Secretary of State for Scotland

Not to be confused with Secretary of State, Scotland.

Secretary of State for Scotland
Arms of Her Majesty's Government Scotland Office
Incumbent Michael Moore since 29 May 2010
Style	The Right Honourable
Appointer	David Cameron as Prime Minister
Inaugural holder	The Duke of Queensberry
Formation	3 February 1709
Website	Scotland Office

Scotland

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Scotland

Government Cabinet First Minister Alex Salmond Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service Civil Service Directorates Executive agencies Public bodies Parliament Acts Statutory Instruments Presiding Officer Tricia Marwick Shadow Cabinet Leader of the Opposition Johann Lamont Members (MSPs) 1999, 2003, 2007 , 2011 Elections 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011 Constituencies and electoral regions Legislative Consent Motion Scots law Supreme Court of the United Kingdom Supreme Courts Sheriff Courts Land Courts Justice of the Peace Courts Lord Lyon Court Scotland in the UK Her Majesty's Government Scotland Office Secretary of State Michael Moore Under Secretary of State for Scotland David Mundell Parliament of the United Kingdom Grand Committee Select Committee Reserved matters Elections Constituencies List of Scottish MPs Scotland in the EU European Parliament Elections European Parliament constituency Subdivisions Local government of Scotland Convention of Scottish Local Authorities

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The Secretary of State for Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: Rùnaire Stàite na h-Alba) is the principal minister of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Scotland. He heads the Scotland Office (formerly the Scottish Office), a government department based in London and Edinburgh. The post was created soon after the Union of the Crowns,^{[citation needed]} but was abolished in 1746, following the Jacobite rebellion. Scottish affairs thereafter were managed by the Lord Advocate until 1827, when responsibility passed to the Home Office.

In 1885 the post of Secretary for Scotland was re-created, with the incumbent usually (though not always) in the Cabinet. In 1926 this post was upgraded to a full Secretary of State appointment.

The 1999 Scottish devolution has meant the Scottish Office's powers were divided, with most transferred to the Scottish Executive or to other UK Government departments, leaving only a limited role for the Scotland Office. Consequently the role of Secretary of State for Scotland has been diminished. A recent Scottish Secretary, Des Browne, held the post whilst simultaneously (and separately) being Secretary of State for Defence. The present Secretary of State for Scotland is Michael Moore.

Secretaries of State for Scotland 1707-1746

John Erskine, 22nd Earl of Mar had served as Secretary of State of an independent Scotland since 1705. Following the Acts of Union 1707, he remained in office.

Name	Portrait	Took office	Left office
The Earl of Mar		(since 1705) 1 May 1707	3 February 1709
The Duke of Queensberry		3 February 1709	6 July 1711 (alive)
The Earl of Mar		30 September 1713	24 September 1714
The Duke of Montrose		24 September 1714	August 1715 (resigned)
The Duke of Roxburghe		13 December 1716	August 1725 (resigned)
Office thereafter vacant. One reference book claims that Charles Douglas, 2nd Earl of Selkirk held this office from 1731, but there is no other authority for this claim.
The Marquess of Tweeddale		16 February 1742	3 January 1746 (resigned)

Office thereafter vacant.

Secretaries for Scotland 1885-1926

The Secretary for Scotland was chief minister in charge of the Scottish Office in the United Kingdom government. The post of Secretary of State for Scotland existed briefly after the Union of the Parliament of Scotland and the Parliament of England in 1707 till the Jacobite rising of 1745.

After the rising, responsibility for Scotland lay primarily with the office of the Home Secretary, usually exercised by the Lord Advocate. 1885 saw the creation of the Scottish Office and the post of Secretary for Scotland. From 1892 the Secretary for Scotland sat in cabinet, but the position was not officially recognised as a full member of the cabinet of the United Kingdom until the Secretary for Scotland post was upgraded to full Secretary of State rank as Secretary of State for Scotland in 1926.

All Secretaries for Scotland also held the post of Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland, ex officio.

