Secretary of State for Scotland
   HOME

TheInfoList



Click Here for Items Related To - Secretary of State for Scotland
OR:
Secretary of State for Scotland on:   [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Amazon]

The secretary of state for Scotland ( gd, Rùnaire Stàite na h-Alba; sco, Secretar o State fir Scotland), also referred to as the Scottish secretary, is a secretary of state in the
Government of the United Kingdom ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_est ...
, with responsibility for the
Scotland Office The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland ( gd, Oifis Rùnaire Stàite na h-Alba), often referred to as, and formerly officially called, the Scotland Office, is a department of His Majesty's Government headed by the Secretary of State ...
. 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 His Majesty's Government. A committee of the Privy Council, it is chaired by the prime minister and its members include secretaries of state and other senior ministers. ...
. The office holder works alongside the other Scotland Office ministers. The corresponding shadow minister is the
shadow secretary of state for Scotland The Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland is a member of the UK Shadow Cabinet responsible for the scrutiny of the Secretary of State for Scotland and his/her department, the Scotland Office. The incumbent holder of the office is Ian Murray. ...
. The incumbent is Alister Jack, following his appointment by
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier 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. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
Boris Johnson Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (; born 19 June 1964) is a British politician, writer and journalist who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He previously served as ...
in July 2019 and who was reappointed by
Liz Truss Mary Elizabeth Truss (born 26 July 1975) is a British politician who briefly served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from September to October 2022. On her fiftieth day in office, she stepped dow ...
and
Rishi Sunak Rishi Sunak (; born 12 May 1980) is a British politician who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party since October 2022. He previously held two cabinet positions under Boris Johnson, lastly as ...
.


History


Prior to devolution (before 1999)

The post was first created after the
Acts of Union 1707 The Acts of Union ( gd, Achd an Aonaidh) were two Acts of Parliament: the Union with Scotland Act 1706 passed by the Parliament of England, and the Union with England Act 1707 passed by the Parliament of Scotland. They put into effect the t ...
created the
Kingdom of Great Britain The Kingdom of Great Britain (officially Great Britain) was a sovereign country in Western Europe from 1 May 1707 to the end of 31 December 1800. The state was created by the 1706 Treaty of Union and ratified by the Acts of Union 1707, wh ...
from the
Kingdom of England The Kingdom of England (, ) was a sovereign state on the island of Great Britain from 12 July 927, when it emerged from various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, until 1 May 1707, when it united with Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain. On ...
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 l ...
. It was abolished in 1746, following the
Jacobite rising of 1745 The Jacobite rising of 1745, also known as the Forty-five Rebellion or simply the '45 ( gd, Bliadhna Theàrlaich, , ), was an attempt by Charles Edward Stuart to regain the British throne for his father, James Francis Edward Stuart. It took ...
. Scottish affairs thereafter were managed by the
Lord Advocate His Majesty's Advocate, known as the Lord Advocate ( gd, Morair Tagraidh, sco, Laird Advocat), is the chief legal officer of the Scottish Government and the Crown in Scotland for both civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolved p ...
until 1827, when responsibility passed to the Home Office. 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.


After devolution (since 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 territories ...
, 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 Scottish Government or to other
British government departments The Government of the United Kingdom is divided up into departments. These, according to the government, are responsible for putting government policy into practice. There are currently 23 ministerial departments, 20 non-ministerial departments ...
, leaving only a limited role for the
Scotland Office The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland ( gd, Oifis Rùnaire Stàite na h-Alba), often referred to as, and formerly officially called, the Scotland Office, is a department of His Majesty's Government headed by the Secretary of State ...
. From June 2003 and October 2008, the holder of the office of Secretary of State for Scotland from 13 June 2003 through to 3 October 2008 also held another Cabinet post concurrently, leading to claims that the Scottish role was seen as a part-time ministry. The current secretary of state for Scotland is Alister Jack, who was appointed by
Boris Johnson Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (; born 19 June 1964) is a British politician, writer and journalist who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He previously served as ...
, replacing David Mundell. He was later reappointed by
Liz Truss Mary Elizabeth Truss (born 26 July 1975) is a British politician who briefly served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from September to October 2022. On her fiftieth day in office, she stepped dow ...
and
Rishi Sunak Rishi Sunak (; born 12 May 1980) is a British politician who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party since October 2022. He previously held two cabinet positions under Boris Johnson, lastly as ...
.


