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That's all from Holyrood Live on 28 June 2018 and we won't be back until September!

On a dramatic day, the normally humorous ministerial appointment debate was dominated by Nicola Sturgeon's decision to withdraw the nomination of Gillian Martin.

The Scottish government dropped Gillian Martin from its list of new government ministers over an "offensive and inappropriate" blog post.

Ms Martin, named as a junior education minister on Wednesday, wrote about "hairy knuckled lipstick wearing transitional transgender laydees" on her blog.

Opposition parties had questioned Ms Martin's fitness for office.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she would not put her forward until she had reflected on the "ill-advised" post.

Have a lovely summer recess.

Image source, bbc

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Ms Sturgeon says the increasing size of the government reflects the increasing responsibilities of Holyrood.

The first minister says to Alex Cole-Hamilton that if she'd known he was in the transfer market she may have considered things differently.

She believes the ministers will do Scotland proud and moves her motion.

The parliament duly unanimously approves the appointments of the new cabinet secretaries and the new ministers.

With that Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh congratulates them and wishes members well for the summer recess and hopes they return "well refreshed and reinvigorated" in September.

Phew!

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First Minister Nicola Sturgeon thanks members for their good wishes to departing and incoming ministers.

On comments about Ms Martin, she says she takes these "absolutely on the chin".

I was genuinely not aware of the comments made in the blog posts, Ms Sturgeon tells the chamber.

She also suggests MSPs ask themselves if the comments from 2007 reflect the person they have come to know.

All parties should resolve to act quickly when issues arise says Ms Sturgeon and she highlights other parties have failed to take action when other discriminatory comments have arisen.

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Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton says he supports the first minister in the "very painful decision she took this morning" to withdraw the nomination

I've been doing things that should have seen me sacked by now by Willie Rennie, but he insists I am the only man for the jobs, Mr Cole-Hamilton jokes.

Mr Cole-Hamiltion says the cabinet has increased in size with now, in total, 25 ministers meaning the "former first minister will be spinning in his Kremlin backed studio".

He welcomes Clare Haughey to the role of mental health minister, a priority for the Lib Dems.

He wishes all the cabinet secretaries and ministers well and good luck.

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Green MSP Andy Wightman welcomes ministers to their new roles.

Mr Wightman highlights the group looked "fresh faced and ready to go" on the steps of Bute House and he jokes he looks forward to seeing the same photograph in three years.

He pays tribute to the outgoing ministers, particularly Shona Robison.

The Green MSP welcomes Jeanne Freeman to the role of health secretary.

He welcomes Mike Russell back to the cabinet and says he will bring "panache and show business".

Turning to education, Ms Grant says Mr Swinney is providing over a system which is seeing declining teacher satisfaction.

On Gillian Martin, the Labour MSP says her words offended every minority group and, while the change of heart is welcome, she says it calls the first minister's judgement into question.

Did the first minister know about these comments before the appointment was made, she asks.

Ms Grant also wonders that if Ms Martin is not fit to be a minister, is she fit to be an MSP?

She concludes by calling for investment, arguing this will bring real change.

Labour MSP Rhoda Grant says this was a long-awaited cabinet reshuffle.

It was clear to us a long time ago that something needed to change in the health portfolio, she tells the chamber.

This is the 70th anniversary of the NHS and never in its 70 years had it been in so much peril, Ms Grant states.

The Labour MSP suggests combining the economy and finance briefs indicates the first minister believes the economy is doing fine.

The Scottish government has dropped Gillian Martin from its list of new government ministers over an "offensive and inappropriate" blog post.

Ms Martin, named as a junior education minister on Wednesday, wrote about "hairy knuckled lipstick wearing transitional transgender laydees" on her blog.

Opposition parties had questioned Ms Martin's fitness for office.

She said the now-deleted post "did not reflect my view then and certainly does not reflect my view now".

Read more.

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Mr Carlaw says: "Sadly a reshuffle intended to bury bad news has become bad news."

The Tory MSP highlights the shelving of the Education Bill on the same day.

He criticises the vetting procedure of Gillian Martin and quotes her talking about American Jews and American blacks in terms of tipping in restaurants, which he says is "shocking".

This is a judgement on the first minister herself and this is the most notorious reshuffle in the history of the parliament he says.

This is deeply depressing for parliament that this has happened he says.

Tory MSP Jackson Carlaw says this is not the speech he had hoped to make.

All of us were elected to serve in this parliament with the hope of one day becoming a minister, including the Scottish Conservatives who are having to wait longer than most, he jokes.

Mr Carlaw pays tribute to Shona Robison, praising in particular her oversight and steering in of minimum unit pricing.

I welcome a number of the new ministerial appointments, the Tory MSP states, suggesting Mental Health Minister designate Clare Haughey's experience as a mental health nurse will bring "real focus and drive" to the portfolio.

On Humza Yousaf attempts to learn to fly, Mr Carlaw suggests it is good to have a fallback when car insurance has run out!

This of course refers to the new justice secretary driving without insurance in 2016.

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

Three jiniour ministers returned to the backbenches, while five were kept on.

A further eight - excluding Ms Martin - were announced, all of whom came from the 2016 intake of MSPs.

Read more here.

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The first minister moves on to detail and praise her ministerial appointments.

She points out Kate Forbes will be the first minister born in the same decade as the Scottish Parliament itself!

Ms Forbes will become public finance and digital economy minister.

The first minister points out the cabinet is gender balanced, as is the ministerial team and she moves her motion.

Image source, SP

Ms Sturgeon moves to talk about the new justice secretary Humza Yousaf.

The first minister says she first met Mr Yousaf when she gave a speech at his high school!

She pivots to praise the health secretary designate Jeane Freeman.

Ms Sturgeon says: "Jeane is an ideal choice for her new role."

She moves on to praise social security and older people designate Shirley-Anne Somerville, communities and local government secretary Aileen Campbell and Mike Russell who returns to the cabinet in the constitutional relations role.