View source for First McConnell government

{{Short description|Scottish Government from 2001 to 2003}}
{{EngvarB|date=January 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{Infobox government cabinet
|cabinet_name       = First McConnell government
|cabinet_number     = 3rd 
|cabinet_type=[[Scottish Government|government]]
| flag                    = Flag of Scotland.svg
| flag_border             = true
| flag_width              =
|jurisdiction       = [[Scotland]]
|incumbent               = 2001–2003
|image              =First Cabinet Meeting of McConnell Government.jpg 
|date_formed        = 27 November 2001
|date_dissolved     = 20 May 2003
|government_head_title = First Minister
|government_head    = [[Jack McConnell]]
|government_head_history = [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]] for [[Motherwell and Wishaw (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Motherwell and Wishaw]] (1999–2011) <br/> [[Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government|Minister for Finance]] (1999–2000) <Br/> [[Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills|Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs]] (2001–2001)
|deputy_government_head =  [[Jim Wallace, Baron Wallace of Tankerness|Jim Wallace]]
|state_head_title   = Monarch
|state_head         = [[Elizabeth II]]
|current_number     = 
|former_members_number = 
|total_number       = 
|political_parties = {{ubl
|{{Color box|{{party color|Scottish Labour Party}}|border=darkgray}} [[Scottish Labour|Labour Party]]
|{{Color box|{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Scottish Liberal Democrats|Liberal Democrats]]}}
|legislature_status =[[Majority government|Majority]] [[Coalition government|(coalition)]] <br/> 72 / 129 (56%){{Composition_bar/advanced/infobox
|divisionname=
|total        = 129
|boxwidth     = 123
|party1       = 56
|partycolor1  = {{party color|Scottish Labour Party}}
|party2       = 16
|partycolor2  = {{party color|Liberal Democrats}}
}}
|opposition_cabinet = 
|opposition_party   = {{Color box|{{party color|Scottish National Party}}|border=darkgray}} [[Scottish National Party]]
|opposition_leader  = [[John Swinney]]
|election           =
|last_election      = [[2003 Scottish Parliament election|2003 general election]]
|legislature_term   = [[1st Scottish Parliament]]
|budget             = [[Scottish budget|2002 Scottish budget]] <br/> [[Scottish budget|2003 Scottish budget]] 
|incoming_formation = 
|outgoing_formation = 
|previous           = [[McLeish government]]
|successor          = [[Second McConnell government]]
}}

The '''first McConnell government''' was formed by [[Jack McConnell]] on 27 November 2001 during the [[1st Scottish Parliament]], following [[Henry McLeish]]'s resignation as [[First Minister of Scotland]] as a consequence of the [[Officegate]] scandal.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2001-11-22|title=McConnell elected first minister|language=en-GB|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/scotland/2001/mcleish_resignation/1670438.stm|access-date=2021-06-27}}</ref> The first McConnell government was a continuation of the [[Scottish Labour Party|Labour]]–[[Scottish Liberal Democrats|Liberal Democrat]] coalition that had existed under the previous [[McLeish ministry|McLeish]] and [[Dewar ministry|Dewar]] governments. It ended on 20 May 2003 following the [[2003 Scottish Parliament election|2003 election]] to the [[2nd Scottish Parliament|2nd Scottish parliament]], which saw McConnell returning to office as first minister to form a [[Second McConnell government|second government]].

== History ==
{{Jack McConnell sidebar}}
Henry McLeish resigned as first minister and leader of Scottish Labour in the aftermath of the Officegate scandal, which centred on expenses claimed for his Glenrothes constituency office.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2001-11-08|title=First minister to resign|language=en-GB|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/1643858.stm|access-date=2021-06-27}}</ref> McConnell was elected as Labour leader and was nominated for the post of [[First Minister of Scotland|first minister]] by a vote of the [[Scottish Parliament]] on 22 November, defeating [[Scottish National Party]] leader [[John Swinney]], [[Scottish Conservative]] leader [[David McLetchie]] and [[Independent politician|Independent]] MSP [[Dennis Canavan]] by 70 votes to 34, 19 and 3 respectively.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2009-10-31|title=22 November 2001: McConnell elected First Minister|language=en-GB|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/historic_moments/newsid_8186000/8186187.stm|access-date=2021-06-27}}</ref>

