Minister for Business and Employment
| Minister for Business and Employment | |
|---|---|
| Scottish Gaelic: Ministear airson Gnothachais | |
 | |
 | |
| Style | Minister (within parliament) Business Minister (informal) Scottish Business Minister (outwith Scotland) |
| Member of | |
| Reports to | Scottish Parliament |
| Seat | Edinburgh |
| Appointer | First Minister |
| Inaugural holder | Jim Mather Minister for Enterprise Energy and Tourism |
| Formation | 17 May 2007 |
| Salary | £106,185 per annum (2024)[1] (including £72,196 MSP salary) |
| Website | www |
| This article is part of a series within the Politics of the United Kingdom on the |
| Politics of Scotland |
|---|
 |
The Minister for Business and Employment is a Junior ministerial post in the Scottish Government. As a result, the Minister does not attend the Scottish Cabinet.[2] The post was retitled in June 2025, with the Minister supporting the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic, Kate Forbes.[3]
History
[edit]From 1999 to 2007, enterprise and energy were the responsibility of the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning. The Second McConnell government from 2003 to 2007 instituted Tourism as a portfolio, combined with Culture and Sport, as the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport.
The Salmond government, elected following the 2007 Scottish Parliament election created the junior post of Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism by combining the roles. In November 2014 his post became the Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism, as part of the first Sturgeon government. The post was retitled as Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy as part of the second Sturgeon government, and renamed again in June 2018 to Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills.[3] Upon the creation of the third Sturgeon Government, the post was once more retitled as Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise.
In March 2023, Humza Yousaf renamed the role Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade and appointed Richard Lochhead to the position.[4] In his streamlining of government upon becoming First Minister in May 2024, John Swinney renamed the post Minister for Business.[5] In June 2025, Swinney abolished the position of Minister for Employment and Investment and the employment portfolio was absorbed into the new role of Minister for Business and Employment, with Lochhead continuing in post.[6]
List of office holders
[edit]The current Minister for Business is Richard Lochhead.
Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism[edit] | |||||||
| Name | Portrait | Entered Office | Left Office | Party | First Minister | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Mather | .jpg)
|
17 May 2007 | 20 May 2011 | Scottish National Party | Alex Salmond | ||
Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism[edit] | |||||||
| Fergus Ewing | .jpg)
|
20 May 2011 | 18 May 2016 | Scottish National Party | Alex Salmond Nicola Sturgeon | ||
Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy[edit] | |||||||
| Paul Wheelhouse | 
|
18 May 2016 | 27 June 2018 | Scottish National Party | Nicola Sturgeon | ||
Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills[edit] | |||||||
| Jamie Hepburn | 
|
27 June 2018 | 20 May 2021 | Scottish National Party | Nicola Sturgeon | ||
Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise[edit] | |||||||
| Ivan McKee | .jpg)
|
20 May 2021 | 29 March 2023 | Scottish National Party | Nicola Sturgeon | ||
Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade[edit] | |||||||
| Richard Lochhead |
|
29 March 2023 | 8 May 2024 | Scottish National Party | Humza Yousaf | ||
Minister for Business[edit] | |||||||
| Richard Lochhead |
|
8 May 2024 | 11 June 2025 | Scottish National Party | John Swinney | ||
Minister for Business and Employment[edit] | |||||||
| Richard Lochhead |
|
11 June 2025 | Incumbent | Scottish National Party | John Swinney | ||
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "MSP salaries". parliament.scot. The Scottish Parliament. 10 May 2024.
- ^ Scotland Act (1998), Only those appointed under Section 47 of the Scotland Act "attend" Cabinet. Junior ministers are appointed under Section 49 and may be "present".
- ^ a b "Minister for Business - gov.scot". Scottish Government. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
- ^ "Full ministerial team confirmed". www.gov.scot. March 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
- ^ "Full ministerial team confirmed". www.gov.scot. May 2024. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
- ^ "Changes to the Ministerial team: Letter from First Minister to the Presiding Officer". www.gov.scot. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
External links
[edit]- Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy on Scottish Government website
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