First Sturgeon government

Nicola Sturgeon formed the First Sturgeon government on 20 November 2014, following the resignation of previous SNP First Minister, Alex Salmond. Sturgeon, who had been Deputy First Minister under Salmond, was elected to succeed him by the SNP majority in the Scottish Parliament on 19 November 2014, before being officially sworn-in in front of senior judges at the Court of Session the next day.

First Sturgeon Government
7th devolved government of Scotland
2014–2016
Date formed	20 November 2014
Date dissolved	5 May 2016
People and organisations
Monarch	Elizabeth II
First Minister	Nicola Sturgeon
Deputy First Minister	John Swinney
Total no. of members	25
Member party	Scottish National Party
Status in legislature	Majority
History
Legislature term(s)	4th Scottish Parliament
Predecessor	Second Salmond government
Successor	Second Sturgeon government

History

Following the defeat of the campaign for Scottish independence in a 2014 referendum, then First Minister Alex Salmond, who had arranged the referendum, announced that he would resign as Scottish National Party leader and first minister after a new leader was chosen.[1] Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon took the leadership unopposed at the SNP's annual conference on 14 November 2014. This also effectively made her First Minister in waiting, given the SNP's outright majority in the Scottish Parliament. She was elected to succeed Salmond as First Minister by the Scottish Parliament on 19 November, and formally appointed by Queen Elizabeth II on the next day.[2]

On 21 November 2014 Sturgeon's first cabinet was announced. It was formed of ten people: Sturgeon and nine cabinet secretaries. It was gender-balanced with five men and five women.[3] There were thirteen junior ministerial positions outwith the cabinet.[4]

List of ministers

Cabinet[5]
Post	Minister	Term
First Minister	The Right Hon. Nicola Sturgeon MSP	2014–16
Deputy First Minister	John Swinney MSP	2014–16
Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy		2007–16
Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities	Keith Brown MSP	2014–16
Cabinet Secretary for Fair Work, Skills and Training	Roseanna Cunningham MSP	2014–16
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning	Angela Constance MSP	2014–16
Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport	Shona Robison MSP	2014–16
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners' Rights	Alex Neil MSP	2014–16
Cabinet Secretary for Justice	Michael Matheson MSP	2014–16
Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment	Richard Lochhead MSP	2007–16
Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe and External Affairs	Fiona Hyslop MSP	2011–16

Junior ministers[5]
Post	Minister	Term
Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism	Fergus Ewing MSP	2014–16
Minister for Parliamentary Business	Joe Fitzpatrick MSP	2014–16
Minister for Transport and Islands	Derek Mackay MSP	2014–16
Minister for Youth and Women's Employment	Annabelle Ewing MSP	2014–16
Minister for Children and Young People	Aileen Campbell MSP	2014–16
Minister for Learning, Science and Scotland's Languages	Dr Alasdair Allan MSP	2014–16
Minister for Public Health	Maureen Watt MSP	2014–16
Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health	Jamie Hepburn MSP	2014–16
Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment	Marco Biagi MSP	2014–16
Minister for Housing and Welfare	Margaret Burgess MSP	2014–16
Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs	Paul Wheelhouse MSP	2014–16
Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform	Dr Aileen McLeod MSP	2014–16
Minister for Europe and International Development	Humza Yousaf MSP	2014–16

Law officers[5]
Post	Name	Term
Lord Advocate	The Right Hon. Frank Mulholland QC	2014–16
Solicitor General for Scotland	Lesley Thomson QC	2014–16

References

1. Brooks, Libby (19 September 2014). "Alex Salmond's resignation could give Nicola Sturgeon her day of destiny". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
2. Campbell, Glenn (13 November 2014). "The transition from Alex Salmond to Nicola Sturgeon". BBC News. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
3. Brooks, Libby (22 November 2014). "Nicola Sturgeon announces Scottish cabinet with equal gender balance". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
4. Maddox, David; Peterkin, Tom (22 November 2014). "Nicola Sturgeon reshuffle brings gender balance". The Scotsman. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
5. "Ministers & Law Officers". www.scottish.parliament.uk. Scottish Parliament. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2016.