Sturgeon names nine-strong Scottish cabinet

Summary

Nicola Sturgeon has chosen her nine-strong front bench team
John Swinney will drive the pandemic recovery; Shirley-Anne Somerville takes education and Humza Yousaf is the new health minister
Kate Forbes retains her finance job while Shona Robison oversees housing and local government and Keith Brown takes on justice
Newly elected MSP and former SNP MP, Angus Robertson, will be in charge of constitutional matters
Michael Matheson continues in his transport role and Mairi Gougeon becomes rural affairs minister
Long-standing ministers, Fergus Ewing and Fiona Hyslop, have not returned to cabinet
The SNP won a historic fourth term at May's election

Live Reporting

BBC Scotland News

Remote appointmentspublished at 09:49 British Summer Time 19 May 2021
Nicola Sturgeon has been conducting some of her reshuffle remotely.
Shirley-Anne Somerville, who was the social security secretary last term, had a video call with the first minister.
She was unable to be at Ms Sturgeon's official residence today. Ms Somerville tweeted that she had had a "good chat" with the FM and that "details" of her role would "follow".
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Reshuffle comings and goingspublished at 09:44 British Summer Time 19 May 2021
Glenn Campbell
BBC Scotland Political Editor
Two cabinet ministers are leaving the Scottish government as the first minister Nicola Sturgeon continues her major reshuffle of her team.
Economy, Fair Work and Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop and Rural Economy and Tourism Secretary Fergus Ewing are both standing down as ministers.
A further four cabinet ministers including the health secretary, Jeane Freeman, left parliament at the election.
That means there are a range of key vacancies to be filled although the first minister is expected to announce a slightly smaller cabinet than the current 12.
She has already reappointed John Swinney as deputy first minister and moved him from education secretary to take charge of Covid recovery.
Further appointments are expected at Bute House this morning before Nicola Sturgeon is sworn in as first minister at the court of session at lunchtime.
Forbes and Yousaf enter Bute Housepublished at 09:34 British Summer Time 19 May 2021
SNP politicians have been arriving at Bute House in Edinburgh, the first's minister's official residence, ahead of Ms Sturgeon unveiling the new team in full.
Finance Secretary Kate Forbes and Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf have both arrived at Bute House.
Image source, PA Media
They are both expected to remain in the cabinet but could be moved to different roles.
Ms Sturgeon will head to the Court of Session later on Wednesday, where she will be formally sworn in as first minister.
She won a vote of MSPs on Tuesday to ensure she remains in the role following the SNP's victory in the election on 6 May.
Two cabinet secretaries are outpublished at 09:24 British Summer Time 19 May 2021
Image caption,
Fergus Ewing and Fiona Hsylop had both been part of the ministerial team since 2007
So as the reshuffle continues we've already seen two long-term ministers leave.
Fergus Ewing will not return to the rural economy role, nor Fiona Hyslop to the economy, fair work and culture brief.
More changes to the ministerial team are expected to be announced shortly.
- Read more here
- John Swinney to be minister for Covid recovery
There's still time for a reshuffle sweepstakepublished at 09:17 British Summer Time 19 May 2021
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If you move quickly there's just time for a cabinet reshuffle sweepstake.
Our political correspondent Philip Sim always has a spread sheet to hand!
So what do we know so far?published at 09:08 British Summer Time 19 May 2021
So the cabinet reshuffle is underway but how will the first minister play her cards this morning?
Here's what we know so far:
- Scotland's deputy first minister has been given a new role with responsibility for co-ordinating the country's recovery from the Covid pandemic
- The move means John Swinney will no longer be the country's education secretary
- Last term's cabinet members - Jeane Freeman, Mike Russell, Roseanna Cunningham and Aileen Campbell - did not seek re-election at this May's election
- Ms Freeman was health secretary during the pandemic and all eyes are on who will get her job
- Two rising stars have arrived at Bute House this morning Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf and Finance Secretary Kate Forbes
- Two of the Scottish government's longest serving ministers are to leave their posts as Nicola Sturgeon begins a reshuffle of her cabinet team.
- Fiona Hyslop has stepped down as the country's economy, fair work and culture secretary, and Fergus Ewing as the rural economy secretary
Yousaf and Forbes arrive for reshufflepublished at 08:54 British Summer Time 19 May 2021
Our correspondent Lynsey Bews is outside Bute House to see the traffic of ministers entering and leaving the first minister's residence.
She says the first to arrive is Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf. He has been in his post since 2018 and was previously minister for Europe and International Development.
He was followed in by Finance Secretary Kate Forbes. She also took up her post in 2018 after Derek Mackay stepped down.
Both are seen as rising stars in the party and had been expected to stay in the cabinet.
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Who will not be returning?published at 08:51 British Summer Time 19 May 2021
Image source, Reuters
Image caption,
As health secretary Jeane Freeman worked closely with Nicola Sturgeon during the last parliament
Last term's cabinet members - Jeane Freeman, Mike Russell, Roseanna Cunningham and Aileen Campbell - did not seek re-election at this May's election.
Ms Freeman was health secretary during the pandemic and all eyes are on who will get her job.
Comings and goings at Bute House, Edinburghpublished at 08:42 British Summer Time 19 May 2021
Image caption,
The first minister's official residence on Wednesday morning
Politicians will meet First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at Bute House in Edinburgh this morning where she will let them know what role they will perform in her government.
Longstanding ministers leaving cabinetpublished at 08:37 British Summer Time 19 May 2021
Fergus Ewing and Fiona Hyslop are both leaving their frontbench roles.
Mr Ewing had been Rural Economy minister and Ms Hyslop had held the post of Economy, Fair Work and Culture.
Both politicians have been members of the Scottish Parliament since its inception in 1999.
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Swinney moves from education to new rolepublished at 08:33 British Summer Time 19 May 2021
Image source, PA Media
Scotland's deputy first minister - John Swinney - has been given a new role with responsibility for co-ordinating the country's recovery from the Covid pandemic.
The move means he will no longer be the country's education secretary.
His successor in that job will be announced by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon later this week.
She also has several other ministerial posts to fill after her party's victory in the Holyrood election.
Welcomepublished at 08:27 British Summer Time 19 May 2021
Morning and welcome to coverage of the emerging make-up of the new Scottish cabinet. Nicola Sturgeon was re-elected first minister on Tuesday and she is now choosing her front bench team.