Henry McLeish, Scottish footballer, academic, and politician, 2nd First Minister of Scotland

Henry Baird McLeish (born 15 June 1948) is a Scottish politician, author and academic who served as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish Labour Party from 2000 to 2001. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Central Fife from 1987 to 2001 and Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the equivalent seat from 1999 to 2003.

Born in Methil, Fife, McLeish was educated at Buckhaven High School before pursuing a career as a professional footballer. After suffering from injury, he studied at Heriot-Watt University and became an urban planner. He was first elected for Central Fife at the 1987 general election and served as Minister of State for Scotland following the 1997 general election. When the Scottish Parliament was established in 1999, he contested and won the Central Fife constituency in that year's election. In May 1999, McLeish was appointed Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning by First Minister Donald Dewar in Dewar's cabinet.

Following Dewar's death in October 2000, McLeish succeeded him as first minister. McLeish implemented the free personal care for the elderly scheme as well as the implementation of the McCrone Agreement for education teachers in Scotland. His tenure as first minister was short, as he resigned the following year following a financial scandal referred to as "Officegate"; the first major scandal the Scottish Parliament had faced since its reincarnation two years earlier. After standing down as first minister, he stood down from the Scottish Parliament at the 2003 election.

Since leaving office, McLeish has remained politically active and has written several books. In 2007, he was appointed to the Scottish Broadcasting Commission and the following year he chaired the Scottish Prisons Commission. In the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, he campaigned in-favour of remaining in the UK. However, following Brexit, McLeish has stated he would back another referendum if Scotland was taken out of the EU against its wishes.