Image caption Nicola Sturgeon met her new junior ministers at Bute House

Nicola Sturgeon's major reshuffle of her government has continued with nine new junior ministers being selected.

The first minister announced sweeping changes to her cabinet on Tuesday, with Shona Robison and Keith Brown among the biggest names leaving the top team.

Changes continued on Wednesday with the new junior ministers which included seven first elected in 2016.

All new ministerial appointments will be subject to a vote of parliament on Thursday afternoon.

Tuesday's cabinet reshuffle saw five new cabinet secretaries join Ms Sturgeon's top team, which expanded from 10 secretaries to 12.

Among the major moves, Jeane Freeman replaced Ms Robison as health secretary, Mike Russell rejoined the cabinet as constitutional relations secretary and Humza Yousaf was promoted to the justice brief.

Three junior ministers also returned to the backbenches on Tuesday as Ms Sturgeon looked to bring "fresh talent" into her government.

Five other junior ministers were kept on - Joe Fitzpatrick, Kevin Stewart, Paul Wheelhouse, Jamie Hepburn and Maree Todd - but the other nine announced on Wednesday are all new, many of them from the 2016 intake of MSPs.

Who is new?

Kate Forbes takes on the public finance brief

Gillian Martin is minister for further and higher education

Clare Haughey is mental health minster

Ivan McKee will work on trade and investment

Ash Denham becomes minister for community safety

Mairi Gougeon takes on the rural affairs junior brief

Ben Macpherson is minister for Europe, migration and international development

Christina McKelvie takes on the older people portfolio

and Graeme Dey is overseeing the veterans brief

Image caption Ms Surgeon said the new ministers were all "effective" MSPs

Ms Sturgeon said: "The ministerial team represents constituencies the length and breadth of Scotland, coming with a range of professional backgrounds and bringing a breadth of real life experience to their roles.

"For instance, Claire Haughey brings her extensive background as a mental health nurse to the mental health portfolio, Kate Forbes will bring her finance background to bear in her brief, Gillian Martin has long experience in further education as a college lecturer, and Ivan McKee brings the expertise he has acquired from a highly successful career in business to the role of trade and innovation minister.

"All of the new ministers I have appointed today, have already proven themselves as effective parliamentarians - and I know that they will do likewise in ministerial office."

The government is the largest in Holyrood's history, with more cabinet members and junior ministers than ever before.

The Scottish Conservatives said it was "harder to avoid a ministerial brief than to land one" in Ms Sturgeon's government.

Deputy leader Jackson Carlaw said: "The few who've been left out must wonder what on earth they've done wrong."</s>Nicola Sturgeon has carried out the first reshuffle of her Scottish government cabinet since the last Holyrood election in May 2016.

The move includes major changes, expanding the team from 10 to 12, and changes the remits of many portfolios.

Who's in and who's out in the Scottish government's gender-balanced top team?

John Swinney was put in charge of education in May 2016 in a bid to push through new reforms and underline Ms Sturgeon's assertion that education is her "top priority". He keeps that job post-reshuffle.

The Perthshire North MP is hugely experienced, having served as an MSP since the birth of the current Scottish Parliament in 1999 and as an MP before that. He has been a member of the SNP since he was 15, and led the party between 2000 and 2004.

He has a difficult brief however, having to shelve the government's flagship Education Bill on the day of the reshuffle and seeing his attempt to implement the named person scheme held up by the education committee.

He also serves as Nicola Sturgeon's deputy first minister, filling in for her at question sessions and public events when she is away.

Derek Mackay is staying on as finance secretary, the job he inherited from Mr Swinney in 2016. The job was split into two separate finance and economy portfolios at that point, but has now been put back together.

He has comfortably passed two budgets so far, both with the backing of the Greens, and has implemented sweeping changes to Scotland's income tax rates and bands.

However, he faces challenges in coming years, with the Greens warning they want major changes to council funding if they are to back the SNP next year.

One other change for the Renfrewshire North and West MSP is that he has left his role as the SNP's business convener, after seven years in the job.

