bar:Johnston from: 08/02/1941 till: 23/05/1945 color:Labour text:"Tom Johnston (British politician), Thomas Johnston" bar:Primrose from: 25/05/1945 till: 26/07/1945 color:NatLiberal text:"Harry Primrose, 6th Earl of Rosebery, Harry Primrose" bar:Westwood from: 03/08/1945 till: 07/10/1947 color:Labour text:"Joseph Westwood" bar:Woodburn from: 07/10/1947 till: 28/02/1950 color:Labour text:"Arthur Woodburn" bar:McNeil from: 28/02/1950 till: 26/10/1951 color:Labour text:"Hector McNeil" bar:Stuart from: 30/10/1951 till: 13/01/1957 color:Unionist text:"James Stuart, 1st Viscount Stuart of Findhorn, James Stuart" bar:Maclay from: 13/01/1957 till: 13/07/1962 color:Unionist text:"John Maclay" bar:Noble from: 13/07/1962 till: 16/10/1964 color:Unionist text:"Michael Noble, Baron Glenkinglas, Michael Noble" bar:Ross from: 18/10/1964 till: 19/06/1970 color:Labour from: 05/03/1974 till: 08/04/1976 color:Labour text:"Willie Ross, Baron Ross of Marnock, Willie Ross" bar:Campbell from: 19/06/1970 till: 04/03/1974 color:Conservative text:"Gordon Campbell" bar:Millan from: 08/04/1976 till: 04/05/1979 color:Labour text:"Bruce Millan" bar:Younger from: 05/05/1979 till: 11/01/1986 color:Conservative text:"George Younger" bar:Rifkind from: 11/01/1986 till: 28/11/1990 color:Conservative text:"Malcom Rifkind" bar:Lang from: 28/11/1990 till: 05/07/1995 color:Conservative text:"Ian Lang" bar:Forsyth from: 05/07/1995 till: 02/05/1997 color:Conservative text:"Michael Forsyth" bar:Dewar from: 02/05/1997 till: 17/05/1999 color:Labour text:"

" bar:Reid from: 17/05/1999 till: 25/01/2001 color:Labour text:"John Reid, Baron Reid of Cardowan, John Reid" bar:Liddell from: 25/01/2001 till: 13/06/2003 color:Labour text:"Helen Liddell" bar:Darling from: 13/06/2003 till: 05/05/2006 color:Labour text:"Alistair Darling" bar:Alexander from: 05/05/2006 till: 28/06/2007 color:Labour text:"Douglas Alexander" bar:Browne from: 28/06/2007 till: 03/10/2008 color:Labour text:"Des Browne" bar:Murphy from: 03/10/2008 till: 11/05/2010 color:Labour text:"Jim Murphy" bar:DAlexander from: 12/05/2010 till: 29/05/2010 color:LibDem text:"Danny Alexander" bar:Moore from: 29/05/2010 till: 07/10/2013 color:LibDem text:"Michael Moore" bar:Carmichael from: 07/10/2013 till: 08/05/2015 color:LibDem text:"Alistair Carmichael" bar:Mundell from: 08/05/2015 till: 24/07/2019 color:Conservative text:"David Mundell" bar:Jack from: 24/07/2019 till: 04/07/2024 color:Conservative text:"Alister Jack" bar:Murray1 from: 05/07/2024 till: $today color:Labour text:" Ian Murray"

Notes

{{Notelist

Notes

{{reflist, group=nb

References

{{reflist

External links

Official website of the Scotland Office
{{Cabinet positions in the United Kingdom {{Scotland Office {{Scotland topics {{DEFAULTSORT:Secretary Of State For Scotland Lists of government ministers of Scotland, Scotland Political office-holders in Scotland Ministerial offices in the United Kingdom Secretaries for Scotland, Government ministers of the United Kingdom 1705 establishments in the British Empire Lists of government ministers of the United Kingdom