Nicola Sturgeon formed the first Sturgeon government on 20 November 2014, following the resignation of previous 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, before being officially sworn in in front of senior judges at the Court of Session the next day.
Sturgeon's cabinet dissolved on 18 May 2016 following the 2016 election to the 5th Scottish parliament, which saw Sturgeon returning to office and forming a second government.
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 took the leadership unopposed at the SNP's annual conference on 14 November 2014. This also effectively made her First Minister-designate, given the SNP's outright majority in the Scottish Parliament. She was elected to succeed Salmond as First Minister by the Scottish Parliament on 19 November, and formally 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.
Cabinet November 2014 to May 2016 +I Cabinet of Nicola SturgeonPortfolioPortraitMinisterTermRef.Cabinet secretariesFirst MinisterNicola Sturgeon 2014–2023Deputy First MinisterJohn Swinney 2014–2023Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution & Economy2007–2016Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and CitiesKeith Brown 2014–2016Cabinet Secretary for Fair Work, Skills & TrainingRoseanna Cunningham 2014–2016Cabinet Secretary for Education & Lifelong LearningAngela Constance 2014–2016Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing & SportShona Robison 2014–2016Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners' RightsAlex Neil 2014–2016Cabinet Secretary for JusticeMichael Matheson 2014–2016Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and EnvironmentRichard Lochhead 2014–2016Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe and External AffairsFiona Hyslop 2014–2016Also attending cabinet meetingsPermanent SecretaryLeslie Evans2015–2022Minister for Parliamentary BusinessJoe FitzPatrick 2014–2016Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland QC2011–2016
Changes Sir Peter Housden stood down as the Permanent Secretary to the Scottish government in June 2015 and was succeeded by Leslie Evans the following month.
Junior Ministers Junior ministersPostMinisterTermMinister for Business, Energy and TourismFergus Ewing MSP 2014–2016Minister for Parliamentary BusinessJoe Fitzpatrick MSP 2014–2016Minister for Transport and IslandsDerek Mackay MSP 2014–2016Minister for Youth and Women's EmploymentAnnabelle Ewing MSP 2014–2016Minister for Children and Young PeopleAileen Campbell MSP 2014–2016Minister for Learning, Science and Scotland's LanguagesDr Alasdair Allan MSP 2014–2016Minister for Public HealthMaureen Watt MSP 2014–2016Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental HealthJamie Hepburn MSP 2014–2016Minister for Local Government and Community EmpowermentMarco Biagi MSP 2014–2016Minister for Housing and WelfareMargaret Burgess MSP 2014–2016Minister for Community Safety and Legal AffairsPaul Wheelhouse MSP 2014–2016Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land ReformDr Aileen McLeod MSP 2014–2016Minister for Europe and International DevelopmentHumza Yousaf MSP 2014–2016
Scottish Law Officers Law officersPost NamePortrait TermLord AdvocateThe Right Hon. Frank Mulholland QC2011–2016Solicitor General for ScotlandLesley Thomson QC2011–2016
See also Premiership of Nicola Sturgeon
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