Opposition Parties of the Scottish Parliament
Unlike the Westminster arrangement where there is an 'Official Opposition' to the government of the day, there is no such thing as an 'official' opposition to the Scottish Government. Instead, all parties that are not in government are merely 'opposition parties'. With the current Scottish Government being Scottish National Party (SNP), the four other main parties are all opposition parties and each will have a Shadow Cabinet composed of Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) with a responsibility to shadow a government minister or area of government.
Parties are allowed to choose how their spokespersons are referred to.[1] Named party spokespeople are not all Members of the Scottish Parliament.
Conservative Shadow Cabinet
As of 5 August 2020:
- Party Leader: Douglas Ross MP
- Holyrood Leader & Leader of the Opposition: The Rt. Hon. Ruth Davidson MSP
- Deputy Leader & Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Justice: Liam Kerr MSP
- Deputy Leader & Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change, Environment and Land Reform: Annie Wells MSP
- Chief Whip and Business Manager: Liz Smith MSP
- Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance: Donald Cameron MSP
- Shadow Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution: Murdo Fraser MSP
- Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs: Jackson Carlaw MSP (former)
- Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Strategy: Adam Tomkins MSP
- Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport: Miles Briggs MSP
- Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education: Jamie Greene MSP
- Shadow Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Fair Work and Culture: Maurice Golden MSP
- Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Business, Infrastructure and Transport: Dean Lockhart MSP
- Shadow Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Tourism: Rachael Hamilton MSP
- Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Communities and Social Security: Graham Simpson MSP
- Spokesperson for Community Safety and Veterans Affairs: Maurice Corry MSP
- Spokesperson for Taxation: Bill Bowman MSP
- Spokesperson for Financial Sustainability: Tom Mason MSP
- Spokesperson for Business, Innovation and Energy and Deputy Chief Whip: Alexander Burnett MSP
- Spokesperson for Jobs, Employability and Skills: Jamie Halcro Johnston MSP
- Spokesperson for Trade, Investment and Legal Affairs: Gordon Lindhurst MSP
- Spokesperson for Mental Health, Public Health and Equalities: Annie Wells MSP
- Spokesperson for Sport and Wellbeing: Brian Whittle MSP
- Spokesperson for Further Education, Higher Education and Science: Oliver Mundell MSP
- Spokesperson for Children and Young People: Alison Harris MSP
- Spokesperson for Welfare, Disability and Older People: Jeremy Balfour MSP
- Spokesperson for Local Government, International Development and Migration: Alexander Stewart MSP
- Spokesperson for Natural Environment and the Digital Economy: Finlay Carson MSP
- Spokesperson for Rural Affairs and the Islands: Edward Mountain MSP
- Spokesperson for the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body: Rt Hon. Ruth Davidson MSP
Labour Shadow Cabinets
The Scottish Labour front-bench team was announced on 19 December 2017.[2] There was a reshuffle of the cabinet on 4 October 2018, which saw Anas Sarwar leave the position of Secretary for Health & Sport, and Jackie Baillie leave her position as Secretary for Economy, Jobs & Fair Work.[3][4] There was another reshuffle following the return of Sarah Boyack to the Scottish Parliament in September 2019.[5]
- Leader & Shadow Cabinet Secretary for the Economy: Richard Leonard MSP
- Deputy Leader & Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance: Jackie Baillie MSP
- Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Justice: James Kelly MSP
- Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Brexit & Constitutional Relations: Alex Rowley MSP
- Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education, Skills & Science: Iain Gray MSP
- Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health & Sport: Monica Lennon MSP
- Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change & Land Reform: Claudia Beamish MSP
- Shadow Cabinet Secretary for the Eradication of Poverty & Inequality: Rhoda Grant MSP
- Parliamentary Business Manager: Elaine Smith MSP
- Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism & External Affairs: Claire Baker MSP
- Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy & Connectivity: Colin Smyth MSP
- Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Local Government: Sarah Boyack MSP
- Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Communities & Equalities: Pauline McNeill MSP
- Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Campaigns and Party Engagement & Leader of North Ayrshire Council: Cllr Joe Cullinane
Previous Shadow Cabinets
Shadow Cabinet of Jack McConnell - May to August 2007