Shortly after being appointed McConnell began making appointments to his cabinet. [[Jim Wallace, Baron Wallace of Tankerness|Jim Wallace]] remained in the post of deputy first minister while Cathy Jamieson took over Mr McConnell's education brief and [[Wendy Alexander]] and [[Ross Finnie]] remained as ministers. [[Sam Galbraith]] and [[Angus MacKay (Scottish politician)|Angus MacKay]] stood down and [[Jackie Baillie]], [[Sarah Boyack]] and [[Tom McCabe]] reshuffled out of government, while [[Susan Deacon]] was offered the post of social justice minister but refused the offer and moved to the [[Backbencher|backbenches]]. [[Cathy Jamieson]], [[Mike Watson, Baron Watson of Invergowrie|Mike Watson]], [[Malcolm Chisholm]], [[Iain Gray]], [[Patricia Ferguson]] and [[Andy Kerr (Scottish politician)|Andy Kerr]] were all promoted to cabinet.

[[Wendy Alexander]] resigned for her post of Enterprise Minister on 4 May 2002. Her vacancy was filled by [[Iain Gray]], and his post as Social Justice Minister was in turn filled by [[Margaret Curran]], who had been his deputy.<ref name="SDr3">{{cite book|author=Gerry Hassan and Eric Shaw|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bFKlBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA111|title=The Strange Death of Labour Scotland|publisher=Edinburgh University Press|year=2012|isbn=978-0748640010|pages=111}}</ref> [[Hugh Henry]] left the post of Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care on 9 May 2002, and took up the post of Deputy Minister for Social Justice.<ref name="GD5MAY">{{cite news|author=Stephen Khan|date=5 May 2002|title=Reshuffle is condemned as 'trawling for talent'|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2002/may/05/scotland.devolution|accessdate=20 January 2016}}</ref><ref name="HDGd33">{{cite web|title=Hugh Henry|url=http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msps/31614.aspx|work=scottish.parliament.uk|publisher=Scottish Parliament|accessdate=20 January 2016}}</ref> [[Frank McAveety]] filled his vacancy.<ref name="GD5MAY" /> [[Richard Simpson (Scottish politician)|Richard Simpson]] resigned from his post as Deputy Justice Minister on 26 November 2002, and was replaced by [[Hugh Henry]].<ref name="BBC26NOV">{{cite news|date=26 November 2002|title=Minister quits over fire 'fascists' row|work=BBC News|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/2513847.stm|accessdate=20 January 2016}}</ref> [[Des McNulty]] filled Henry's vacancy as Deputy Health Minister.<ref name="DNMS33">{{cite web|title=Des McNulty|url=http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msps/31927.aspx|work=scottish.parliament.uk|publisher=Scottish Parliament|accessdate=20 January 2016}}</ref>

In the [[2003 Scottish Parliament election]], the [[Scottish Labour Party|Labour]]–[[Scottish Liberal Democrats|Liberal Democrat]] coalition was renewed and Jack McConnell returned to a second term as first minister and formed a [[Second McConnell government|second administration]].