Jeane Freeman was only elected to Holyrood in May 2016, but has already made her way into one of the top jobs in government.

A former aide to Labour First Minister Jack McConnell, Ms Freeman was a founding member of Women For Independence and a leading voice in Yes Scotland.

She won the seat of Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley for the SNP in 2016, and was immediately made social security minister.

She impressed many with her performance in a tricky brief, overseeing the establishment of a Scottish welfare agency and the devolution of a raft of new powers.

She has now taken on one of the most difficult jobs in government as health secretary, replacing Shona Robison.

Mike Russell has returned to the cabinet in a newly-created post covering Brexit and relations with the UK government - which are currently at a low ebb.

Mr Russell - a former chief executive of the SNP who has been an MSP since 1999, with a break from 2003 to 2007 - was previously education secretary under Alex Salmond.

He left the cabinet when Nicola Sturgeon came into office, but returned in a newly-created junior role as Brexit minister after the UK voted to leave the EU.

The Argyll and Bute MSP has played a major role in talks between the Scottish and UK governments over Brexit - and thus the row over post-Brexit powers.

His new role continues this work, and adds in management of government's business - making sure that the "day job" of wider work is not adversely affected by the Brexit process.

Humza Yousaf has joined the cabinet, taking on the justice brief from Michael Matheson.

Mr Yousaf was minister for transport and the islands prior to the reshuffle, and was Europe minister under Alex Salmond's previous SNP government.

The Glasgow Pollok MSP was first elected to Holyrood in 2011 at the age of 25, and is Scotland's first Scots-Asian cabinet secretary.

His new brief includes many challenges, such as the delayed integration of British Transport Police into Police Scotland, the appointment of a new chief constable, and efforts to reform the criminal justice system.

A new arrival in the cabinet is Aileen Campbell, in a newly-redefined post which combines tackling poverty and inequality with bringing forward reforms to local government.

First elected to Holyrood in 2007 at the age of 26, Ms Campbell has performed a number of junior ministerial roles, including local government, children and young people and - most recently - public health and sport.

Originally a list MSP, she won the Clydesdale constituency in 2011, increasing her majority in 2016.

Prior to taking public office, she was national convener of the SNP's youth wing and worked for Nicola Sturgeon and Shona Robison.

Shirley-Anne Somerville has been promoted to the cabinet in another newly-created post.

Formerly a list MSP for the Lothians, she lost her place at Holyrood in 2011 but returned via the Dunfermline constituency seat in 2016. In between stints at Holyrood, she was director of communities for the Yes Scotland campaign.

Ms Somerville was a junior education minister from May 2016, working under Mr Swinney on the higher education brief. She has previously worked for the Chartered Institute of Housing and the Royal College of Nursing, as well as for the SNP.

Her new post will oversee the delivery of Scotland's new social security system, given a more prominent position with a full cabinet post.

Michael Matheson had been justice secretary since 2014, but now moves to the transport brief - which has been expanded to include infrastructure.

Mr Matheson had endured a difficult couple of years in the justice brief, having seen two Police Scotland chief constables quit and wholesale changes at the top of the Scottish Police Authority.

The MSP for Falkirk West has previously served as public health minister, and has been at Holyrood since it was established in 1999.

His new job takes on parts of the old economy secretary portfolio, and is tasked with delivering superfast broadband across Scotland.

Roseanna Cunningham is one of a handful of cabinet secretaries to see their brief unchanged, as she retains the environment portfolio.

An MSP since 1999 - and an MP before that - Ms Cunningham has previously been cabinet secretary for fair work and minister for community safety.

The MSP for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire was deputy leader of the SNP between 2000 and 2004, under her constituency neighbour Mr Swinney.

She for the party leadership after Mr Swinney stepped down, but was left a distant second when Alex Salmond entered the race.

Fergus Ewing, another MSP who has served since 1999, has retained his rural economy brief.

Previously a junior minister in charge of energy under Alex Salmond, he joined Ms Sturgeon's cabinet after the May 2016 election.

