First Ministers

The First Minister: 'First' and 'Prime' mean the same thing. But, as Westminster is sovereign, and to avoid confusion, we have a FM and not a PM. No thought was given to the inconvenience this would cause reporting the opening of Scotland's parliament. So Donald Dewar becomes the 'first First Minister', which, in print, looks like a typo, and in speech sounds like a fluffed line. From 'Holyrood Jargon' by Iain Watson in the Sunday Herald, 16 th May 1999.

First Ministers of Scotland

Presiding Officer Alex Fergusson MSP, Her Majesty The Queen and First Minister Alex Salmond MSP watch the traditional Riding, 30 th June 2007
Image © Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body 2007

The First Ministers

	Date	16 th May 2007 -
	First Minister	Alex Salmond MSP MP
	Party	Scottish National Party
	Votes	49/129
	Notes
	Date	22 nd November 2001 - 16 th May 2007
	First Minister	Rt Hon Jack McConnell MSP
	Party	Labour
	Votes	70/129
	Notes	Jack McConnell was re-elected as First Minister of Scotland on the 15 th May 2003 with 67 votes out of 129. He was defeated by Alex Salmond on the 16 th May 2007 by 49 votes to 46.
	Date	26 th October 2000 - 8 th November 2001
	First Minister	Rt Hon Henry McLeish MSP MP
	Party	Labour
	Votes	66/128
	Notes	Henry McLeish resigned on the 8 th November 2001
	Date	13 th May 1999 - 11 th October 2000
	First Minister	Rt Hon Donald Dewar MSP MP
	Party	Labour
	Votes	71/129
	Notes	Donald Dewar died on the 11 th October 2000

Acting First Ministers

	Dates	12 th - 26 th October 2000 9 th - 22 nd November 2001
	Acting First Minister	Rt Hon Jim Wallace QC MSP
	Party	Liberal Democrat
	MSPs	16/128 16/129
	Notes	Jim Wallace also deputised for Donald Dewar when the latter underwent heart surgery in the spring of 2000.

Deputy First Ministers

	Date	16 th May 2007 -
	Deputy First Minister	Nicola Sturgeon MSP
	Party	Scottish National Party
	MSPs	47/129
	Notes
	Dates	27 th June 2005 - 16 th May 2007
	Deputy First Minister	Nicol Stephen MSP
	Party	Liberal Democrat
	MSPs	17/129
	Notes	Nicol Stephen was elected leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats on the 23 rd June 2005
	Dates	13 th May 1999 - 27 th June 2005
	Deputy First Minister	Rt Hon Jim Wallace QC MSP
	Party	Liberal Democrat
	MSPs	16/129
	Notes	Jim Wallace announced, in May 2005, that he would retire as Deputy First Minister.

The Elections of the First Ministers

In the Imperial Parliament at Westminster, the leader of the largest party automatically becomes the Prime Minister. In Scotland, the First Minister of the Scottish Parliament is voted in by MSPs.

The result of the first election was as follows:

(Lord Steel of Aikwood, as Presiding officer was not allowed to vote, Dr Keith Raffan (Lib Dem) abstained and one Conservative MSP was absent)

Donald Dewar was thus elected as First Minister by the Scottish Parliament on 13 th May 1999 and confirmed by the Queen on 17 th May 1999. Donald Dewar died on the 11 th October 2000.

The result of the second election on 26 th October 2000 was as follows:

Henry McLeish was thus elected as the second First Minister by the Scottish Parliament on 26 th October 2000 and was sworn in on the 27 th October 2000. Henry McLeish resigned on the 8 th November 2001.

The result of the third election on 22 nd November 2001 was as follows:

Jack McConnell was thus elected as the third First Minister by the Scottish Parliament on 22 nd November 2001 and was sworn in on the 27 th November 2000.

The result of the first election of the second parliament on 15 th May 2003 was as follows:

Chris Ballance (Green, South of Scotland) was absent. There were no spolied votes or abstentions. All MSPs voted for their party leaders with the Lib Dems voting for Jack McConnell, Margo MacDonald and Dr Jean Turner voting for Dennis Canavan, and Dennis Canavan and John Swinburne voting for Margo MacDonald.

Jack McConnell was thus re-elected as First Minister by the Scottish Parliament on the 15 th May 2003.

The result of the first election of the third parliament on 16 th May 2007 was as follows:

The Scottish National Party and Greens voted for Alex Salmond, Labour for Jack McConnell, the Conservatives for Annabel Goldie, and the Liberal Democrats for Nicol Stephen while Margo MacDonald abstained.

As no candidate received an overall majority of the votes cast, and as Annabel Goldie and Nicol Stephen received the fewest votes, they were both eliminated from the election and a further round of voting took place between Jack McConnell and Alex Salmond.

The Scottish National Party and Greens voted for Alex Salmond and Labour for Jack McConnell while there were 33 abstentions (Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Margo MacDonald).

Alex Salmond was thus elected as First Minister by the Scottish Parliament on the 16 th May 2007.