Scotland’s first minister is set to launch the first in a new series of papers that she says will form an “updated independence prospectus”. Nicola Sturgeon is due to unveil the documents in the Scottish Government’s Building a New Scotland series at Bute House in Edinburgh on Tuesday. And while Nicola Sturgeon said the papers – seen as an update of the independence white paper published in the run-up to the 2014 referendum – would “set out openly the challenges a newly independent Scotland would face”, she also stressed they would also “point the way” to a wealthier, fairer and more resilient nation.
What are the powers of the First Minister in Scotland?
The role and powers of the first minister are set out in Sections 45 to 49 of the Scotland Act 1998. Following their appointment, the first minister may nominate ministers to sit in the Scottish Cabinet and junior ministers to form the Scottish Government. They are then formally elected by the Scottish Parliament. Ministers hold office at Her Majesty’s Pleasure and may be removed from office, at any time, by the first minister.
Nicola Sturgeon also has the power to appoint the law officers and chief legal officers of the Scottish Government – the lord advocate and the solicitor general but only with the support of the Scottish Parliament. The first minister is responsible to the Scottish Parliament for their actions and the actions of the overall Scottish Government.
MSPs can scrutinise the activities of the first minister and their Cabinet by tabling written questions or asking oral questions in the Scottish Parliament. Direct questioning of the first minister occurs at First Minister’s Questions (FMQs) each Thursday at noon when Parliament is sitting. The 30-minute session enables MSPs to ask questions of the first minister on any issue. The leaders of the largest opposition parties have an allocation of questions and are allowed to question the first minister each week. Opposition leaders typically ask an opening question to the first minister, relating to their meeting with the Scottish Cabinet or when they next expect to meet the Prime Minister, and then follow this up by asking a supplementary question on an issue of their choosing.
In addition to direct questioning, the first minister can also deliver oral statements to the Scottish Parliament chamber, after which members are invited to question the first minister on the substance of the information. For example, at the beginning of each parliamentary term, the first minister delivers a statement typically, setting out the Government’s legislative programme or an account of government priorities over the forthcoming period.
Unlike the office of the first minister, the position of deputy is not recognised in statute and confers no extra status on the holder. As the first minister, the deputy first minister is an elected member of the Scottish Parliament and a member of the Scottish Government. From 1999 to 2007, when Scotland was governed by a Labour–Liberal Democrat coalition, the leader of the Liberal Democrats – the junior government party – was given the role of deputy first minister, a title which they held in conjunction with another ministerial portfolio. For example, Nicol Stephen, deputy first minister from 2005 to 2007, simultaneously had the post of Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning.
Nicola Sturgeon unveiled the first papers for Scotland
Scotland’s First Minister is to launch the first in a new series of papers that she says will form an “updated independence prospectus”. Nicola Sturgeon is due to unveil the first of documents in the Scottish Government’s Building a New Scotland series at Bute House in Edinburgh on Tuesday. And while she said the papers – seen as an update of the independence white paper published in the run-up to the 2014 referendum – would “set out openly the challenges a newly independent Scotland would face”, she also stressed they would also “point the way” to a wealthier, fairer and more resilient nation.
The launch comes after Ms Sturgeon’s SNP won the 2021 Holyrood election on a manifesto which included a commitment to hold another referendum on Scotland’s place in the UK once the Covid crisis had abated. The SNP did not win most seats in the Scottish Parliament in that election. Still, voters had also returned a record number of Green MSPs creating a pro-independence majority within Holyrood.
Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie will join Ms Sturgeon in Bute House – the First Minister’s official residence – for Tuesday’s launch event. The SNP leader has repeatedly made clear that she wants a referendum before the end of 2023 – despite fierce opposition from the UK Government to such a vote. And while Sturgeon said “having the full powers of independence does not guarantee a better future” for Scotland, it was “striking just how successful” countries similar to Scotland were compared to the UK. Such nations, she said, “can help point the way to a new Scotland that is wealthier and fairer, more resilient and better placed to help people with issues such as the cost of living crisis than a UK Government committed to a hard Brexit whatever the cost”.
Conclusion
Nicola Sturgeon is to unveil the first of documents in the Scottish Government’s Building a New Scotland series at Bute House in Edinburgh. And while Sturgeon said the papers seen as an update of the independence white paper published in the run-up to the 2014 referendum would “set out openly the challenges a newly independent Scotland would face”, she also stressed they would also “point the way” to a wealthier, fairer and more resilient nation.
The launch comes after Ms Sturgeon’s SNP won the 2021 Holyrood election on a manifesto which included a commitment to hold another referendum on Scotland’s place in the UK once the Covid crisis had abated. The SNP did not win most seats in the Scottish Parliament in that election. Still, voters had also returned a record number of Green MSPs creating a pro-independence majority within Holyrood.