His role includes agriculture and fishing - often drawing him into Brexit debates - as well as food and drink, forestry and animal health.

Mr Ewing is a member of a significant Scottish political dynasty - the daughter of veteran Scottish Nationalist Winnie Ewing, his late wife Margaret was MSP for Moray and his sister Annabell Ewing has just left the government.

Another veteran MSP who has served since 1999, Fiona Hyslop keeps the culture brief she has held since 2011.

She first joined the cabinet as education secretary under Alex Salmond in 2007, but was demoted two years later in the face of a vote of no confidence from opposition parties.

The MSP for Linlithgow returned to the cabinet in 2011, in a role which includes international relations, culture and the arts, broadcasting, tourism and migration.

The addition of Mr Russell to the cabinet and his Brexit-related brief may take some external affairs work away from Ms Hyslop, but the remit of her job is technically unchanged.

Details of junior ministerial posts are expected to be announced on Wednesday, with several roles potentially opened up by promotions.

International development minister Alasdair Allan, mental health minister Maureen Watt and community safety minister Annabelle Ewing have also all announced their departure.

Among the SNP backbenchers tipped for promotion into the government are Kate Forbes, Ash Denham and Jenny Gilruth, all first elected in 2016.

Almost as significant as who is in the government are the names who have left.

Shona Robison has quit as health secretary after a difficult year, which saw opposition parties calling for her head as well as a series of "particularly challenging" events in her personal life.

Keith Brown has relinquished his post as economy secretary to focus on his new role as deputy leader of the SNP.

Angela Constance stepped down from the communities brief, saying she was looking forward to spending more time with her family.</s>Follow the latest news as Nicola Sturgeon announces big changes to her Cabinet.

Five new Cabinet Secretaries have been appointed, with the overall size of the Cabinet increasing to 12 to “reflect the increasing impact of Brexit on Scottish Government business.” Scroll down for all the updates.</s>Nicola Sturgeon today promoted a raft of new talent to government positions as she completed the most dramatic reshuffle of the SNP’s time in power.

The First Minister appointed nine new junior ministers in a bid to reinvigorate the nationalists after 11 years in government.

The wide-ranging changes completed a reshuffle which had already seen five new cabinet secretaries appointed on Tuesday.

The new junior ministers come largely from the SNP’s 2016 intake of new MSPs, many of whom first came to prominence as independence campaigners in the run-up to the 2014 referendum.

The fresh faces include Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch MSP Kate Forbes , who at 28 is one of the youngest government ministers in the history of devolution.

Sturgeon took advantage of the new ministers’ previous experience before coming into politics when selecting the roles.

Cambridge graduate Forbes is a trained accountant and was made Minister for Public Finances and Digital Economy. She previously sat on the SNP Growth Commission , which made a new economic case for independence.

Meanwhile, former mental health nurse Clare Haughey was made Minister for Mental Health and former college lecturer Gillian Martin was made Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science.

Ivan McKee, the new Trade and Innovation Minister, had wide-ranging business experience before entering politics.

Sturgeon said: “The new ministers I am announcing today bring a range of fresh talent to the Scottish Government, ensuring that we are equipped to deal with the challenges and maximise the opportunities facing the people of Scotland.

“The ministerial team represents constituencies the length and breadth of Scotland, coming with a range of professional backgrounds and bringing a breadth of real life experience to their roles.

“For instance, Claire Haughey brings her extensive background as a mental health nurse to the mental health portfolio, Kate Forbes will bring her finance background to bear in her brief, Gillian Martin has long experience in further education as a college lecturer, and Ivan McKee brings the expertise he has acquired from a highly successful career in business to the role of Trade and Innovation Minister.

“All of the new ministers I have appointed today, have already proven themselves as effective parliamentarians – and I know that they will do likewise in Ministerial office.”

Other fresh faces include Angus North MSP Mairi Gougeon, who was appointed Rural Affairs Minister, Edinburgh Eastern MSP Ash Denham, the new Community Safety Minister, and Edinburgh Northern and Leith MSP Ben Macpherson, who was made Minister for Europe, Migration and International Development.

