FIRST Minister John Swinney has confirmed his new Cabinet with MSP Mairi McAllan returning to Government.
With a largely unchanged team, the "minimalist" reshuffle comes after the SNP’s loss to Labour in the Hamilton, Larkhall, and Stonehouse by-election.
Despite the by-election loss and internal splits, the party continues to lead in the polls ahead of next year's election, with Swinney saying the Government must “deliver on the priorities of the people of Scotland”.
Future leadership contenders such as Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes and McAllan were seen entering Bute House.
McAllan has returned from maternity leave, and a new Drugs and Alcohol Policy Minister has been appointed following the death of Christina McKelvie.
Paul McLennan has left government as his ministerial role is developed into a cabinet role, and Alasdair Allan will leave his post at end of this week after assuming the temporary role of climate action.
See the full Cabinet here:
Here is the full list of who holds which Cabinet position in the new SNP minority government:
- Kate Forbes, the youngest-ever Deputy First Minister, will remain with the economy portfolio and responsibility for Gaelic
- Shona Robison remains in Cabinet with responsibility for finance and local government
- Jenny Gilruth remains Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills
- Angela Constance remains Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs
- Gillian Martin remains in Cabinet with responsibility for Net Zero and Energy portfolio
- Fiona Hyslop remains Cabinet Secretary for Transport
- Mairi McAllan returns in a new role, Cabinet Secretary for Housing
- Neil Gray remains Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
- Shirley-Anne Somerville remains Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice
- Angus Robertson remains Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture
- Mairi Gougeon remains Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands
The changes mean the Scottish Cabinet now consists of twelve MSPs, including the First Minister, the majority of whom are women.
Further changes mean the ministerial team reduces to eleven, from fourteen.
Here’s the full list of junior ministers in the SNP minority government:
- Minister for Parliamentary Business – Jamie Hepburn
- Minister for Business and Employment – Richard Lochhead
- Minister for Public Finance – Ivan McKee
- Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise – Natalie Don
- Minister for Higher and Further Education and Minister for Veterans – Graeme Dey
- Minister for Victims and Community Safety – Siobhian Brown
- Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity – Jim Fairlie
- Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health – Jenni Minto
- Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport – Tom Arthur
- Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy – Maree Todd
- Minister for Equalities – Kaukab Stewart
Arthur was previously minister for employment and investment. His investment responsibilities will be assumed by Forbes, while Lochhead’s extended responsibilities see him become Minister for Business and Employment.
The reshuffle comes amid discontent within the party which was sparked by the party's underwhelming by-election result in Hamilton last week. A reported meeting of 25 senior SNP figures took place on Monday night where the removal of Swinney as party leader was discussed.
Attendees said that the First Minister has two weeks in which to come up with a new strategy on independence or face a “bloodbath” at the SNP conference, The Herald reported.
The meeting came after SNP insiders made a similar argument to The National, warning that it felt like the party was being headed up by a small, private leadership group and “heading back into the same old internal splits”.
