THE CABINET


Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland


John Swinney, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills


Derek Mackay, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Constitution


Shona Robison, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport


Roseanna Cunningham, Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform


Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs


Angela Constance, Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities


Michael Matheson, Cabinet Secretary for Justice


Keith Brown, Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Jobs and Fair Work


Fergus Ewing, Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity


MINISTERS


Mark McDonald, Minister for Childcare and Early Years


Shirley-Anne Somerville, Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science


Joe FitzPatrick, Minister for Parliamentary Business


Humza Yousaf, Minister for Transport and the Islands


Paul Wheelhouse, Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy


Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Employability and Training (reporting to cabinet secretaries for economy and education)


Aileen Campbell, Minister for Public Health and Sport


Maureen Watt, Minister for Mental Health


Annabelle Ewing, Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs


Kevin Stewart, Minister for Local Government & Housing


Jeane Freeman, Minister for Social Security


Alasdair Allan, Minister for International Development and Europe


Sturgeon added: “John’s record is exemplary,


overseeing a succession of balanced budgets as well as delivering the recent fiscal framework deal that will underpin the new powers being devolved to the Scottish Parliament. “His appointment to this crucial role dem- onstrates how important education is to my government.” Despite having previously suggested he


would be reluctant to give up the finance brief, Swinney himself was quick to state his contentment with the decision, with the SNP’s former leader tweeting that he was “thrilled” to have been moved. Of course, Swinney would say that regardless


– Sturgeon could have moved him anywhere and received his public backing – but there was no doubt education bodies were pleased, with EIS general secretary Larry Flanagan describing it as “a clear indicator the First Minister continues to view support for edu- cation as perhaps the top priority for the Scottish Government”. But while public bodies and campaign


groups sent largely positive messages over the shape of the new cabinet, the noises from other areas were less enthusiastic. Stephen McCabe, leader of Inverclyde Coun-


cil Labour Group, tweeted that Kevin Stewart was “the last person COSLA would have wanted as local government minister”, adding, somewhat dramatically, “we’re doomed...” For Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie, meanwhile, moving Fergus Ewing from the energy brief, where he had been seen as overly receptive to fracking “just exposes the fault lines in the SNP on the environment”. He said: “Te new cabinet is made up of the same old faces pushing the same old policies. Tere is no evidence that the new government


will implement a programme that is anything but utterly timid.” Rennie added: “We need bold change to help Scotland be the best again. Tat means making a transformational investment in education, increasing investment in mental health and GPs, and delivering on our green promises. Te reshuffle we have seen today will not change anything.” Te Greens also welcomed Ewing’s move


away from energy, with Patrick Harvie saying: “It’s pleasing to see Fergus Ewing, who has described fracking as an opportunity we must never close our minds to, moved away from the energy brief. His successor, Keith Brown, can expect further pressure from Greens and others to turn the temporary moratorium into a permanent ban to protect our communities.” Given his record since 2009, Keith Brown’s


promotion from infrastructure will come as little surprise, but with the Scottish Govern- ment’s review of fracking due to report in the summer, and with the position of the Scottish economy still precarious, taking on responsibility for the economy, fair work and also energy will be tricky, particularly given Westminster’s approach to renewables policy. However, moving Ewing – often perceived as


being on the right of the party – into a rural brief, with responsibility for some of the areas that saw the party lose support to the Tories in the election, may help smooth over some of the tensions that rose during Lochhead’s tenure. All in all, it was a day of surprises, even if,


looking back, most of it seems to make sense. Will any of it work? To quote the line put out by the cabinet secretaries, arriving nerv- ously at Bute House: we will just have to wait and see. ⌜


23 May 2016 www.holyrood.com 11


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