Meanwhile, more experienced MSPs Christina McKelvie and Graeme Dey were also promoted to junior minister positions.

McKelvie is Minister for Older People and Equalities, while Dey will become the new Minister for Parliamentary Business and Veterans.

Five MSPs also remain in junior minister positions.

Joe FitzPatrick is to become Minister for Public Health, while Jamie Hepburn takes on a new, expanded role of Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills and Paul Wheelhouse becomes Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands.

Maree Todd continues as Childcare Minister, as does Kevin Stewart in the housing brief.

Sturgeon appointed Jeane Freeman, a former adviser to Labour first minister Jack McConnell, to take on the high profile Health Secretary post on Tuesday, after Shona Robison quit the job.

Former Social Security Secretary Angela Constance also left the cabinet along with former Economy Secretary Keith Brown.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney today claimed Brown’s sacking was an attempt to prepare the party for a possible snap Westminster election later this year.

Brown, who was elected SNP deputy leader earlier this month, will be in charge of party campaigns.

The SNP is priming itself for “the possibility of an early election in the autumn for which the party has to be ready, and also to make sure the party is advancing the arguments around independence,” Swinney said.

New Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf became the first ethnic minority cabinet secretary in Scottish history.</s>These are external links and will open in a new window

Nicola Sturgeon's major reshuffle of her government has continued with nine new junior ministers being selected.

The first minister announced sweeping changes to her cabinet on Tuesday, with Shona Robison and Keith Brown among the biggest names leaving the top team.

Changes continued on Wednesday with the new junior ministers which included seven first elected in 2016.

All new ministerial appointments will be subject to a vote of parliament on Thursday afternoon.

Tuesday's cabinet reshuffle saw five new cabinet secretaries join Ms Sturgeon's top team, which expanded from 10 secretaries to 12.

Among the major moves, Jeane Freeman replaced Ms Robison as health secretary, Mike Russell rejoined the cabinet as constitutional relations secretary and Humza Yousaf was promoted to the justice brief.

Three junior ministers also returned to the backbenches on Tuesday as Ms Sturgeon looked to bring "fresh talent" into her government.

Five other junior ministers were kept on - Joe Fitzpatrick, Kevin Stewart, Paul Wheelhouse, Jamie Hepburn and Maree Todd - but the other nine announced on Wednesday are all new, many of them from the 2016 intake of MSPs.

Who is new?
• Kate Forbes takes on the public finance brief
• Gillian Martin is minister for further and higher education
• Ivan McKee will work on trade and investment
• Mairi Gougeon takes on the rural affairs junior brief
• Ben Macpherson is minister for Europe, migration and international development
• and Graeme Dey is overseeing the veterans brief

Ms Sturgeon said: "The ministerial team represents constituencies the length and breadth of Scotland, coming with a range of professional backgrounds and bringing a breadth of real life experience to their roles.

"For instance, Claire Haughey brings her extensive background as a mental health nurse to the mental health portfolio, Kate Forbes will bring her finance background to bear in her brief, Gillian Martin has long experience in further education as a college lecturer, and Ivan McKee brings the expertise he has acquired from a highly successful career in business to the role of trade and innovation minister.

"All of the new ministers I have appointed today, have already proven themselves as effective parliamentarians - and I know that they will do likewise in ministerial office."</s>Nicola Sturgeon has unveiled a major reshuffle of her Scottish Government cabinet which has seen Keith Brown step down as Economy Secretary and a new Business minister unveiled

Former Business, Energy and Innovation Minister Paul Wheelhouse will take on a new role as Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands.

The Scottish Government said the role will combine Mr Wheelhouse's existing support for Scotland's energy industry with the delivery of 100 per cent super fast broadband across Scotland as well as the implementation of the Islands bill.

He will report to new Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity Secretary Michael Matheson.