Responsibilities

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
Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyr ...
, or to other UK government ministers. However, the Secretary of State does represent Scotland in the Cabinet on matters that are not devolved to Holyrood 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. The Secretary of State is also the group leader of the Scottish MPs from the government party. As a result of this, 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 that members of the cabinet must publicly support all governmental decisions made in Cabinet, even if ...
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; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from th ...
(SNP) in both the Scottish Parliament and the
British Parliament The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative suprem ...
and the resultant interest in Scottish Independence, the Secretary of State's role has also subsequently increased in prominence. The
Scotland Office The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland ( gd, Oifis Rùnaire Stàite na h-Alba), often referred to as, and formerly officially called, the Scotland Office, is a department of His Majesty's Government headed by the Secretary of State ...
itself has received a cumulative increase in budget of 20% from 2013 to 2017, with a 14.4% increase in 2015/16 alone. The UK government's website lists the secretary of state for Scotland's responsibilities as being:
The main role of the Scottish Secretary is to promote and protect the devolution settlement. Other responsibilities include promoting partnership between the UK Government and the Scottish Government, and relations between the 2 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 A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a w ...
, Scotland and
Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
into one Secretary of State for the Union, in a department into which Rodney Brazier 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 publ ...
.


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
Acts of Union 1707 The Acts of Union ( gd, Achd an Aonaidh) were two Acts of Parliament: the Union with Scotland Act 1706 passed by the Parliament of England, and the Union with England Act 1707 passed by the Parliament of Scotland. They put into effect the t ...
, he remained in office.'' The post of secretary of state for Scotland existed after the Union of the
Parliament of Scotland The Parliament of Scotland ( sco, Pairlament o Scotland; gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba) was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland from the 13th century until 1707. The parliament evolved during the early 13th century from the king's council o ...
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 bishops and peers that advise ...
in 1707 till the
Jacobite rising of 1745 The Jacobite rising of 1745, also known as the Forty-five Rebellion or simply the '45 ( gd, Bliadhna Theàrlaich, , ), was an attempt by Charles Edward Stuart to regain the British throne for his father, James Francis Edward Stuart. It took ...
. After the rising, responsibility for Scotland lay primarily with the office of the
Home Secretary The secretary of state for the Home Department, otherwise known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom. The home secretary leads the Home Office, and is responsible for all nationa ...
, usually exercised by the
Lord Advocate His Majesty's Advocate, known as the Lord Advocate ( gd, Morair Tagraidh, sco, Laird Advocat), is the chief legal officer of the Scottish Government and the Crown in Scotland for both civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolved p ...
. {, class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! colspan=2 , Secretary of State ! colspan=2 , Term of office , - , , John Erskine
Earl of Mar ,

1707 ,
1709 , - , , James Douglas
2nd Duke of Queensberry ,
1709 ,
1711 , - , , John Erskine
Earl of Mar ,
1713 ,
1714 , - , , James Graham
1st Duke of Montrose ,
1714 ,
1715 , - , , John Ker
1st Duke of Roxburghe ,
1716 ,
1725 , - , - , , John Hay
4th Marquess of Tweeddale , {{Small, 16 February
1742 , {{Small, 3 January
1746 Office thereafter vacant.


Secretaries for Scotland (1885–1926)

