Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf has today unveiled his Cabinet with a mixture of new and familiar faces and said his team would undertake “a radical, ambitious and progressive policy agenda”. But who are those entering and leaving the Scottish Government? And what does it tell us about the likely nature of Humza Yousaf’s governance?
Who is in?
With Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney exiting government, the First Minister had some big positions to fill. He sought experience in Shona Robison, previously the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, responsible for piloting through the Scottish Government’s contentious gender recognition reforms. She has been promoted to Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance which includes responsibility over the Budget.
The role of Finance and Economy Secretary held by Kate Forbes has been split. Neil Gray, Humza Yousaf’s campaign manager, was rewarded with the position of Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy. Like Gray, Angus Robertson had Westminster experience before entering Holyrood. Encouraged to run for the leadership, Robertson declined to concentrate on being ‘First Dad’ rather than First Minister, but remains as Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture. Mairi Gougeon also remains at Rural Affairs, a position rejected by a former Cabinet colleague.
Michael Matheson, another key Yousaf backer with longstanding experience in government holding Justice and Net Zero portfolios, has been handed the tricky role of Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care. Jenny Gilruth, a former teacher, was promoted from Transport Minister to Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills. Gilruth has regularly been tipped for a bigger job and was a junior minister since 2020. Shirley-Anne Somerville, the previous incumbent, was shifted to Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice.
There’s a return for Angela Constance, sacked by Nicola Sturgeon in 2018, but was brought back to take the place of embattled Joe FitzPatrick as Minister for Drugs Policy two years later, is now Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs. Mairi McAllan, a rising star of the SNP elected in 2021, joins the Scottish Cabinet for the first time as Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Just Transition.
Who is out?
Kate Forbes, who narrowly missed out on the leadership, was offered the Rural Affairs brief but turned this down; it was a clear demotion from the Finance portfolio. Her campaign manager, Ivan McKee also rejected a role which would have left him with reduced responsibilities. Confirming his departure, he said: “If all I’m doing is listening to businesses venting their frustrations, and I’m not able to actually have the tools to fix anything, then there’s no point in me carrying on doing that.”
There was no place for SNP Depute Leader Keith Brown, formerly the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, at the top table. Ben Macpherson, a junior minister since 2020 who entered parliament at the same time as Jenny Gilruth and Mairi Gougeon, might feel unlucky at again missing out on a bigger job.
The Verdict
This was not a radical reshuffle, with more continuity than change in respect of the personalities at least. Indeed, six of the nine appointments served under Sturgeon. However, Yousaf has attempted to freshen things up with promotions for members of the 2021 intake.
There may have been a strategic error in the First Minister not offering Kate Forbes a loftier position than given his narrow margin of victory and the need to be conciliatory in bringing together different wings of the party together after a divisive leadership contest. Furthermore, the reaction from the business community is likely to be mixed given that the two figures most respected by industry, Kate Forbes and Ivan McKee, will join the backbenches at a time when they have urged a reset in relations.
There’s an often-quoted line from President Lyndon B. Johnson who said of a dangerous rival: “It’s probably better to have him inside the tent pissing out than outside the tent pissing in.” That’s the problem now facing the First Minister as it is often better to keep your rivals close rather than driving them to the margins where they can plot and scheme.
