The Scottish and Scotland Offices

'It is curious how Gordon Brown was happy to see Des Browne, the previous Scottish Secretary, spending only a fraction of his time looking after Scotland and spending most of it as Secretary of State for Defence, while the Prime Minister now feels the need to have Mr Murphy spending all his ministerial time focused on Scotland. It could not have anything to do with the fact Alex Salmond and the SNP have for months been running rings round Labour north of the border?' Michael Settle, , UK Political Editor in the Herald, 10 th December 2008.

The Westminster Government's Representatives in Scotland

Dover House, Home of the Scotland Office, 15 th September 2007

The Scotland Office, 7 th October 2008 -

Labour Government under Rt Hon Dr James Gordon Brown in UK (Scottish National Party Government under Rt Hon Alex Salmond in Scotland)
Date	Secretary of State for Scotland	Parliamentary Under Secretaries of State
7 th October 2008 Following confirmation that Baroness Vadera had not been appointed to the Scotland Office 2	Rt Hon Jim Murphy MP	Anne McKechin MP

² On the 6 th of October, following a Press Release by 10 Downing Street, Shriti Vadera, Baroness Vadera, was listed as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Scotland Office, at the Cabinet Office and at the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform. However, subsequent information confirmed that she had not been appointed to the Scotland Office. I am grateful to the House of Lords for clarification of the situation.

Previous Scotland Office Ministers

• 28 th June 2007 - 3 rd October 2008 (Labour government under Gordon Brown)
  
  
• 27 th July 1999 - 28 th June 2007 (Labour government under Tony Blair)
  
  

Previous Scottish Office Ministers

• 2 nd May 1997 - 27 th July 1999 (Labour government under Tony Blair)
  
  
• 4 th May 1979 - 2 nd May 1997 (Tory government under Margaret Thatcher and John Major)
  
  
• 4 th March 1974 - 4 th May 1979 (Labour government under Harold Wilson and Jim Callaghan)
  
  
• 19 th June 1970 - 4 th March 1974 (Tory government under Ted Heath)
  
  
• 18 th October 1964 - 19 th June 1970 (Labour government under Harold Wilson)
  
  
• 30 th October 1951 - 18 th October 1964 (Tory government under Sir Winston Churchill, Sir Anthony Eden, Harold MacMillan and Sir Alec Douglas-Home)
  
  
• 3 rd August 1945 - 30 th October 1951 (Labour government under Clement Attlee)
  
  
• 25 th May 1945 - 3 rd August 1945 (Caretaker government under Winston Churchill)
  
  
• 14 th May 1940 - 25 th May 1945 (Coalition government under Winston Churchill)
  
  
• 7 th June 1935 - 14 th May 1940 (National government under Stanley Baldwin and Neville Chamberlain)
  
  
• 25 th August 1931 - 7 th June 1935 (National government under Ramsay MacDonald)
  
  
• 7 th June 1929 - 25 th August 1931 (Labour government under Ramsay MacDonald)
  
  
• 6 th November 1924 - 7 th June 1929 (Tory government under Stanley Baldwin)
  
  
• 22 nd January 1924 - 6 th November 1924 (Labour government under Ramsay MacDonald)
  
  
• 24 th October 1922 - 22 nd January 1924 (Tory government under Andrew Bonar Law and Stanley Baldwin)
  
  
• 10 th December 1916 - 24 th October 1922 (Coalition government under David Lloyd George)
  

  Prior to the 8 th August 1919, the Scottish Office consisted of a single minister, the Scottish Secretary.