The Secretary for Scotland was chief minister in charge 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 ...
in the
United Kingdom government ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_est ...
. The Scotland Office was created in 1885 with the post of Secretary for Scotland. 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, 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 right ...
'' held the post of Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland. From 1999, the position of Keeper of the Great Seal has been held by the
First Minister of Scotland The first minister of Scotland ( sco, heid meinister o Scotland; gd, prìomh mhinistear na h-Alba ) is the head of the Scottish Government and keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland. The first minister chair ...
. {, 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, Conservative Party (UK)" , , , Charles Gordon-Lennox
{{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, was first created in 1581, and had formerly been the Earldom of Lenno ...
in the peerage of Scotland , {{Small, 17 August
1885 , {{Small, 28 January
1886 ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
, 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 , Liberal , 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 , Liberal , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , , Arthur Balfour
{{Small, MP for Manchester East , {{Small, 5 August
1886 , {{Small, 11 March
1887 ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
, 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)" , , , Schomberg Kerr
{{Small, 9th Marquess of Lothian , {{Small, 11 March
1887 , {{Small, 11 August
1892 ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
, - 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 , Liberal , 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 ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
, 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)" , , , Andrew Murray
{{Small, MP for
Buteshire The County of Bute ( gd, Siorrachd Bhòid), also known as Buteshire, is a historic county and registration county of Scotland. The county comprises a number of islands in the Firth of Clyde, between the counties of Argyll and Ayrshire, the p ...
, {{Small, 9 October
1903 , {{Small, 2 February
1905 ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
, - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , , John Hope
{{Small, 1st Marquess of Linlithgow , {{Small, 2 February
1905 , {{Small, 4 December
1905 ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
, - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Liberal Party (UK)" , , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 , John Sinclair
{{Small, 1st Baron PentlandMP for
Forfar Forfar ( sco, Farfar, gd, Baile Fharfair) is the county town of Angus, Scotland and the administrative centre for Angus Council, with a new multi-million pound office complex located on the outskirts of the town. As of 2021, the town has a pop ...
until 1909; created Baron Pentland 1909 , rowspan=2 , {{Small, 10 December
1905 , rowspan=2 , {{Small, 13 February
1912 , rowspan=2 , Liberal , style="background-color:{{Party color, Liberal Party (UK)" , , {{Party shading/Liberal (UK) , Campbell-Bannerman , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Liberal Party (UK)" , , rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Liberal (UK) , Asquith
{{Small, (I–III) , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Liberal Party (UK)" , , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 , Thomas McKinnon Wood
{{Small, MP for Glasgow St Rollox , rowspan=2 , {{Small, 13 February
1912 , rowspan=2 , {{Small, 9 July
1916 , rowspan=2 , Liberal , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:#ddd" , , rowspan=2 , Asquith Coalition
{{Small, ('' Lib.– Con.– Lab.'') , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Liberal Party (UK)" , , , Harold Tennant
{{Small, MP for
Berwickshire Berwickshire ( gd, Siorrachd Bhearaig) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in south-eastern Scotland, on the English border. Berwickshire County Council existed from 1890 until 1975, when the area became part of th ...
, {{Small, 9 July
1916 , {{Small, 5 December
1916 , Liberal , - 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 simi ...
until 1918; MP for Roxburgh and Selkirk thereafter , {{Small, 10 December
1916 , {{Small, 19 October
1922 , Liberal , style="background-color:#ddd" , , Lloyd George
{{Small, (I & II)
('' Lib.– Con.– Lab.'') , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Independent (politician)" , , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 , Ronald Munro Ferguson
{{Small, 1st Viscount Novar , rowspan=2 , {{Small, 24 October
1922 , rowspan=2 , {{Small, 22 January
1924 , rowspan=2 ,
Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independe ...
, style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , ,
Law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...
, - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , Baldwin I , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , , William Adamson
{{Small, MP for West Fife , {{Small, 22 January
1924 , {{Small, 3 November
1924 , Labour , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , MacDonald I , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Unionist Party (Scotland)" , , , John Gilmour
{{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–present)

{, 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)" , , , John Gilmour
{{Small, MP for Glasgow Pollok , {{Small, 26 July
1926
{{Inconsistent, date=6 September 2020, reason=Table above states he was Secretary for Scotland until 26 July. , {{Small, 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)" , , ,
William Adamson William Adamson (2 April 1863 – 23 February 1936) was a Scottish trade unionist and Labour politician. He was Leader of the Labour Party from 1917 to 1921 and served as Secretary of State for Scotland in 1924 and during 1929–1931 in the ...