==Cabinet==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="6" |

Cabinet<ref name="SPICE briefing Session 1">{{cite web | url=http://www.parliament.scot/Research%20briefings%20and%20fact%20sheets/Ministers_and_Law_Officers_by_cabinet-__Session_1.pdf | title=Ministers, Law Officer and Ministerial Parliamentary Aides by Cabinet: Session 1 | publisher=Scottish Parliament | website=www.parliament.scot | date=30 March 2007 | accessdate=9 April 2017 | archive-date=13 September 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160913201311/http://www.parliament.scot/Research%20briefings%20and%20fact%20sheets/Ministers_and_Law_Officers_by_cabinet-__Session_1.pdf | url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
! style="width: 340px" |Post
!Minister
!Portrait
! colspan="2" |Party
!Term
|-
|'''[[First Minister of Scotland|First Minister]]'''
|[[The Right Honourable|The Rt Hon.]] '''[[Jack McConnell]]''' [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]] 
|[[File:Jack McConnell.jpg|116x116px]]
! style="background-color: {{party color|Scottish Labour Party}}; width: 1px" | 
|[[Scottish Labour Party|Labour Party]]||2001–2003
|-
|'''[[Deputy First Minister of Scotland|Deputy First Minister]]'''
| rowspan="2" |[[The Right Honourable|The Rt Hon.]] '''[[Jim Wallace, Baron Wallace of Tankerness|Jim Wallace]]''' [[Queen's Counsel|'''QC''']] [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]] 
| rowspan="2" |[[File:Jim Wallace.jpg|107x107px]]
! rowspan="2" style="background-color: {{party color|Scottish Liberal Democrats}}" | 
| rowspan="2" |[[Scottish Liberal Democrats|Liberal Democrats]]||2001–2003
|-
|'''[[Minister for Justice (Scotland)|Minister for Justice]]'''
|2001–2003
|-
|'''[[Minister for Education and Young People]]'''
|'''[[Cathy Jamieson]]''' [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]] 
|[[File:Cathy Jamieson.jpg|107x107px]]
! style="background-color: {{party color|Scottish Labour Party}}; width: 1px" | 
|[[Scottish Labour Party|Labour Party]]||2001–2003
|-
| rowspan="2" |'''[[Minister for Housing (Scotland)|Minister for Social Justice]]'''
|[[Iain Gray]] [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]] 
|[[File:Iain Gray.jpg|107x107px]]
! rowspan="2" style="background-color: {{party color|Scottish Labour Party}}; width: 1px" | 
|[[Scottish Labour Party|Labour Party]]||2001–2002
|-
|'''[[Margaret Curran]]''' [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]] 
|[[File:Margaret Curran.jpg|107x107px]]||[[Scottish Labour Party|Labour Party]]||2002–2003
|-
| rowspan="2" |'''[[Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning]]'''
|[[Wendy Alexander]] [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]] 
|[[File:Wendy Alexander.jpg|111x111px]]
! rowspan="2" style="background-color: {{party color|Scottish Labour Party}}; width: 1px" | 
|[[Scottish Labour Party|Labour Party]]||2001–2002
|-
|'''[[Iain Gray]]''' [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]] 
|[[File:Iain Gray.jpg|107x107px]]||[[Scottish Labour Party|Labour Party]]||2002–2003
|-
|'''Minister for Culture and Sport'''
|'''[[Mike Watson, Baron Watson of Invergowrie|Mike Watson]]''' [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]] 
|[[File:Mike Watson SM.jpg|118x118px]]
! style="background-color: {{party color|Scottish Labour Party}}" | 
|[[Scottish Labour Party|Labour Party]]||2001–2003
|-
|'''[[Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government|Minister for Finance and Public Services]]'''
|'''[[Andy Kerr (Scottish politician)|Andy Kerr]]''' [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]] 
|[[File:Andy Kerr.jpg|107x107px]]
! style="background-color: {{party color|Scottish Labour Party}}; width: 1px" | 
|[[Scottish Labour Party|Labour Party]]||2001–2003
|-
|'''[[Minister for Health and Community Care]]'''
|'''[[Malcolm Chisholm]]''' [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]] 
|[[File:Malcolm Chisholm.jpg|107x107px]]
! style="background-color: {{party color|Scottish Labour Party}}; width: 1px" | 
|[[Scottish Labour Party|Labour Party]]||2001–2003
|-
|'''[[Minister for Parliamentary Business|Minister for Parliament]]'''
|'''[[Patricia Ferguson]]''' [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]] 
|[[File:PatriciaFergusonMSPPortrait.jpg|111x111px]]
! style="background-color: {{party color|Scottish Labour Party}}" | 
|[[Scottish Labour Party|Labour Party]]||2001–2003
|-
|'''[[Minister for the Environment and Rural Development]]'''
|'''[[Ross Finnie]]''' [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]] 
|[[File:Ross Finnie.jpg|107x107px]]
! style="background-color: {{party color|Scottish Liberal Democrats}}; width: 1px" | 
|[[Scottish Liberal Democrats|Liberal Democrats]]||2001–2003
|-
|'''[[Lord Advocate]]'''
|[[The Right Honourable|The Rt Hon.]] '''[[Colin Boyd, Baron Boyd of Duncansby|Colin Boyd]] [[Queen's Counsel|QC]]'''
|[[File:Colin Boyd.jpg|107x107px]]
! style="background-color: {{party color|Scottish Labour Party}}; width: 1px" | 
|[[Scottish Labour Party|Labour Party]]||2001–2003
|-
|}

