Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government

Scotland
Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government
Scotland; Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government
Scottish Gaelic: Rùnaire a’ Chaibineit airson Ionmhais agus Riaghaltas Ionadail;
	Incumbent; Shona Robison; since 29 March 2023
	Finance Directorates; Scottish Government; Scottish Cabinet
Style	Cabinet Secretary ; (within parliament); Finance Secretary ; (informal); Scottish Finance Secretary ; (outwith Scotland);
Member of	Scottish Parliament; Scottish Cabinet;
Reports to	Scottish Parliament; First Minister;
Seat	Edinburgh
Appointer	First Minister; (following approval from Scottish Parliament)
Inaugural holder	Jack McConnell ; Minister for Finance
Formation	19 May 1999
Deputy	Minister for Public Finance
Salary	£126,452 per annum (2024); (including £72,196 MSP salary)
Website	www.gov.scot

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government (Scottish Gaelic: Rùnaire a’ Chaibineit airson Ionmhais agus Riaghaltas Ionadail), commonly referred to as the Finance Secretary, is a member of the Cabinet in the Scottish Government. The Cabinet Secretary has Ministerial responsibility for the Scottish Government's Finance Directorates.

The post has been held by Shona Robison since March 2023, as Cabinet Secretary for Finance until 8 May 2024 when Local Government was added to her brief. Robison was additionally Deputy First Minister of Scotland from March 2023 to May 2024. The Cabinet Secretary is supported by the Minister for Public Finance, since May 2024 Ivan McKee.^[2]

History

Following devolution in 1999, the Government of First Minister Donald Dewar instituted the position as the Minister for Finance, which was renamed the Minister for Finance and Local Government in the Government of Henry McLeish from 2000 to 2001. In the first Government of Jack McConnell, from 2001 to 2003, the position was renamed as the Minister for Finance and Public Services, changed to the Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform after a reshuffle of the Second McConnell government in 2004.

The first Government of Alex Salmond in 2007 combined the Minister for Finance element, with that of Enterprise and Transport to create the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth. After the 2011 election the position was named Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth and the transport portfolio was moved under the remit of another Cabinet position.

In November 2014, the first Sturgeon government renamed the position to Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy, and in 2016 it was again renamed to Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution. It was further renamed to Finance, Economy and Fair Work in June 2018, taking some additional responsibilities from the position of Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work which was abolished, but losing some constitutional responsibilities to the Cabinet Secretary for Government Business and Constitutional Relations.^[3] The title was shortened to simply Cabinet Secretary for Finance in February 2020, with the responsibilities of the former Economy Secretary separated again and transferred over to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture.^[4] The economic responsibilities of the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture were again combined with those of the Cabinet Secretary for Finance on 19 May 2021 in the position of Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy.

The title was renamed back to Cabinet Secretary for Finance upon the formation of the First Yousaf Government on 29 March 2023, with Deputy First Minister Shona Robison taking the office. Following John Swinney's government formation Robison was given additional responsibilities for local government as the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government.

Overview

Responsibilities

The responsibilities of the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government are:^[2]

infrastructure policy cross-government co-ordination (policy, investment, and commission)
local government
local government finance
public sector reform policy, including civil service operations
Scottish Futures Trust

Budget

exchequer and the public finances
fiscal and taxation policy including Scottish Income Tax
Fiscal Framework Review
public sector pay
Scottish Budget, budgetary monitoring and reporting, including Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS)
Scottish Fiscal Commission

Public bodies

The following public bodies report to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government:

List of Office holders

There have been eight office holders since the establishment of Scottish devolution.

Name		Entered Office	Left Office	Party	First Minister
Minister for Finance
	Jack McConnell	19 May 1999	26 October 2000	Scottish Labour Party	Donald Dewar
Minister for Finance and Local Government
	Angus Mackay	26 October 2000	22 November 2001	Scottish Labour Party	Henry McLeish
Minister for Finance and Public Services
	Andy Kerr	22 November 2001	4 October 2004	Scottish Labour Party	Jack McConnell
Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform
	Tom McCabe	4 October 2004	17 May 2007	Scottish Labour Party	Jack McConnell
Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth
	John Swinney	17 May 2007	19 May 2011	Scottish National Party	Alex Salmond
Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth
	John Swinney	19 May 2011	21 November 2014	Scottish National Party	Alex Salmond
Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy
	John Swinney	21 November 2014	18 May 2016	Scottish National Party	Nicola Sturgeon
Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution
	Derek Mackay	18 May 2016	26 June 2018	Scottish National Party	Nicola Sturgeon
Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work
	Derek Mackay	26 June 2018	5 February 2020	Scottish National Party	Nicola Sturgeon
Cabinet Secretary for Finance
	Kate Forbes	17 February 2020	20 May 2021	Scottish National Party	Nicola Sturgeon
Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy
	Kate Forbes	20 May 2021	28 March 2023	Scottish National Party	Nicola Sturgeon
Cabinet Secretary for Finance
	Shona Robison	29 March 2023	8 May 2024	Scottish National Party	Humza Yousaf
Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government
	Shona Robison	8 May 2024	Incumbent	Scottish National Party	John Swinney