{{Small, MP for West Fife , {{Small, 7 June
1929 , {{Small, 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 , Archibald Sinclair
{{Small, MP for Caithness and Sutherland , rowspan=2 , {{Small, 25 August
1931 , rowspan=2 , {{Small, 28 September
1932 , rowspan=2 , Liberal , style="background-color:#ddd" , , National I
{{Small, ('' N.Lab.– Con.– Lib.N.– Lib.'') , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:#ddd" , , rowspan=2 , National II
{{Small, ('' N.Lab.– Con.– 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 Greenock (; sco, Greenock; gd, Grianaig, ) is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in Scotland, United Kingdom and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowland ...
, rowspan=2 , {{Small, 28 September
1932 , rowspan=2 , {{Small, 29 October
1936 , rowspan=2 , Liberal National , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:#ddd" , , rowspan=2 , National III
{{Small, ('' Con.– N.Lab.– Lib.N.'') , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Unionist Party (Scotland)" , , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 , Walter Elliot
{{Small, MP for Glasgow Kelvingrove , rowspan=2 , {{Small, 29 October
1936 , rowspan=2 , {{Small, 6 May
1938 , rowspan=2 , Unionist , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:#ddd" , , rowspan=2 , National IV
{{Small, ('' Con.– N.Lab.– Lib.N.'') , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Unionist Party (Scotland)" , , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 , John Colville
{{Small, MP for Midlothian and Peebles Northern , rowspan=2 , {{Small, 6 May
1938 , rowspan=2 , {{Small, 10 May
1940 , rowspan=2 , Unionist , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:#ddd" , , Chamberlain War
{{Small, ('' Con.– N.Lab.– Lib.N.'') , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)" , , , Ernest Brown
{{Small, MP for
Leith Leith (; gd, Lìte) is a port area in the north of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith. In 2021, it was ranked by ''Time Out'' as one of the top five neighbourhoods to live in the world. The earliest ...
, {{Small, 14 May
1940 , {{Small, 8 February
1941 , Liberal National , rowspan=2 style="background-color:#ddd" , , rowspan=2 , Churchill War
{{Small, (''All parties'') , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , , Thomas Johnston
{{Small, MP for West Stirlingshire , {{Small, 8 February
1941 , {{Small, 23 May
1945 , Labour , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)" , , , Harry Primrose
6th Earl of Rosebery , {{Small, 25 May
1945 , {{Small, 26 July
1945 , Liberal National , style="background-color:#ddd" , , Churchill Caretaker
{{Small, ('' Con.– N.Lib.'') , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , ,
Joseph Westwood Joseph Westwood (11 February 1884 – 17 July 1948) was a Scottish Labour Party politician. Educated at Buckhaven Higher Grade School, he worked as a draper's apprentice, messenger boy and miner. Westwood was an Industrial Organiser for Fife ...

{{Small, MP for
Stirling and Falkirk Stirling and Falkirk is a lieutenancy area of Scotland. It consists of the local government areas of Stirling and Falkirk Falkirk ( gd, An Eaglais Bhreac, sco, Fawkirk) is a large town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically wit ...
, {{Small, 3 August
1945 , {{Small, 7 October
1947 , Labour , rowspan=3 style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , rowspan=3 , Attlee
{{Small, (I & II) , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , ,
Arthur Woodburn Arthur Woodburn (25 October 1890 – 1 June 1978) was a Scottish Labour Party politician. Born in Edinburgh, he was educated at Heriot-Watt College. Imprisoned as a conscientious objector during World War I, Woodburn worked in engineering and i ...

{{Small, MP for Clackmannan and Eastern Stirlingshire , {{Small, 7 October
1947 , {{Small, 28 February
1950 , Labour , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , ,
Hector McNeil Hector McNeil (10 March 1907 – 11 October 1955) was a Scottish Labour politician. McNeil was educated at Woodside School and the University of Glasgow, trained as an engineer and worked as a journalist on a Scottish national newspaper. He ...

