First Minister of Scotland elect its members, it is difficult for a single party to gain an overall majority of seats in the Scottish Parliament. The SNP gained an overall majority of seats in the 2011 election, and thus had enough numbers to vote in its leader, Alex Salmond, as First Minister for a second term. After the election of the Scottish Parliament, a First Minister must be nominated within a period of 28 days. Under the terms of the Scotland Act, if the Parliament fails to nominate a First Minister, within this time frame, it will be dissolved and a fresh election held.
First Minister of Scotland their party. The Deputy First Minister does not automatically succeed if a vacancy in the premiership is suddenly created. It may be necessary for the Deputy to stand in for the First Minister on occasion, for example by taking the floor at First Minister's Question Time. The First Minister is, by virtue of section 45(7) of the Scotland Act 1998, "ex officio" the Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland and their place in the order of precedence in Scotland is determined by the holding of that office. The scale of precedence in Scotland was amended by Royal Warrant on