Chief of Staff to the First Minister
{{This article is about|the chief of staff to the first minister of Scotland|the chief of staff to the first minister of Wales|Chief Special Adviser to the First Minister}}{{Infobox official post
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Chief of Staff to the First Minister
| body =
| native_name = Scottish Gaelic: Ceannard an Luchd-obrach don Phrìomh Mhinistear
| insignia = Scottish Government Logo.svg
| insigniasize = 240px
| insigniacaption = Logo of the Scottish Government
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| image = Colin McAllister.jpg
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| incumbent = Colin McAllister
| acting =
| incumbentsince = 2021
| department = Office of the First Minister
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| abbreviation = COF
| member_of = Scottish Government
| reports_to = First Minister
| residence =
| seat = St Andrew's House, 2 Regent Road, Edinburgh, EH1 3DG
| nominator =
| appointer = First Minister
| appointer_qualified =
| termlength = At the First Minister's pleasure
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| precursor =
| inaugural = John Rafferty
| formation = 1999
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| salary = £101,088–£107,149 (est, 2023)
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The Chief of Staff to the First Minister (Scottish Gaelic: Ceannard an Luchd-obrach don Phrìomh Mhinistear) is the principal special adviser to the first minister of Scotland. As chief of staff, the incumbent office holder has access to all portfolio areas within the Scottish Government, and is supported by a number of special advisors such as the Head of Communications and Strategic Political Adviser, Head of Policy and Strategic Political Adviser, Senior Special Adviser and the Senior Constitution Special Adviser.{{cite web |title=Special advisers |url=https://www.gov.scot/publications/special-advisers/ |website=www.gov.scot |access-date=5 May 2024 |language=en |date=26 April 2024}}
The post holder of the office is based at St Andrew's House, the headquarters of the Scottish Government in Edinburgh. The incumbent Chief of Staff to the First Minister is Colin McAllister.
Role
The role of the Chief of Staff to the First Minister is principally to support the First Minister in their duties, including the co-ordination of the Special Adviser team within the Scottish Government and Office of the First Minister department. The chief of staff is solely responsible for the strategic programme of the First Minister whilst the First Minister is the head of the government and serves as the special adviser for Finance & the Constitution as well as inter-governmental relations between Scotland and other countries.{{cite web |title=Special advisers: July 2016 |url=https://www.gov.scot/publications/special-advisers-july-2016/ |website=www.gov.scot |access-date=5 May 2024 |language=en}}
Additional responsibilities of the chief of staff to the first minister include being the First Minister's senior intermediary with key internal and external stakeholders, co-ordinator of the Special Adviser team and prior to the 2014 Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow, the chief of staff acted as policy support adviser on the Commonwealth Games and Sport portfolio within the Scottish Government.{{cite web |title=Question reference: S4W-17608 |url=https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/questions-and-answers/question?ref=S4W-17608 |website=www.parliament.scot |access-date=5 May 2024 |language=en}}
Following the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections, then chief of staff, Liz Lloyd, took a period of "leave of absence" from the position and was temporarily replaced by the head of policy of the Scottish Government, Colin McAllister, who assumed the title of Acting Chief of Staff. A spokesperson for the first minister at that time, Nicola Sturgeon, told the media "Liz Lloyd is taking a period of leave following the election. The First Minister has asked Colin McAllister to take on the role as acting Chief of Staff until Ms Lloyd’s return to government".{{cite web |title=Nicola Sturgeon's chief of staff Liz Lloyd takes 'leave of absence' to be replaced by Scottish Government head of policy |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/nicola-sturgeons-chief-of-staff-liz-lloyd-takes-leave-of-absence-3279930 |website=www.scotsman.com |date=21 June 2021 |access-date=5 May 2024}} McAllister later became the permanent Chief of Staff to the First Minister following Lloyd's decision to stand down from the role in 2021 after her transfer to the position of First Minister's Strategic Adviser.{{cite web |title=Nicola Sturgeon's chief of staff Liz Lloyd to leave role for new post |url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/19528244.nicola-sturgeons-chief-staff-liz-lloyd-leave-role/ |website=The National |access-date=5 May 2024 |language=en |date=20 August 2021}} McAllister previously served as a special adviser to the deputy first minister John Swinney.{{cite web |title=Switch of role for Sturgeon's chief of staff Lloyd |url=https://dailybusinessgroup.co.uk/2021/08/switch-of-role-for-sturgeons-chief-of-staff/ |website=Daily Business |access-date=5 May 2024 |date=21 August 2021}}
Appointment
File:St Andrew's House, Edinburgh (2496437377).jpg in Edinburgh, the headquarters of the Scottish Government]]
The incumbent first minister is responsible for all appointments of special advisers within the Scottish Government, including the position of Chief of Staff to the First Minister. Consequently{{Non sequitur|date=December 2024}}, the first minister is required to prepare an annual report to lay before the Scottish Parliament detailing the number of special advisers and their associated costs.{{cite web |title=Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 - Section 16 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/25/section/16 |language=en}} Any special adviser within the Scottish Government, including the chief of staff, is appointed under the terms of Part 1 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. Special advisers within the Scottish Government remain the responsibility of the incumbent first minister whilst in office.{{cite web |title=Question reference: S6W-16902 |url=https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/questions-and-answers/question?ref=S6W-16902 |website=www.parliament.scot |access-date=5 May 2024 |language=en}}
List of Chief of Staff
- 1999: John Rafferty{{cite web |last1=Seenan |first1=Gerard |title=Dewar aide quits in 'death threats' row |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/1999/dec/10/scotlanddevolution.devolution |website=The Guardian |access-date=5 May 2024 |date=10 December 1999}}
- 1999–2001: Peter MacMahon{{cite web |title=My role in the downfall of Henry McLeish Top aide reveals all |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12146135.my-role-in-the-downfall-of-henry-mcleish-top-aide-reveals-all/ |website=The Herald |access-date=5 May 2024 |language=en |date=25 January 2002}}
- 2001–2007: Mike Donnelly{{cite web |title=McConnell names top adviser |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12132309.mcconnell-names-top-adviser/ |website=The Herald |access-date=5 May 2024 |language=en |date=24 November 2001}}
- 2007–2011: Alex Bell{{cite web |title=Written question and answer |url=https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/questions-and-answers/question?ref=S3W-36528 |website=www.parliament.scot |access-date=5 May 2024 |language=en}}
- 2011–2014: Geoff Aberdein{{cite web |title=Alex Salmond inquiry: Key evidence from former chief of staff withdrawn |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/alex-salmond-inquiry-key-evidence-from-former-chief-of-staff-withdrawn-3107960 |website=www.scotsman.com |date=21 January 2021 |access-date=5 May 2024}}
- 2014–2021: Liz Lloyd{{cite web |title=Question reference: S4W-26746 |url=https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/questions-and-answers/question?ref=s4w-26746 |website=www.parliament.scot |access-date=5 May 2024 |language=en}}
- 2021–present: Colin McAllister{{cite web |title=Special advisers |url=https://www.gov.scot/publications/special-advisers/ |website=www.gov.scot |access-date=5 May 2024 |language=en |date=26 April 2024}}
See also
External links
- [https://www.gov.scot Scottish Government] official website