Alison was elected to the role of Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament in May 2021. In this role Alison chairs the Parliamentary Bureau and the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body.
Alison has represented Lothian region in the Scottish Parliament since 2011 and prior to that was a City of Edinburgh Councillor 2007-2012. As an MSP and Councillor Alison campaigned on issues of environmental justice, health and wellbeing, sport, equality human rights and animal welfare.
John Swinney was appointed First Minister in May 2024.
Born in 1964, he joined the Scottish National Party in 1979 and went on to graduate from Edinburgh University with an MA (Hons) in Politics. He has worked for the Scottish Coal Project, Development Options and Scottish Amicable.
Prior to his election as Westminster MP for North Tayside in 1997, he held a number of posts in the SNP at local and national level. In 1999, he became the MSP for Tayside North, remaining as the constituency's MP until standing down from Westminster at the 2001 General Election.
From 1998 to 2000, he served as deputy leader of the SNP, and then as party leader between 2000 and 2004. He was re-elected as an MSP at the 2011 Scottish Parliament election and appointed Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth. He was appointed as Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy in November 2014. In 2016 he was appointed Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills. In 2021 he was appointed Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery.
Read more about John Swinney on the Scottish Parliament website
Kate Forbes was appointed as Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic in May 2024.
Kate Forbes is the Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch constituency (which includes Dingwall, the Black Isle and the Great Glen). She is the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for the Economy and Gaelic in the Scottish Government.
Kate is from Dingwall, although she spent part of her upbringing in Glasgow and India. Until she was elected as MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Kate was employed as an accountant in the banking industry. Prior to that she studied History at the Universities of Cambridge and Edinburgh.
First elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2016, she was re-elected as the constituency MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch in May 2021.
Kate first joined the Government in June 2018, as Minister for Public Finance and Digital Economy. She subsequently served as Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy from February 2020 to March 2023.
Read more about Kate Forbes on the Scottish Parliament website
Colin Smyth has represented the South of Scotland region in the Scottish Parliament since 2016.
He has served on the Scottish Parliament’s Economy and Fair Work Committee since 2021, and in November 2024 was selected as the Committee’s Convener.
As a member of the Committee, he has worked on several inquiries including town centre regeneration, how to achieve a just transition for Grangemouth and the North East and Moray, and most recently, tackling the disability employment gap in Scotland.
Since entering Parliament, Colin has had several party roles. In addition to these, and his committee work, he sits on a number of cross-party groups, including the cross-party group on visual impairment.
Prior to becoming an MSP, Colin was a Councillor for the Nith ward on Dumfries and Galloway Council, where he served as the Chair of the Economy, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee. Before entering politics, he worked as a modern studies teacher.
Hina is the Head of Commercial at Craft Prospect, a space engineering practice delivering next generation Smart Secure Space capabilities in-orbit backed by an employee owned and partner led approach to development. Craft Prospect delivers mission enabling products using emerging technologies in onboard intelligence and quantum technologies initially targeting small satellites, and leverages these into novel mission applications, like space-based quantum secure communications. Hina leads a team focussing on commercial opportunities through the development of technology and mission services with partners, customers and clients.
Hina was previously the first Executive Director of Space Scotland, a not for profit organisation galvanising the Scottish space sector, working with industry, government and academia. She has an extensive background in space science research with a PhD in Space Science resulting in research positions at NASA and the European Space Agency. She has a portfolio of leadership roles that have resulted in strong partnerships and industry relationships that have helped developed the space sector in Scotland and the UK.
She also led the Scottish Centre of Excellence in Satellite Applications, and has worked closely with the Space and non-space cluster networks across the UK. She is a Board Director for the Scottish Chamber of Commerce and has contributed on a number of Scottish Government Leadership groups, promoting the space capability.
Richard Lochhead has represented the Moray Constituency in the Scottish Parliament since 2006. Prior to that, Mr Lochhead represented North East Scotland from 1999 to 2006.
He attended Williamwood High School in Clarkston and Central College of Commerce in Glasgow, before graduating in Political Studies from the University of Stirling. Immediately prior to his election, he worked as an economic development officer for Dundee City Council.
Mr Lochhead previously served as Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and the Environment between 2007 and 2016, and was appointed Minister for Small Business, Innovation, Tourism and Trade in March 2023.
Read more about Richard Lochhead on the Scottish Parliament website
