Second Swinney government
Second Swinney government | |
|---|---|
 13th Government of Scotland | |
| 2026–present | |
.jpg) Swinney's cabinet outside Bute House, 2026 | |
| Date formed | 20 May 2026 |
| People and organisations | |
Head of state | Charles III |
| John Swinney | |
First Minister's history | MSP for Perthshire North (1999–present) Deputy First Minister of Scotland (2014–2023) Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy (2007–2016, 2022–2023) Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery (2021–2023) Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills (2016–2021) |
| Jenny Gilruth | |
Member party | Scottish National Party |
Status in legislature | Minority |
Opposition cabinet | Opposition Parties |
Opposition parties | Scottish Labour Reform UK Scotland |
Opposition leaders |
|
| History | |
| Election | 2026 Scottish Parliament election |
| Legislature term | 7th Scottish Parliament |
| Predecessor | First Swinney government |
John Swinney formed the second Swinney government on 20 May 2026, following his reappointment as First Minister of Scotland after the 2026 Scottish Parliament election.[1][2]
The government was announced on 20 May 2026 following Swinney's formal swearing-in at the Court of Session. The new government featured a significantly streamlined cabinet, reduced from twelve cabinet secretaries to nine, with Swinney stating that the government would focus on "fiscal sustainability" and public sector reform.[3]
Jenny Gilruth was appointed Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government, replacing Kate Forbes, who departed government following the election. Former Westminster SNP leader Stephen Flynn entered government for the first time as Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport.[4] Several senior cabinet secretaries from the first Swinney government did not return for the second government, with former Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes, Finance Secretary Shona Robison, Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop and Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon all standing down ahead of the 2026 election, while Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson lost his seat in Edinburgh Central.
Several appointments were initially made on a designate basis pending approval by the Scottish Parliament and formal appointment by the monarch, including Ivan McKee, Stephen Flynn, Stephen Gethins, Hannah Mary Goodlad, Kirsten Oswald, Alison Thewliss and Simita Kumar.[5]
Cabinet
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List of Junior Ministers
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Junior ministers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Post | Minister | Term | ||
| Minister for Parliamentary Business & Veterans | Jamie Hepburn MSP | 2026–present | ||
| Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Energy | Stephen Gethins MSP | 2026–present | ||
| Minister for Public Finance | Hannah Mary Goodlad MSP | 2026–present | ||
| Minister for Victims and Community Safety | Kirsten Oswald MSP | 2026–present | ||
| Minister for Community Care | Alison Thewliss MSP | 2026–present | ||
| Minister for Mental Wellbeing, Public Health, Sport, Alcohol & Drugs | Maree Todd MSP | 2025–present | ||
| Minister for Agriculture, Marine and the Islands | Jim Fairlie MSP | 2024–present | ||
| Minister for Children, Young People and the Promise | Siobhian Brown MSP | 2026–present | ||
| Minister for Innovation, Technology and Tertiary Education | Ben Macpherson MSP | 2025–2026 | ||
| Alyn Smith MSP | 2026–present | |||
| Minister for Equalities and International Development | Simita Kumar MSP | 2026–present | ||
| Minister for Business and Fair Work | Tom Arthur MSP | 2026–present | ||
References
[edit]- ↑ "SNP leader John Swinney re-elected as Scotland's first minister". Sky News. Retrieved 2026-05-21.
- ↑ "John Swinney sworn in as Scotland's first minister". BBC Scotland. Retrieved 2026-05-21.
- ↑ "Jenny Gilruth handed deputy role as Swinney slims down cabinet". The Times. Retrieved 2026-05-21.
- ↑ "Cabinet and Ministers". gov.scot. Retrieved 2026-05-21.
- ↑ "The new Scottish Government". SPICe Spotlight. Retrieved 2026-05-21.
| Premiership | .jpg) | |
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| Electoral history | ||
| Related | ||
| 1st Parliament (1999–2003) |
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| 2nd Parliament (2003–2007) |
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| 3rd Parliament (2007–2011) |
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| 4th Parliament (2011–2016) |
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| 5th Parliament (2016–2021) |
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| 6th Parliament (2021–2026) |
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| 7th Parliament (2026–present) |
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