November 8th, 2001
Henry McLeish served as the First Minister of Scotland from 2000 to 2001. His tenure as First Minister was relatively brief, and it was marked by political challenges, including controversies surrounding his financial affairs.
Henry Baird McLeish (born 15 June 1948) is a Scottish politician, author, academic and former professional footballer who served as First Minister of Scotland from 2000 to 2001. With a term of just 1 year and 12 days, he is the shortest serving holder of that office. He served as the Leader of the Labour Party in Scotland from 2000 to 2001.
In November 2001, Henry McLeish resigned as Scotland’s First Minister. The resignation was related to an issue concerning subletting of office space when he was a Member of the UK Parliament. McLeish’s resignation led to a change in leadership within the Scottish Executive, and he was succeeded by Jack McConnell as the next First Minister.
This episode in Scottish politics is part of the broader history of devolution in the United Kingdom and Scotland’s journey toward greater political autonomy and self-governance.
