John Elvidge has been Permanent Secretary of the Scottish Government since July 2003, covering the second period of Labour – Liberal Democrat coalition government in the post devolution era and the current period of SNP minority government. Having come back to Scotland in May 1999 specifically to be involved in the start of devolved government, he spent the first 3 years of the first coalition government as Head of the Education Department and the fourth year as Head of Finance and Central Services Department. Although almost all of his earlier career had been spent in Scotland, in various Civil Service posts concerned mainly with economic development and Scotland’s physical infrastructure, during 1998 and 1999 he was part of the Cabinet Secretariat for the UK Government.

John was educated at Sir George Monoux School, a state comprehensive school in north London, and at St Catherine’s College, Oxford. He is married to Maureen McGinn.