== Junior ministers ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="5" |

Junior ministers<ref name="SPICE briefing Session 1" />
|-
! style="width: 340px" |Post
!Minister
! colspan="2" |Party
!Term
|-
|[[Deputy Minister for Culture and Sport]]
|Dr '''[[Elaine Murray]]''' [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]] 
! style="background-color: {{party color|Scottish Labour Party}}; width: 1px" | 
|[[Scottish Labour Party|Labour Party]]||2001–2003
|-
|[[Deputy Minister for Education and Young People]]
|'''[[Nicol Stephen]]''' [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]] 
! style="background-color: {{party color|Scottish Liberal Democrats}}; width: 1px" | 
|[[Scottish Liberal Democrats|Liberal Democrats]]||1999–2000
|-
|[[Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning]]
|Dr '''[[Lewis Macdonald]]''' [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]] 
! style="background-color: {{party color|Scottish Labour Party}}; width: 1px" | 
|[[Scottish Labour Party|Labour Party]]||2001–2003
|-
|[[Deputy Minister for the Environment and Rural Development]] 
|'''[[Allan Wilson (Scottish politician)|Allan Wilson]]''' [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]] 
! style="background-color: {{party color|Scottish Labour Party}}; width: 1px" | 
|[[Scottish Labour Party|Labour Party]]||2001–2003
|-
|Deputy Minister for Finance and Public Services
|'''[[Peter Peacock]]''' [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]] 
! style="background-color: {{party color|Scottish Labour Party}}; width: 1px" | 
|[[Scottish Labour Party|Labour Party]]||2001–2003
|-
| rowspan="3" |[[Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care|Deputy Ministers for Health and Community Care]]
|[[Hugh Henry]] [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]] 
! rowspan="3" style="background-color: {{party color|Scottish Labour Party}}" | 
|[[Scottish Labour Party|Labour Party]]||2001–2002
|-
|'''[[Frank McAveety]]''' [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]] ||[[Scottish Labour Party|Labour Party]]||2002–2003
|-
|'''[[Mary Mulligan]]''' [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]] ||[[Scottish Labour Party|Labour Party]]||2001–2003
|-
| rowspan="2" |[[Deputy Minister for Justice]]
|Dr [[Richard Simpson (Scottish politician)|Richard Simpson]] [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]] 
! rowspan="2" style="background-color: {{party color|Scottish Labour Party}}" | 
|[[Scottish Labour Party|Labour Party]]||2001–2002
|-
|'''[[Hugh Henry]]''' [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]] ||[[Scottish Labour Party|Labour Party]]||2002–2003
|-
|Deputy Minister for Parliamentary Business
|'''[[Euan Robson]]''' [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]] 
! style="background-color: {{party color|Scottish Liberal Democrats}}; width: 1px" | 
|[[Scottish Liberal Democrats|Liberal Democrats]]||2001–2003
|-
| rowspan="3" |Deputy Ministers for Social Justice
|[[Margaret Curran]] [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]] 
! rowspan="3" style="background-color: {{party color|Scottish Labour Party}}; width: 1px" | 
|[[Scottish Labour Party|Labour Party]]||2001–2002
|-
|[[Hugh Henry]] [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]] ||[[Scottish Labour Party|Labour Party]]||2002
|-
|'''[[Des McNulty]]''' [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]] ||[[Scottish Labour Party|Labour Party]]||2002–2003
|-
|[[Solicitor General for Scotland]]
|'''[[Elish Angiolini]]''' [[Queen's Counsel|QC]]
| | ||[[Independent politician|Independent]]||2001–2003
|-
|}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

{{Scottish Governments}}
{{Scottish Labour Party}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:McConnell ministry, First}}
[[Category:Scottish governments]]
[[Category:2001 establishments in Scotland]]
[[Category:2003 disestablishments in Scotland]]
[[Category:Coalition governments of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Ministries of Elizabeth II]]