About Us

Rt. Hon. Henry McLeish

The Right Honourable Henry McLeish is the former First Minister of Scotland (the head of the Scottish government) and has represented his home constituency of Fife as a Member of the UK Parliament and as a Member of the Scottish Parliament. He served in the Labour government of Prime Minister Tony Blair as Minister for Devolution and Home Affairs, and in this capacity was a leader in the creation of the Scottish Parliament in 1999. In the first Scottish Parliament he served as Minister for Enterprise before becoming First Minister.

Since retiring from politics in 2003, Mr. McLeish has remained active in public affairs, chairing the Scottish government’s Commission on Prisons and producing a major commissioned report on the state of football in Scotland, among other high-level posts. In addition to his USF appointment, he is an honorary professor at the University of Edinburgh, a member of the King's Privy Council, and a regular contributor to public discussions in the UK through print, radio, television, and internet media. He also lectures frequently on British and European politics at universities and other institutions in the US, EU, and UK.