Transport minister Kevin Stewart quits due to poor mental health

Mr Stewart said he had been suffering with low mental health since October of last year

Scotland's transport minister has quit the government after saying he is suffering from poor mental health.

In his resignation letter to the first minister, Kevin Stewart said he has had bouts of low mental health since last October.

Mr Stewart said he had been feeling unwell for the past week, and could not put in the hours required to both serve his constituents and hold ministerial office.

He will continue to sit as an SNP MSP.

And he pledged to continue to support First Minister Humza Yousaf and the government from the backbenches.

The Aberdeen Central MSP wrote: "Since last October I have had bouts of poor mental health, with a low ebb in early December of last year.

"Over the last week or so I have once again been feeling unwell and I feel that I can no longer put in the hours required to serve both my constituents and hold ministerial office, while also trying to maintain good mental health."

He added: "It has been the honour of my life to serve the people of Scotland in three ministerial positions under the leadership of Nicola Sturgeon and yourself and I do hope that I have made a positive difference for our people and our country".

The first minister said Mr Stewart had a record in government that he could be proud of

In his response to the letter, the first minister said he was very sorry that Mr Stewart had resigned, but that he could understand the reasons for him doing so.

Mr Yousaf told Mr Stewart that he had a "record you can be proud of", adding: "I know what a hard-working, loyal and dedicated minister you have been in your eight years of service.

"That is much valued by me and across government, and I hope you will feel able to serve again in the future".

The first minister also said that many people underestimate the pressure that is put on government ministers, and offered Mr Stewart any support that he needed.

Mr Stewart was first elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2011, having previously served as deputy leader of Aberdeen City Council.

He was appointed as the government's local government minister by Ms Sturgeon in 2016, and as the minister for mental wellbeing and social care five years later.

He was then given the transport brief by Mr Yousaf when the new first minister unveiled his government team in March of this year, with his role including ministerial responsibility for Scotland's struggling CalMac ferry fleet.

Mr Stewart denied newspaper allegations last October that he had been thrown out of an Aberdeen nightclub after being involved in an altercation with a man while the SNP conference was being held in the city.