Jamie Hepburn will take on the new role of Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills - combining the post of Business Minister with his previous responsibility for employment and skills.

He will report jointly to the Education Secretary and the Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work.

Meanwhile Shona Robison handed in her resignation as health secretary, to be replaced by Jeane Freeman.

Angela Constance has also quit as Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities.

Mike Russell rejoining the cabinet as constitutional relations secretary and Humza Yousaf taking on the justice brief after swapping jobs with Michael Matheson who is now transport secretary.

Derek Mackay's finance portfolio has been expanded, but John Swinney remains education secretary, while Fergus Ewing, Fiona Hyslop and Roseanna Cunningham have retained their jobs in rural affairs, culture and the economy.

In all there are five new cabinet secretaries in the First Minister's cabinet team, which has expanded from 10 to 12, which remains gender balanced.

This expanded cabinet also sees Shirley-Anne Somerville in the newly elevated post of social security secretary and Aileen Campbell as communities and local government secretary.

After six years as Minister for Parliamentary Business, Joe FitzPatrick will become Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing, taking forward the Government's actions to tackle obesity.

Kevin Stewart will remain in post as Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning and has been tasked by the First Minister with implementing the Homelessness Taskforce recommendations.

Maree Todd, who was appointed Minister for Children and Young People in October last year, will remain in her post focused on delivering the Government's childcare ambitions.

Commenting on the Scottish Government reshuffle, FSB’s external affairs manager for Scotland Stuart Mackinnon said: “Every Scottish Government Minister must do what they can to charge local economies and help smaller firms thrive.

"But FSB looks forward to working especially closely with Jamie Hepburn and Derek Mackay in their expanded roles. We’re also pleased to see new portfolios charged with developing trade and the digital economy.”</s>First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has overseen the most dramatic reshuffle since the SNP came to power, with six ministers – including beleaguered health secretary Shona Robison – leaving government.

Ms Robison, whose stewardship of the NHS had led to repeated calls for her resignation, was one of three cabinet secretaries to quit on a day that also saw the departure of three junior ministers.

The reshuffle saw Humza Yousaf promoted to the Cabinet to take over as justice secretary from Michael Matheson, who has also come under fire for his handling of Police Scotland controversies.

Mr Matheson will remain in the Cabinet, taking over a ­newly-created portfolio as secretary for transport, infrastructure and connectivity.

In addition to Mr Yousaf, four others were promoted to the Cabinet, including Michael Russell, who will continue to look after Brexit and constitutional matters.
• READ MORE: Scottish Government Cabinet Reshuffle: Who’s in and Who’s out?

The other new faces are Aileen Campbell, Shirley-Anne Somerville and Jeane Freeman, who will take over from Ms Robison. In recognition of the new benefits system coming to Scotland, Ms Somerville takes up a new post as Cabinet secretary for social security.

Not so lucky were Keith Brown and Angela Constance, who resigned as economy ­secretary and communities secretary. Mr Brown left as Scotland’s GDP still lags behind the rest of the UK.

As the newly elected SNP depute leader, Mr Brown will become a “standing campaign director” for the party. His role will be to build the case for independence and prepare the party for future elections.

His economy brief will now come under the control of finance secretary Derek Mackay, who remains in place with an expanded portfolio.

The departing cabinet secretaries will lose the £41,618 a year they receive on top of their MSPs’ salary of £55,381 for being in office. They will, however, be entitled to a resettlement grant of around £10,000.

The three junior ministers to lose their jobs were Dr Alasdair Allan, Annabelle Ewing and Maureen Watt, who left their posts as community ­safety minister, legal affairs minister and mental health minister.

At junior minister level, Ms Sturgeon last night announced that Kevin Stewart will remain housing minister.

After six years as minister for parliamentary business, Joe FitzPatrick has been given the public health portfolio, focusing on tackling obesity.

Maree Todd will remain ­minister for children and young people, while Paul Wheelhouse will take on a new role covering energy, connectivity and the islands. Jamie Hepburn has become the minister for business, fair work and skills.

