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Russell gazumps new First Minister’s Cabinet reshuffle announcement

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[Updated 12.30 - emerging reshuffle detail and cabinet portfolios.] In advance of new First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s imminent announcement of her reshuffled government team, Argyll and Bute SNP MSP and Education Secretary made his own announcement  – by Twitter – that he is ‘to leave the government’.

It has already been announced – officially on Twitter – as predicted, that Finance Secretary, John Swinney, is to be Deputy First Minister – a wise and stabilising decision.

The three most seriously troubles areas of the Scottish Government are Education, Health and Justice.

Changes were therefore expected in all three departments, but Kenny MacAskill and Alex Neil did the First Minister the courtesy of leaving to her the announcement of her new front bench.

12.30 Update: These anticipated changes have taken place with, of the three, Alex Neil seen as continuing to be of value.

  • Ms Sturgeon’s close friend, Sports Minister Shone Robison, wife of new Deputy Party Leader Stewart Hosie, replaces Alex Neil at Health and Wellbeing – with the expanded brief of Sport; Alex Neil remains in government and in the Cabinet at Social justice, communities and pensioners’ rights.
  • Angela Constance – she of the ‘nursery shoes’ addiction, replaces Michael Russell at Education;
  • Michael Matheson, hardly a well known performer, replaces Kenny McAskill at Justice.

It has to be said that all three of these appointments are light weight for the jobs they have to do.

This underlines the serious shallowness of the available talent pool at Holyrood and in the party of majority government.

Transport Minister, Keith Brown has been promoted to Cabinet Secretary at Infrastructure, Investment and Cities – a good appointment for an experienced Minister who looks able for this challenge. He will retain responsibility for Veterans.

Richard Lochhead and Fiona Hyslop stay in their current positions, Lochhead at Rural Affairs, Food and Environment and Hyslop at Culture, Europe and External Affairs. Roseanna Cunningham moves out of the Justice Department and into the cabinet with responsibility for skills and training.

 The full briefs for the members of the new Cabinet are as follows:

John Swinney MSP – Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy.

Deputising for the First Minister – the constitution – the National Performance Framework – government strategy, reform, delivery and outcomes across portfolios, cross government implementation of Scotland’s Digital Future and relations with other UK administrations.

Scottish Public Finances and their sustainability – the Scottish Economy, fiscal policy, the Scottish Budget, public spending, taxation, budgetary monitoring and reporting, public service reform, public bodies policy, efficient government, public sector pay and pensions.

Business and Industry – enterprise, trade and inward investment, energy and renewable energy, innovation, tourism, business regulation, accountancy and insolvency.

Securing the Government’s parliamentary business – liaising with the parliamentary bureau and MSPs of the government party, open government, including Freedom of Information.

Resilience

This department will include a Minister for Business, Energy & Tourism and a Minister for Parliamentary Business.

Keith Brown MSP – Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities.

Infrastructure and capital investment – European structural funds, government procurement, Scottish Futures Trust, Scottish Water, Scotland’s cities, transport policy, public transport, air, rail and ferry services. Scotland’s roads.

Responsibility for veterans.

This department will include a Minister for Transport.

Roseanna Cunningham MSP – Cabinet Secretary for Fair Work, Skills and Training

Fair work – employment policy, women’s employment, youth employment, the living wage, skills and employment training, implementation of the Wood Commission’s recommendations, Skills Development Scotland.

This department will include a Minister for Youth & Women’s Employment.

Angela Constance MSP – Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning

Education – science, higher education and universities, further education and colleges, educational attainment, school standards, quality and improvement, the teaching profession, school infrastructure and staffing, behaviour, measures to combat bullying, qualifications, modern languages, Scottish studies, children’s rights, children’s services, early years, adoption and fostering, child protection, looked after children, children’s hearings, protection of vulnerable groups, social services workforce, youth work, non-advanced vocational skills, the Gaelic and Scots languages, cross-government co-ordination on Scotland’s islands.

This department will include a Minister for Children & Young People and a Minister for Learning, Science & Scotland’s Islands and Languages

Shona Robison MSP – Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport

National Health Service – acute and primary services, patient services, patient safety, medical records, quality strategy, dentistry, allied healthcare services, national service planning, NHS performance, NHS staff and pay.

Health and wellbeing – public health, health protection, child and maternal health, health improvement, sexual health, problem alcohol use and recovery, healthy working lives, adult care and support, carers.

Sport – physical activity and securing the legacy of the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

This department will include a Minister for Public Health and a Minister for Sport and Health Improvement.

Alex Neil MSP – Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners’ Rights

Social justice – democratic renewal, elections, community empowerment, community planning, local government, planning, building standards, business improvement districts, town centres, housing, welfare, measures against poverty and homelessness, the third sector and the social economy, equality, social and human rights, religious and faith organisations, cross-government co-ordination on pensioners’ rights and welfare.

This department will include a Minister for Local Government & Community Empowerment and a Minister for Housing & Welfare.

Michael Matheson MSP – Cabinet Secretary for Justice

The Justice system – security, access to justice, criminal law and procedure, civil law, the police, the legal profession, courts, sentencing, prisons and prisoners, victims and witnesses, reducing reoffending, youth justice, criminal justice social work, community safety, fire and rescue services, anti-social behaviour, drugs policy, violence reduction, anti-sectarianism, liquor licensing.

This department will include a Minister for Community Safety & Legal Affairs

Richard Lochhead MSP – Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment

Rural Scotland – land reform, the physical and marine environment, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, aquaculture, food and drink, crofting, sustainable development, biodiversity, natural heritage, environmental protection, flooding, water quality, national parks, environmental and climate justice.

This department will include a Minister for Environment, Climate Change & Land Reform

Fiona Hyslop MSP – Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe and External Affairs

Culture and the arts – national records, national identity, built heritage, architecture, broadcasting, cross-government co-ordination on European Union and international relations, international development, fair trade, the Scottish diaspora, cross government co-ordination on bringing major events to Scotland.

This department will include a Minister for Europe & International Development.


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