| Post: | Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government |
| Native Name: | Gaelic; Scottish Gaelic: Rùnaire a’ Chaibineit airson Ionmhais agus Riaghaltas Ionadail |
| Incumbent: | Shona Robison |
| Incumbentsince: | 29 March 2023 |
| Department: | Finance Directorates Scottish Government Scottish Cabinet |
| Seat: | Edinburgh |
| Appointer: | First Minister |
| Inaugural: | Jack McConnell |
| Formation: | 19 May 1999 |
| Deputy: | Minister for Public Finance |
| Salary: | £126,452 per annum [1] (including £72,196 MSP salary) |
The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government (Gaelic; 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]
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.
The responsibilities of the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government are:
Budget
The following public bodies report to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government:
There have been eight office holders since the establishment of Scottish devolution.
| Name | Portrait | Entered Office | Left Office | Party | First Minister | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minister for Finance | |||||||
| Jack McConnell | 19 May 1999 | 26 October 2000 | Scottish Labour Party | ||||
| Minister for Finance and Local Government | |||||||
| Angus Mackay | 26 October 2000 | 22 November 2001 | Scottish Labour Party | ||||
| Minister for Finance and Public Services | |||||||
| Andy Kerr | 22 November 2001 | 4 October 2004 | Scottish Labour Party | ||||
| Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform | |||||||
| Tom McCabe | 4 October 2004 | 17 May 2007 | Scottish Labour Party | ||||
| 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 | |||