Minister for Independence

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The Minister for Independence is a Junior ministerial post in the Scottish Government. As a result, the Minister does not attend^[1] the Scottish Cabinet. The post was created in March 2023 after the appointment of Humza Yousaf as First Minister of Scotland.

Overview

Responsibilities

The specific responsibilities of the minister are:^[2]

• Independence strategy
• Parliamentary co-ordination and liaison
• communication with people, businesses and organisations regarding devolution, independence and Scotland's constitutional future

Minister

Minister for Independence
Name		Portrait	Entered Office	Left Office	Party	First Minister
	Jamie Hepburn		29 March 2023		Scottish National Party	Humza Yousaf

Controversy

The decision to create a dedicated ministerial role for independence has been portrayed as a partisan move by the Scottish National Party's critics, including Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, have argued that creating a minister for independence represents a misallocation of resources and priorities when Scotland faces numerous challenges, such as social security issues and economic recovery post-pandemic. Despite these criticisms, Yousaf has defended his decision, citing it as a fulfilment of the manifesto.^[3][4]

See also

• Scottish Parliament
• Scottish Government

References

External links

• Cabinet and Ministers on Scottish Government website