- Leader of the Scottish Labour Party: Jack McConnell
- Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth: Wendy Alexander
- Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning: Hugh Henry
- Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Well-being: Andy Kerr
- Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Justice: Margaret Curran
- Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment: Rhona Brankin
Junior Shadow Ministers
- Shadow Minister for Parliamentary Business: Cathy Jamieson
- Shadow Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture: Patricia Ferguson
- Shadow Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism: Iain Gray
- Shadow Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change: Des McNulty
- Shadow Minister for Schools and Skills: Ken MacIntosh
- Shadow Minister for Children and Early Years: Pauline McNeill
- Shadow Minister for Public Health: Lewis Macdonald
- Shadow Minister for Communities and Sport: Johann Lamont
- Shadow Minister for Community Safety: Paul Martin
- Shadow Minister for Environment: Sarah Boyack
Other appointments
- Deputy Business Mananger and Chief Whip: Michael McMahon
- Whips: Karen Gillon and David Stewart
- Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Leader: Richard Baker
Shadow Cabinet of Wendy Alexander, September 2007 to June 2008
- Leader of the Scottish Labour Party - Wendy Alexander
- Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party and Shadow Minister for Parliamentary Business - Cathy Jamieson
- Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Well-being - Andy Kerr
- Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Justice- Margaret Curran
- Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning - Hugh Henry
- Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment - Rhona Brankin
Junior Shadow Ministers
- Shadow Minister for Europe and Culture - Patricia Ferguson
- Shadow Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism - Iain Gray
- Shadow Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change - Des McNulty
- Shadow Minister for Schools and Skills - Ken Macintosh
- Shadow Minister for Children and Early Years - Pauline McNeil
- Shadow Minister for Public Health - Lewis Macdonald
- Shadow Minister for Communities and Sport - Johann Lamont
- Shadow Minister for Community Safety - Paul Martin
- Shadow Minister for the Environment - Sarah Boyack
Scottish Greens Shadow Cabinet
As announced on 23 May 2016[6]
- Co-Convener of the Scottish Green Party, Finance, Economy, Fair Work and Equalities Spokesperson: Patrick Harvie MSP
- Co-Convener of the Scottish Green Party: Maggie Chapman
- Justice, Tourism, Transport, & Rural & Island Communities Spokesperson: John Finnie MSP
- International Development, External Affairs, Education, Skills, Culture & Media Spokesperson: Ross Greer MSP
- Health, Sport, Social Security, Children & Young People Spokesperson: Alison Johnstone MSP
- Communities, Land Reform and Local Government Spokesperson: Andy Wightman MSP
- Climate, Energy, Environment, Food & Farming Spokesperson: Mark Ruskell MSP
Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet
As announced on 28 May 2016:[7]
- Leader & Finance Spokesperson: Willie Rennie MSP
- Deputy Leader: The Rt. Hon. Alistair Carmichael MP
- Education & Sports Spokesperson: Tavish Scott MSP
- Justice & Energy Spokesperson: Liam McArthur MSP
- Rural Affairs Spokesperson & Business Manager: Mike Rumbles MSP
- Health Spokesperson: Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP
- Economy Spokesperson: Cllr Carolyn Caddick
- Culture Spokesperson: Cllr Eileen McCartin
- Social Security Spokesperson: Cllr Karen Clark
- Chairperson of 2017 Scottish Local Election Campaign: Katy Gordon
- Children's Spokesperson & Party Convener: Sheila Thomson
- Social Security Spokesperson & Party Treasurer: Caron Lindsay
- Environment Spokesperson: Christine Jardine
References
- "Scottish Parliament Fact sheet: Party Spokespersons" (PDF). 31 May 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
- "New Scottish shadow cabinet in full | LabourList". LabourList | Labour's biggest independent grassroots e-network. 19 December 2017. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
- "Sarwar and Baillie out in Labour reshuffle". BBC News. 4 October 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- Johnson, Simon (4 October 2018). "Scottish Labour leader sacks two leading moderate MSPs in 'chaotic' reshuffle". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- "Scottish Labour reshuffle as Sarah Boyack returns to frontline politics". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
- "Scottish Greens announce portfolios of new Holyrood group". Herald Scotland. 22 May 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
- "Willie Rennie announces Scottish Lib Dem leadership team". STV News. 28 May 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
External links
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