Ms Sturgeon said she was bringing “fresh talent” to government as she increased the size of Cabinet from ten to 12 to deal with Brexit and Scotland’s new social security system.

Ms Freeman, the new health secretary, is regarded as one of the SNP’s rising stars and has been promoted from her post as junior minister for social security.
• READ MORE: Tom Peterkin: Reshuffle was long overdue – but when it came, it was dramatic

Ms Robison, one of Ms Sturgeon’s closest friends, had been under intense pressure in her role as health secretary. Labour and the Liberal Democrats had called for her resignation over a series of missed health targets.

The Dundee City East MSP was also criticised for failing to take quick enough action to get to grips with the NHS Tayside financial scandal that saw endowment cash used for ­routine medical items.

In her resignation letter, Ms Robison disclosed she had faced personal challenges as well as professional ones ­during three-and-a-half years in the job.

She said the job of health secretary had been “very challenging and all-consuming”, adding she had difficult personal issues to confront in the past year, including the death of her parents and a personal health scare.

In her letter, Ms Robison said: “As you know this year has been particularly challenging for me personally. Losing both my parents, having a health scare of my own and some big changes in my personal life. I thank you for your support during these difficult times.

“I feel that I have reached a point in my life just now where I would be best to step down from a role in government. I have entered a new chapter in my life, including a new relationship, where it would be good to take time to focus on those closest to me, who have too often had to come second place to my job, which has been hard for us all.”

Earlier this month Ms Robison revealed she had been recalled as part of the breast cancer screening programme. To her relief, she got the all- clear.

She found the spotlight on her private life when her husband, SNP MP Stewart Hosie, began a new relationship with blogger Serena Cowdy.

In her reply, Ms Sturgeon noted her friend’s time as health secretary “coincided with a time of unprecedented pressure on our NHS”.

She added: “Our friendship has always been extremely important to me … I know that I will continue to seek your counsel as a colleague and a friend.”

Ms Somerville has been promoted from the junior ministerial ranks to new Cabinet post as cabinet secretary for social security and older people. She will oversee the operational delivery of the first social security payments.

Ms Campbell has been promoted from public health minister to replace Ms Constance as cabinet secretary for communities and local government.

Mr Russell, a former education secretary, has returned to the Cabinet table as Brexit minister. He adds the government business and constitutional relations portfolios, his post upgraded to Cabinet ­status.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney will remain in post as education secretary. Fergus Ewing stays rural economy secretary, while Roseanna Cunningham and Fiona Hyslop remain at environment and culture respectively.

Ms Sturgeon said: “The new Cabinet I am announcing today brings fresh talent to the Scottish Government and ensures that we are fully equipped to meet the challenges and opportunities ­facing the country in the months and years ahead.

“With the impact of Brexit on our economy and wider society, it is right that the issues it presents are fully reflected at Cabinet level, while the delivery of a new Scottish social security system also requires a voice at the Cabinet table.”

Conservative deputy leader Jackson Carlaw said: “It’s now a year since Nicola Sturgeon promised a refresh of her government, so this reshuffle has been a long time coming.

“There may well have been a few ministerial changes but this is an SNP government that is tired, completely out of ideas and all over the place on key issues. The people of ­Scotland are coming to the view that Nicola Sturgeon’s time is up.”

Labour parliamentary business manager Rhoda Grant said: “On jobs, schools and hospitals the SNP government has been out of touch and out of ideas for too long.

“On the day Nicola Sturgeon chose to shake up her government, she had to shelve her flagship bill to reform the education system and oversaw the worst cancer waiting times on record.”

She added: “The economy secretary has been booted from his job to plan a ­referendum campaign, which says something about Keith Brown’s performance or the SNP’s priorities – or most ­likely both.”</s>Nicola Sturgeon was today forced to axe a newly-appointed minister after it emerged she had branded transgender students 'hairy-knuckled, lipstick-wearing transitional laydees'.

The SNP leader dropped Gillian Martin after the alleged comments, which date from 2007, surfaced.