{{Small, MP for
Greenock Greenock (; sco, Greenock; gd, Grianaig, ) is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in Scotland, United Kingdom and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowland ...
, {{Small, 28 February
1950 , {{Small, 26 October
1951 , Labour , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Unionist Party (Scotland)" , , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 , James Stuart
{{Small, MP for Moray and Nairn , rowspan=2 , {{Small, 30 October
1951 , rowspan=2 , {{Small, 13 January
1957 , rowspan=2 , Unionist , style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , Churchill III , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , Eden , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Unionist Party (Scotland)" , , ,
John Maclay John Scott Maclay, 1st Viscount Muirshiel, (26 October 1905 – 17 August 1992) was a British politician, sitting as a National Liberal and Conservative Member of Parliament before the party was fully assimilated into the Unionist Party in Sco ...

{{Small, MP for West Renfrewshire , {{Small, 13 January
1957 , {{Small, 13 July
1962 , Unionist , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , rowspan=2 , Macmillan
{{Small, (I & II) , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Unionist Party (Scotland)" , , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 , Michael Noble
{{Small, MP for
Argyllshire Argyll (; archaically Argyle, in modern Gaelic, ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a historic county and registration county of western Scotland. Argyll is of ancient origin, and corresponds to most of the part of the ancient kingdom of ...
, rowspan=2 , {{Small, 13 July
1962 , rowspan=2 , {{Small, 16 October
1964 , rowspan=2 , Unionist , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , Douglas-Home , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , , Willie Ross{{Cite web, url=http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/people/mr-william-ross/ , title=Mr William Ross , website=Hansard 1803–2005 , publisher=UK Parliament , access-date=24 September 2017
{{Small, MP for
Kilmarnock Kilmarnock (, sco, Kilmaurnock; gd, Cill Mheàrnaig (IPA: ʰʲɪʎˈveaːɾnəkʲ, "Marnock's church") is a large town and former burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland and is the administrative centre of East Ayrshire, East Ayrshire Council. ...
, {{Small, 18 October
1964 , {{Small, 19 June
1970 , Labour , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , Wilson
{{Small, (I & II) , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , ,
Gordon Campbell Gordon Muir Campbell, (born January 12, 1948) is a retired Canadian diplomat and politician who was the 35th mayor of Vancouver from 1986 to 1993 and the 34th premier of British Columbia from 2001 to 2011. He was the leader of the British Co ...

{{Small, MP for Moray and Nairn , {{Small, 20 June
1970 , {{Small, 4 March
1974 ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
, style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , ,
Heath A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a cooler a ...
, - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , , Willie Ross
{{Small, MP for
Kilmarnock Kilmarnock (, sco, Kilmaurnock; gd, Cill Mheàrnaig (IPA: ʰʲɪʎˈveaːɾnəkʲ, "Marnock's church") is a large town and former burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland and is the administrative centre of East Ayrshire, East Ayrshire Council. ...
, {{Small, 5 March
1974 , {{Small, 8 April
1976 , Labour , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , Wilson
{{Small, (III & IV) , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , ,
Bruce Millan Bruce Millan (5 October 1927 – 21 February 2013) was a British Labour politician who served as a European Commissioner from 1989 to 1995. Early life He was born in Dundee and educated at the Harris Academy in that city. Parliamentary ...

{{Small, MP for Glasgow Craigton , {{Small, 8 April
1976 , {{Small, 4 May
1979 , Labour , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , Callaghan , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 , George Younger
{{Small, MP for
Ayr Ayr (; sco, Ayr; gd, Inbhir Àir, "Mouth of the River Ayr") is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. It is the administrative centre of the South Ayrshire council area and the historic county town of Ayrshire. With a population ...
, rowspan=2 , {{Small, 5 May
1979 , rowspan=2 , {{Small, 11 January
1986 , rowspan=2 ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
, style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , Thatcher I , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , rowspan=2 , Thatcher II , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 ,
Malcolm Rifkind Sir Malcolm Leslie Rifkind (born 21 June 1946) is a British politician who served in the cabinets of Margaret Thatcher and John Major from 1986 to 1997, and most recently as chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament fro ...

