first minister
noun/ˌfɜːst ˈmɪnɪstə(r)/
/ˌfɜːrst ˈmɪnɪstər/
(also First Minister)
- the leader of the ruling political party in some regions or countries, for example in ScotlandCultureThere are First Ministers as leaders of the regional governments in the United Kingdom: the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly. The First Minister is chosen by the Parliament or Assembly, and is usually the leader of the party with the largest number of members. In Northern Ireland, the First Minister selects an Executive, a group of ministers within the Assembly that is responsible for deciding its policy and managing the work of its departments. In Scotland this is called the Scottish Government. The First Minister of Wales selects a group of Assembly Ministers to make up a Cabinet. In Northern Ireland the First Minister works with a Deputy First Minister from an opposition party, so that the leaders of the main unionist and Nationalist parties can work together as a team in the Northern Ireland Executive, representing both communities.
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first minister