Ms Martin, MSP for Aberdeenshire East, was only promoted to education minister in a reshuffly carried out by Ms Sturgeon yesterday.

But her name has now been removed from a list of appointments after The Times highlighted remarks from a blog apparently written while she was still a college lecturer.

Ms Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament today that the remarks do not 'reflect the views of the person that I know in Gillian Martin'.

The SNP chief said had not previously been aware of the blog and she would not be proposing Ms Martin as a minister until she had the 'chance to reflect'.

However, questions were immediately raised about how Ms Sturgeon failed to be aware of the blog posts - as they were heavily criticised when she stood for election to Holyrood in 2016.

She was said to have written: 'Will they install a third category of loo with a special transgender sign? Are they then going to pinpoint these transgender people and make sure that they get represented fairly on all undisclosed-because-I-don't-want-to-get-fired-establishment literature in the same way our five endlessly tolerant Asian students do or that guy with the guide dog does?

'Are we going to see lovely photos in the foyer of hairy knuckled lipstick-wearing transitional transgender Laydees being embraced by the principal of undisclosed college or visiting politicians for the press?'

Ms Martin also complained thatcollege PR staff 'froth at the mouth with excitement if anyone in a wheelchair does anything that can be remotely described as an achievement'. And she branded the royal family 'a bunch of inbred dysfunctionals'.

In a statement this morning, Ms Martin expressed 'deep regret' for using 'inappropriate and offensive language'.

Her name has been removed from a list of Scottish government ministers due to be confirmed this afternoon.

Opposition parties were set to vote against her appointment as further education minister.

Shortly before First Minister questions this morning, Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson tweeted: 'Pleased the Scottish Government have withdrawn Gillian Martin's nomination for minister.

'We spoke to them this morning to confirm this was not an appointment we could support following comments published this morning.'

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said the First Minister knew about the transphobic blog post before Ms Martin was nominated as a minister.

Speaking at First Minister's Questions he said to Ms Sturgeon: 'In the end this is not just about the judgment of Gillian Martin, this is about your judgment.'</s>Nicola Sturgeon has carried out a comprehensive reshuffle of her cabinet, replacing her longstanding but beleaguered ally Shona Robison, who has resigned as health secretary.



After announcing a purge of six veteran ministers, including the economy secretary Keith Brown and the equalities secretary Angela Constance, Scotland’s first minister promoted several rising stars in an effort to refresh her government.

They included Humzah Yousaf, who becomes Scotland’s first cabinet secretary from a BAME background, taking over the justice brief, and Jeane Freeman, the widely admired social security minister who becomes health secretary.

As the reshuffle was underway, it emerged that Sturgeon’s flagship legislation on education reform had been shelved owing to opposition from councils, teachers’ unions and opposition parties.

John Swinney, the Scottish education secretary, said he had instead reached a voluntary agreement with councils to fast-track some elements of the draft bill, such as increasing the autonomy of headteachers. 



Some cabinet roles have been merged into new posts as part of the reshuffle: Brown’s economy brief was rolled into the finance one of Derek Mackay, while a new transport and infrastructure post went to former the justice secretary Michael Mathieson.

In line with Sturgeon’s gender-balanced cabinet policy, Aileen Campbell has been promoted to communities and local government secretary, while Shirley-Anne Somerville becomes the social security secretary. 



The Brexit minister Mike Russell returned to the cabinet with a new post in charge of government business and the constitution, to oversee the country’s exit from the EU.



Robison, the most noteable departure, resigned after enduring months of intense criticism from opposition parties over her handling of the health service, including NHS funding crises affecting her home city of Dundee.

Robison is a close friend of Sturgeon, overseeing her leadership election in 2014. In her resignation letter, Robison referred to a “particularly challenging” year in her personal life. Her parents died; she had a health scare and her former husband Stewart Hosie, the Scottish National party MP for Dundee East, announced he was remarrying after an extramarital affair.

Robison said her proudest achievement was shepherding Scotland’s minimum pricing for alcohol legislation into force.

