Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic
| Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic | |
|---|---|
| Scottish Gaelic: Rùnaire a’ Chaibineit airson na h-Eaconamaidh agus na Gàidhlig | |
 | |
| Style | Cabinet Secretary (within parliament) Economy Secretary (informal) Scottish Economy Secretary (outwith Scotland) |
| Member of | |
| Reports to | Scottish Parliament |
| Seat | Edinburgh |
| Appointer | First Minister |
| Inaugural holder | Keith Brown Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work |
| Formation | 18 May 2016 |
| Salary | £118,511 per annum (2023)[1] (including £67,662 MSP salary) |
| Website | www |
The Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic is a position in the Scottish cabinet since May 2024.[2] The post is due to be held by Kate Forbes, who will be appointed on 9 May 2024 alongside her role as Deputy First Minister.
History[edit]
At its inception, the Cabinet Secretary had responsibilities for the Scottish economy, infrastructure, trade and investment, business, industry, employment, trade unions and energy. The Cabinet Secretary was assisted by the Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy and the Minister for Employability and Training. The post was abolished in June 2018, with the "economy" part of the brief moving to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work and the infrastructure responsibilities moving to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity.[3]
The only Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work was Keith Brown, who was appointed in May 2016. The role was then remerged with the Finance brief to create the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work.
In February 2020 a Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture was appointed, taking over many of the responsibilities of the former portfolio, which were thus again held separately from the Finance brief.[4]
Under First Minister Humza Yousaf, Neil Gray was appointed as Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy Secretary whilst Màiri McAllan held the portfolio as Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy Secretary before the role was reformed in May 2024.
John Swinney retitled the role to its current iteration and appointed Kate Forbes as its designate, concurrently with the role of Deputy First Minister of Scotland. She is due to be formally appointed by parliament on 9th May 2024. McAllan retained the other part of her role as Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy.[2]
Overview[edit]
Responsibilities[edit]
The responsibilities of the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy:[5]
- Support for business, industry and manufacturing
- Wellbeing economy and inclusive growth
- Cities investment and strategy
- City Centre Recovery Taskforce
- National Strategy for Economic Transformation
- Enterprise agencies
- Scottish National Investment Bank
- Office of the Chief Economic Adviser
- Industrial strategy
- Regional economic partnerships
- Support for economic transformation
- Women's employment
- Women in business and addressing the gender pay gap
- Supply chain development programmes
- Infrastructure Investment
- Clyde Mission
- City and Regional Growth Deals
- Government investments (Prestwick, Fergusons, BiFab)
- Employment and Jobs
- Long-term labour market strategy
- Fair work (including living wage and living hours)
- Employability programmes
- Effective worker voice, including trade unions
- Workplace equalities (including gender, disability and race employment)
- Engagement with UK Government on various economy-focused funds
- Shared prosperity fund, levelling up fund, ESIF
- Oil and gas
Public bodies[edit]
The following public bodies reported to the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy:[5]
- Scottish Enterprise
- Highlands and Islands Enterprise
- South of Scotland Enterprise
- Scottish National Investment Bank
- Glasgow Prestwick Airport
- Ferguson Marine
- BiFab
List of Economy Secretaries[edit]
As is typical of Scottish government roles, the Economy portfolio has gone through many iterations since its inception. The current holder is Kate Forbes, who has held the role since May 2024.
| Name | Portrait | Entered Office | Left Office | Party | First Minister | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Role formed out of Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work | ||||||
| Keith Brown | .jpg)
|
18 May 2016 | 26 June 2018 | Scottish National Party | Nicola Sturgeon | |
| Role merged with Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work | ||||||
| Derek Mackay | 
|
26 June 2018 | 5 February 2020 | Scottish National Party | Nicola Sturgeon | |
| Role merged with Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture | ||||||
| Fiona Hyslop | .jpg)
|
17 February 2020 | 19 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 Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy | ||||||
| Neil Gray | 
|
29 March 2023 | 8 February 2024 | Scottish National Party | Humza Yousaf | |
| Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy | ||||||
| Màiri McAllan | 
|
8 February 2024 | 8 May 2024 | Scottish National Party | Humza Yousaf | |
| Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic | ||||||
| Kate Forbes |
|
9 May 2024 | Incumbent | Scottish National Party | John Swinney | |
References[edit]
- ^ "MSP salaries". parliament.scot. The Scottish Parliament. 5 April 2023.
- ^ a b "New Scottish Cabinet". www.gov.scot. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
- ^ "New Cabinet appointed". Scottish Government. 26 June 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
- ^ "Cabinet Appointments". Scottish Government. 17 February 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- ^ a b "Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy". Scottish Government. Retrieved 4 July 2023.