{{Small, MP for Edinburgh Pentlands , rowspan=2 , {{Small, 11 January
1986 , rowspan=2 , {{Small, 28 November
1990 , rowspan=2 ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
, - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , Thatcher III , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 ,
Ian Lang Ian Bruce Lang, Baron Lang of Monkton, PC DL (born 27 June 1940) is a British Conservative Party politician and Life Peer who served as the Member of Parliament for Galloway, and then Galloway and Upper Nithsdale, from 1979 to 1997. On 29 Sep ...

{{Small, MP for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale , rowspan=2 , {{Small, 28 November
1990 , rowspan=2 , {{Small, 5 July
1995 , rowspan=2 ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
, style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , Major I , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , rowspan=2 , Major II , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , , Michael Forsyth
{{Small, MP for
Stirling Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its me ...
, {{Small, 5 July
1995 , {{Small, 2 May
1997 ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
, - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , , Donald Dewar
{{Small, MP for Glasgow Anniesland , {{Small, 2 May
1997 , {{Small, 17 May
1999 , Labour , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , rowspan=2 , Blair I , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , , John Reid
{{Small, MP for Hamilton North and Bellshill , {{Small, 17 May
1999 , {{Small, 25 January
2001 , Labour , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , ,
Helen Liddell Helen Lawrie Liddell, Baroness Liddell of Coatdyke PC (' Reilly; born 6 December 1950) is a British politician and life peer who served as Secretary of State for Scotland from 2001 to 2003 and British High Commissioner to Australia from 2005 to ...

{{Small, MP for Airdrie and Shotts , {{Small, 25 January
2001 , {{Small, 13 June
2003 , Labour , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , rowspan=2 , Blair II , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 ,
Alistair Darling Alistair Maclean Darling, Baron Darling of Roulanish, (born 28 November 1953) is a British politician who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer under Prime Minister Gordon Brown from 2007 to 2010. A member of the Labour Party, he was a Member ...
{{Efn, name="auto", Concurrently served as
Secretary of State for Transport The Secretary of State for Transport, also referred to as the transport secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with overall responsibility for the policies of the Department for Transport. The incumbent is ...

{{Small, MP for
Edinburgh South West Edinburgh South West is a Scottish constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, first used at the 2005 UK general election. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of electio ...
{{Efn, MP for Edinburgh Central until 2005; MP for
Edinburgh South West Edinburgh South West is a Scottish constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, first used at the 2005 UK general election. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of electio ...
thereafter
{{Small, (born 1953) , rowspan=2 , {{Small, 13 June
2003 , rowspan=2 , {{Small, 5 May
2006 , rowspan=2 , Labour , - style="height:1em" , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , rowspan=2 , Blair III , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , ,
Douglas Alexander Douglas Garven Alexander (born 26 October 1967) is a Labour politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Paisley and Renfrewshire South, previously Paisley South, from 1997 until his defeat in 2015. During this time, he served as ...
{{Efn, name="auto"
{{Small, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South , {{Small, 5 May
2006 , {{Small, 28 June
2007 , Labour , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , ,
Des Browne Desmond Henry Browne, Baron Browne of Ladyton, (born 22 March 1952) is a Scottish politician who served in the Cabinet of the United Kingdom under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown as Secretary of State for Defence 2006 to 2008 and Secretary of St ...
{{Efn, Concurrently served as
Secretary of State for Defence The secretary of state for defence, also referred to as the defence secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with overall responsibility for the business of the Ministry of Defence. The incumbent is a membe ...

{{Small, MP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun , {{Small, 28 June
2007 , {{Small, 3 October
2008 , Labour , rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , rowspan=2 ,
Brown Brown is a color. It can be considered a composite color, but it is mainly a darker shade of orange. In the CMYK color model used in printing or painting, brown is usually made by combining the colors orange and black. In the RGB color model ...
, - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Labour Party (UK)" , , , Jim Murphy
{{Small, MP for
East Renfrewshire East Renfrewshire ( sco, Aest Renfrewshire; gd, Siorrachd Rinn Friù an Ear) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. Until 1975, it formed part of the county of Renfrewshire for local government purposes along with the modern council areas ...
, {{Small, 3 October
2008 , {{Small, 11 May
2010 , Labour , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Liberal Democrats (UK)" , , ,
Danny Alexander Sir Daniel Grian Alexander (born 15 May 1972) is a former politician who was Chief Secretary to the Treasury between 2010 and 2015. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey constituency from 2005 u ...

