First Sturgeon government

First Sturgeon government
7th devolved government of Scotland
2014–16
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Date formed	20 November 2014
Date dissolved	5 May 2016
People and organisations
Head of government	Nicola Sturgeon
Head of state	Elizabeth II
Total number of ministers	25
Member party	Scottish National Party
Status in legislature	Majority
History
Legislature term(s)	4th Scottish Parliament
Predecessor	Second Salmond government
Successor	Second Sturgeon government

Nicola Sturgeon formed the first Sturgeon government on 20 November 2014, following the resignation of previous Scottish National Party (SNP) First Minister Alex Salmond. Sturgeon, who had been deputy first minister under Salmond, was elected to succeed him by the SNP majority in the Scottish Parliament on 19 November 2014.

History

Following the defeat of the campaign for Scottish independence in a 2014 referendum, then First Minister Alex Salmond, who had arranged the referendum, announced that he would resign as Scottish National Party leader and first minister after a new leader was chosen. Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was elected party leader unopposed at the SNP's annual conference on 14 November 2014. She was elected to succeed Salmond as First Minister by the Scottish Parliament on 19 November, and appointed by Queen Elizabeth II on the next day.

On 21 November 2014 Sturgeon's first cabinet was announced. It was formed of ten people: Sturgeon and nine cabinet secretaries. It was gender-balanced with five men and five women. There were thirteen junior ministerial positions outwith the cabinet.

List of ministers

Cabinet
Post	Minister	Term
First Minister	The Right Hon. Nicola Sturgeon MSP	2014–16
Deputy First Minister	John Swinney MSP	2014–16
Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy		2007–16
Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities	Keith Brown MSP	2014–16
Cabinet Secretary for Fair Work, Skills and Training	Roseanna Cunningham MSP	2014–16
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning	Angela Constance MSP	2014–16
Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport	Shona Robison MSP	2014–16
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners' Rights	Alex Neil MSP	2014–16
Cabinet Secretary for Justice	Michael Matheson MSP	2014–16
Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment	Richard Lochhead MSP	2007–16
Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe and External Affairs	Fiona Hyslop MSP	2011–16

Junior ministers
Post	Minister	Term
Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism	Fergus Ewing MSP	2014–16
Minister for Parliamentary Business	Joe Fitzpatrick MSP	2014–16
Minister for Transport and Islands	Derek Mackay MSP	2014–16
Minister for Youth and Women's Employment	Annabelle Ewing MSP	2014–16
Minister for Children and Young People	Aileen Campbell MSP	2014–16
Minister for Learning, Science and Scotland's Languages	Dr Alasdair Allan MSP	2014–16
Minister for Public Health	Maureen Watt MSP	2014–16
Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health	Jamie Hepburn MSP	2014–16
Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment	Marco Biagi MSP	2014–16
Minister for Housing and Welfare	Margaret Burgess MSP	2014–16
Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs	Paul Wheelhouse MSP	2014–16
Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform	Dr Aileen McLeod MSP	2014–16
Minister for Europe and International Development	Humza Yousaf MSP	2014–16

Law officers
Post	Name	Term
Lord Advocate	The Right Hon. Frank Mulholland QC	2014–16
Solicitor General for Scotland	Lesley Thomson	2014–16