ScotDem - First Minister Flashcards
(3 cards)
Roles of the First Minister (8)
One role of this first mister is foreign visits. This means that the first minister
promotes Scotland globally and represents Scotland at events across the globe. Evidence of this is that the first minster was seen at the D-day remembrance service with many other world leaders in 2024.
Another role of the first minister is to appoint cabinet members. This means that they select other party’s MSP’s from to take on the responsibility of certain departments in government. Evidence of this is Nicola Sturgeon appointed John Swinney as the cabinet secretary for covid recovery.
Another role of the FM is to represent Scotland. This means that as the head of Scottish government, it is their responsibility to speak and act on behalf of Scotland. Evidence of this is Nicola Sturgeon was part of COBRA meetings with the other 3 national leaders in the UK during COVID-19.
Describe ways in which the First Minister in powerful (8)
One reason why the FM very powerful is because they are the head of the Scottish government. This means that they are the leader of the party with the most seats in parliament. Evidence of this is that the SNP got 64 seats in the 2021 parliamentary election and therefor Nicola Sturgeon, their leader, became First Minister.
One reason why The FM is very power is that they represents Scotland internationally. This means that it is his responsibility to speak on behalf of the Scottish people at international conferences. Evidence of this is Humza Yousaf spoke at the New York Climate Week Event in 2023 and emphasised the need for climate action.
The first minister is very powerful because they determine govt policy. This means that they can steer the agenda and make decisions that will impact Scots. An example of this is that Humzah Yousaf announced that council tax bills across Scotland would be frozen in 2024-25 to help those struggling with the cost of living.
Describe ways in which the First Ministers powers are limited (8)
One way in which the FM is not very powerful is that they are only responsible for devolved matters.This mean that they can only make decisions based in Scotland and not reserved, that are UK based. Evidence of this is the UK government blocked the Gender Recognition Reform Scotland Bill as it interferes with UK Equality Laws, a Reserved matter (December 2023)
One way in which the FM is not very powerful is that they have to answer to parliament. This means that although they are the leader of the country they must still attend parliament to be questioned and challenged. Evidence of this is the FM Question Times on Thursdays.
Another way in which the FM is not very powerful is that they have to make deals with other parties.This means that because their party doesn’t have a majority of seats, they must bargain with other parties to pass policies. Evidence of this is the Bute House Agreement, where the SP and Scottish Greens joined up in a shared-power deal.