{{Small, MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey , {{Small, 12 May
2010 , {{Small, 29 May
2010 ,
Liberal Democrat Several political parties from around the world have been called the Liberal Democratic Party or Liberal Democrats. These parties usually follow a liberal democratic ideology. Active parties Former parties See also *Liberal democracy *Lib ...
, rowspan=3 style="background-color:#ddd" , , rowspan=3 , Cameron–Clegg
{{Small, ('' Con.– L.D.'') , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Liberal Democrats (UK)" , , ,
Michael Moore Michael Francis Moore (born April 23, 1954) is an American filmmaker, author and left-wing activist. His works frequently address the topics of globalization and capitalism. Moore won the 2002 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for ' ...

{{Small, MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk , {{Small, 29 May
2010 , {{Small, 7 October
2013 ,
Liberal Democrat Several political parties from around the world have been called the Liberal Democratic Party or Liberal Democrats. These parties usually follow a liberal democratic ideology. Active parties Former parties See also *Liberal democracy *Lib ...
, - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Liberal Democrats (UK)" , , ,
Alistair Carmichael Alexander Morrison "Alistair" CarmichaelFull name is given as "CARMICHAEL, Alexander Morrison, commonly known as Alistair Carmichael" in the returning officer'2010 general election declaration (born 15 July 1965) is a Scottish politician and s ...

{{Small, MP for Orkney and Shetland , {{Small, 7 October
2013 , {{Small, 8 May
2015 ,
Liberal Democrat Several political parties from around the world have been called the Liberal Democratic Party or Liberal Democrats. These parties usually follow a liberal democratic ideology. Active parties Former parties See also *Liberal democracy *Lib ...
, - 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 Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale is a United Kingdom constituencies, constituency of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, located in the South of Scotland, within the Dumfries and Galloway, South Lanarkshire and S ...
, rowspan=3 , {{Small, 11 May
2015 , rowspan=3 , {{Small, 24 July
2019 , rowspan=3 ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
, style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , Cameron II , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , May I , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , 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 Dumfries and Galloway ( sco, Dumfries an Gallowa; gd, Dùn Phrìs is Gall-Ghaidhealaibh) is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland and is located in the western Southern Uplands. It covers the historic counties of Dumfriesshire, Kirkc ...
, rowspan=4 , {{Small, 24 July
2019 , rowspan=4 , {{Small, Incumbent , rowspan=4 ,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
, style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , Johnson I , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , Johnson II , - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , ,
Truss A truss is an assembly of ''members'' such as beams, connected by ''nodes'', that creates a rigid structure. In engineering, a truss is a structure that "consists of two-force members only, where the members are organized so that the assembl ...
, - style="height:1em" , style="background-color:{{Party color, Conservative Party (UK)" , , Sunak ;Notes: {{Notelist


See also

*
First Minister of Scotland The first minister of Scotland ( sco, heid meinister o Scotland; gd, prìomh mhinistear na h-Alba ) is the head of the Scottish Government and keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland. The first minister chair ...
* Secretary of State, a senior post in the pre-Union government of 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 l ...
* Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, junior minister supporting the Secretary of State for Scotland *
Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland The Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland is a member of the UK Shadow Cabinet responsible for the scrutiny of the Secretary of State for Scotland and his/her department, the Scotland Office. The incumbent holder of the office is Ian Murray. ...
*
Secretary of State (Jacobite) The Secretary of State was one of the senior ministers of the Jacobite court in exile following the Glorious Revolution of 1688. In common with Jacobite attempts to create a shadow court in exile that matched of that in London, the role was ba ...
*
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a w ...
*
Secretary of State for Wales The secretary of state for Wales ( cy, ysgrifennydd gwladol Cymru), also referred to as the Welsh secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Wales Office. The incumbent is a member ...


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
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...
Political office-holders in Scotland Ministerial offices in the United Kingdom Government ministers of the United Kingdom 1705 establishments in the British Empire Lists of government ministers of the United Kingdom