The post-holder is appointed by the First Minister, and deputises for the First Minister during a period of absence or whilst they are outwith Scotland undertaking overseas visits. During any period of the First Minister's absence, the DFM will be expected to answer to the Scottish Parliament on behalf of the First Minister at First Minister's Questions.
Overview
Status
The post is not recognised in statute (in comparison with the post of First Minister which is established by the Scotland Act 1998), and its holder is simply an ordinary member of the Scottish Government. The post has nonetheless existed since the establishment of the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government in 1999. When one party governs alone, the Deputy First Minister is a senior member of the governing party, sometimes the party's deputy leader as with Nicola Sturgeon when she was SNP depute leader though at present this is not the case with the current SNP depute leader Keith Brown. When the government is formed by a coalition, the Deputy First Minister is usually the leader of the minority partner.
Role
The Deputy First Minister, within the Scottish Government, has direct responsibility and control over the strategy of the Scottish Government, delivery and outcomes of ministerial portfolios, resilience, as well as cross-government co-ordination of public service reform.[2] Alongside the responsibilities of the post-holders functions as Deputy First Minister, the post holder is also required to have direct responsibility for a cabinet secretary post.
Nomination and election
The Additional Member System used to elect Members of the Scottish Parliament makes it difficult for a single party to have an absolute majority. Between 1999 and 2007, the Scottish Executive was formed by a Labour and Liberal Democratcoalition, with the leader of Scottish Labour serving as First Minister and the leader of the Scottish Lib Dems serving as Deputy First Minister.
Shona Robison, appointed Deputy First Minister under Humza Yousaf in March 2023, also serves as the Cabinet Secretary for Finance. Alongside her responsibilities as Deputy First Minister, Robison is also responsible for the delivery of the Scottish budget, as well as "budgetary monitoring and reporting (including Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS)), fiscal policy and taxation (including income tax), exchequer and the public finances, public sector pay, the Scottish Fiscal Commission, fiscal framework review, local government finance and public sector productivity".[2]
Deputy first minister John Swinney (centre) leads Scottish Government tributes during the National Moment of Reflection, 2022
The post holder of the Deputy First Minister of Scotland is solely responsible for the following areas within the Scottish Government (as of May 2024):[2]
Direct government business
Deputy first minister Shona Robison alongside First Minister Humza Yousaf in April 2024
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