While health and the economy briefs were seen to need more dynamic leadership, Sturgeon was not under great pressure to remodel her cabinet but appeared to believe a major refresh could cement her party’s dominance. The SNP has a commanding lead in the polls, even after 11 years in power, and Sturgeon has no rivals for the leadership.

The reshuffle began on Tuesday morning with the announcement that Brown, a steady but low-key figure, would stand down after nine years in government to prepare party activists for a possible snap election in his new role as SNP deputy leader. 



Brown had not expected to leave government. He had told reporters during the deputy leadership campaign that combining that post with a seat in cabinet would be a perfect fit.

All four opposition parties at Holyrood were scathing about Swinney’s decision to drop the education bill.

Iain Gray, Scottish Labour’s education spokesman, said: “This was the first minister’s top priority, her sacred obligation, now reduced to just another last minute, cobbled together action plan. The only thing being fast tracked here is the mother of all ministerial climb downs.”</s>Nicola Sturgeon’s reshuffle may have been a long time coming, but when it did come it was nothing if not dramatic. Six ministers have gone and there is the possibility of more casualties tomorrow when the First Minister finalises her junior ministerial team.

In the relatively brief history of devolution, one has to go back to Jack McConnell’s reshuffle of November 2001 to find one of comparable ferocity. Then, five senior and two junior ministers went in a reshuffle that earned the then Labour first minister the nickname “Jack the Knife”. Mr (now Lord) McConnell wielded the axe within hours of taking the top job. In contrast, it has taken Ms Sturgeon months, if not years, to carry out a similar exercise.

Yesterday’s reshuffle was long overdue. For many months now a somewhat tired-looking ministerial team had seemed to struggle to get a grip on domestic issues. In some ways that feeling of drift was typified yesterday with the Scottish Government having to deal with news on cancer waiting times and Education Secretary John Swinney shelving key education legislation.

As Ms Sturgeon’s right hand man, Mr Swinney was always going to be safe from yesterday’s blood-letting. The same was not true of her good friend, Health Secretary Shona Robison.

Ms Robison has been a lame duck struggling to swim against a tide of poor NHS performance indicators. As was clear from her resignation letter, Ms Robison has also had some very difficult personal issues to contend with. In those circumstances, it is perhaps easy to understand why she would want some time away from the pressure cooker environment of Cabinet politics.

Ms Sturgeon will be sad to see the departure of one of her oldest friends in politics. But the truth is a fresh face is desperately needed at what is always one of the trickiest portfolios for a government.
• READ MORE: Scottish Government Cabinet Reshuffle: Who’s in and Who’s out?

All sorts of spin can be spun about Keith Brown moving into an enhanced depute role with the SNP, but the reality is that Scotland’s economic growth is still lagging behind the rest of the UK. Mr Brown is a casualty of the decision to put his brief under Finance Secretary Derek Mackay’s umbrella – a change that seems entirely sensible.

Angela Constance’s departure is perhaps not unexpected with her post going to former public health minister Aileen Campbell.

Of the promotions, Humza Yousaf faces a tough job as Justice Secretary. That is clear given the challenges that Michael Matheson has faced, having to get to grips with the dysfunctional nature of Police Scotland. Mr Yousaf has shown himself to be a politician of determination in his handling of the notoriously tricky transport brief – which now goes to Mr Matheson, who remains in the Cabinet.

Jeane Freeman, who in a previous life was a Labour adviser, has long been seen as a politician destined for the Cabinet. She has the unenviable task of taking over the health brief that always proves so difficult no matter who is in charge.

So far Ms Freeman has proved herself relatively sure-footed, aside from an episode last year when she was accused of making a clumsy attempt at smearing a nurse in a TV debate.

The return of Michael Russell is an indication of Brexit looming on the horizon, while Shirley Anne Somerville faces the intimidating task of setting up Scotland’s social security system.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon reshuffles her cabinet. Nine new junior ministers are appointed, with the devolved Parliament set to vote on the changes tomorrow.