X-Nico

7 unusual facts about Secretary of State for Scotland


Ann McKechin

She replaced David Cairns as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Scotland Office on 16 September 2008.

Anton Muscatelli

Professor Muscatelli has been a consultant to the World Bank and the European Commission, and was a member of the Panel of Economic Advisers of the Secretary of State for Scotland from 1998 to 2000.

Henderson-Stewart baronets

It was created on 28 March 1957 for James Henderson-Stewart, Member of Parliament for East Fife from 1933 to 1961 and Joint Under-Secretary of State for Scotland from 1952 to 1957.

Jacqui Lait

In September 2001, Lait was appointed shadow Secretary of State for Scotland, a position she held until 2003 when she became shadow Home Affairs Minister.

James Lindesay-Bethune, 16th Earl of Lindsay

He was vice-chairman of the Inter-Party Union Committee on Environment 1994–95, and was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland from 1995–97, during which time he was responsible for agriculture, fisheries and environment.

Sandra Osborne

Osborne served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Helen Liddell, the Secretary of State for Scotland, from June 2002 until she stepped down in March 2003 over her opposition to going to war with Iraq.

The Gyle Shopping Centre

The findings of the 1989 West Edinburgh Inquiry were approved by the then Secretary of State for Scotland.


Children's Hearing

It followed a report in April 1964 of a committee set up by the Secretary of State for Scotland under the chairmanship of Lord Kilbrandon, a Senator of the College of Justice, to examine how young offenders were dealt with.

Earl of Gosford

He served as Solicitor General for Scotland, as a Senator of Justice (with the title Lord Glencairnie), as an Extraordinary Lord of Session and as Secretary of State for Scotland.

John Maxton

He was selected to oppose the sitting MP, the Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland, Teddy Taylor, at the 1979 election in the Glasgow Cathcart seat.

Kenyon Wright

In 1997, when the Labour party came to power in the United Kingdom, the convention formed the basis of the Scotland Act that the Secretary of State for Scotland Donald Dewar successfully steered through the Westminster Parliament.

The Yellow Cake Revue

It was composed in 1980, in the aftermath of the publication of a report (commissioned by the Secretary of State for Scotland into the possibility of mining uranium ('yellow cake')) which had been discovered near the town of Stromness in Orkney.


see also

Charles Middleton, 2nd Earl of Middleton

He became a member of the Scottish Privy Council and after a recommendation by the duke, became joint Secretary of State for Scotland with Moray on 26 September 1682.