Keith James Brown is a Scottish politician serving as Depute Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) since 2018. He is a former Royal Marines commando and has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) since 2007, first representing the Ochil constituency from 2007 to 2011, then the Clackmannanshire and Dunblane constituency since 2011. Brown previously served in the Scottish Cabinet, most recently as Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans from 2021 to 2023.
Born in Edinburgh, Brown served in the Falklands War, while serving in the Royal Marines. Upon leaving, he graduated from the University of Dundee and studied abroad in Canada. He was elected to the Clackmannanshire Council, representing Alva, and later became the SNP's group leader. Brown served as the leader of Clackmannanshire Council between 1999 and 2003. In the 2007 Scottish election, he was elected to serve as the MSP for Ochil. He served as Minister for Schools and Skills from 2009 to 2010 and Minister for Transport and Infrastructure from 2010 to 2011. Brown was re-elected to the Scottish Parliament in the 2011 election, this time representing the newly drawn constituency of Clackmannanshire and Dunblane. He was appointed Minister for Housing and Transport and in 2012 he added Veterans affairs onto his portfolio.
Brown stood in the 2014 SNP deputy leadership election, and was defeated by Stewart Hosie. He was appointed as Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities in 2014 after Nicola Sturgeon became First Minister. He was re-elected as an MSP in 2016 and was appointed Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work, a position he held from 2016 to 2018. In the 2018, Brown was elected Deputy Leader of the SNP, succeeding Angus Robertson, and left government to focus on his new position. Following the 2021 election, Sturgeon re-appointed him to the Scottish Cabinet as Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans. After Sturgeon resigned as first minister in 2023, Brown was removed from his Cabinet position by new First Minister Humza Yousaf upon the formation of his new government.
