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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.
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.