Name		Portrait	Took office	Left office	Political Party
	The Duke of Richmond		17 August 1885	28 January 1886	Conservative
	George Trevelyan		8 February 1886	March, 1886 (resigned)	Liberal
	The Earl of Dalhousie		5 April 1886	20 July 1886	Liberal
	Arthur Balfour		5 August 1886	11 March 1887	Conservative
	The Marquess of Lothian		11 March 1887	11 August 1892	Unionist
	Sir George Trevelyan, Bt		18 August 1892	21 June 1895	Liberal
	The Lord Balfour of Burleigh		29 June 1895	9 October 1903 (resigned)	Unionist
	Andrew Murray		9 October 1903	2 February 1905	Conservative
	The Marquess of Linlithgow		2 February 1905	4 December 1905	Conservative
	John Sinclair (Baron Pentland from 1909)		10 December 1905	13 February 1912	Liberal
	Thomas McKinnon Wood		13 February 1912	9 July 1916	Liberal
	Harold Tennant		9 July 1916	5 December 1916	Liberal
	Robert Munro		10 December 1916	19 October 1922	Liberal
	The Viscount Novar		24 October 1922	22 January 1924	none
	William Adamson		22 January 1924	3 November 1924	Labour
	Sir John Gilmour, Bt		6 November 1924	26 July 1926	Unionist

Secretaries of State for Scotland

The post of Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland was held ex officio by Secretaries of State for Scotland from 1926 to 1999. Secretaries of State for Scotland since Donald Dewar have not been Keepers of the Great Seal, that post now being held by the First Ministers of Scotland. In addition, the holder of the office of Secretary of State for Scotland from 13 June 2003 through to 3 October 2008 concurrently held another Cabinet post, leading to claims that the Scottish role was seen as a 'part-time' ministry.

Name		Portrait	Took office	Left office	Political Party
	Sir John Gilmour, Bt		15 July 1926	4 June 1929	Unionist
	William Adamson		7 June 1929	24 August 1931	Labour
	Sir Archibald Sinclair, Bt		25 August 1931	28 September 1932 (resigned)	Liberal
	Sir Godfrey Collins		28 September 1932	29 October 1936	National Liberal
	Walter Elliot		29 October 1936	16 May 1938	Unionist
	John Colville		6 May 1938	10 May 1940	Unionist
	Ernest Brown		14 May 1940	8 February 1941	National Liberal
	Thomas Johnston		8 February 1941	23 May 1945	Labour
	The Earl of Rosebery		25 May 1945	26 July 1945	National Liberal
	Joseph Westwood		3 August 1945	7 October 1947	Labour
	Arthur Woodburn		7 October 1947	28 February 1950	Labour
	Hector McNeil		28 February 1950	26 October 1951	Labour
	James Stuart		30 October 1951	13 January 1957	Unionist
	John Maclay		13 January 1957	13 July 1962	Unionist
	Michael Noble		13 July 1962	16 October 1964	Unionist
	William Ross		18 October 1964	19 June 1970	Labour
	Gordon Campbell		20 June 1970	4 March 1974	Conservative and Unionist
	William Ross		5 March 1974	8 April 1976	Labour
	Bruce Millan		8 April 1976	4 May 1979	Labour
	George Younger		5 May 1979	11 January 1986	Conservative and Unionist
	Malcolm Rifkind		11 January 1986	28 November 1990	Conservative and Unionist
	Ian Lang		28 November 1990	5 July 1995	Conservative and Unionist
	Michael Forsyth		5 July 1995	2 May 1997	Conservative and Unionist
	Donald Dewar		3 May 1997	17 May 1999 (became First Minister of Scotland)	Labour
	John Reid		17 May 1999	25 January 2001	Labour
	Helen Liddell		25 January 2001	13 June 2003	Labour
	Alistair Darling (also Secretary of State for Transport)		13 June 2003	5 May 2006	Labour
	Douglas Alexander (also Secretary of State for Transport)		5 May 2006	27 June 2007	Labour
	Des Browne (also Secretary of State for Defence)		28 June 2007	3 October 2008	Labour
	Jim Murphy		3 October 2008	11 May 2010	Labour
	Danny Alexander		11 May 2010	29 May 2010	Liberal Democrats
	Michael Moore		29 May 2010	Incumbent	Liberal Democrats

See also

• First Minister of Scotland
• Secretary of State, Scotland, a senior post in the pre-Union government of Scotland
• Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, junior minister supporting the Secretary of State for Scotland
• Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
• Secretary of State for Wales

External links

• Official website of the Scotland Office