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At-a-glance: Who’s who in the new Scottish cabinet – BBC News

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At-a-glance: Who’s who in the new Scottish cabinet – BBC News

  • Author, Craig Williams
  • Role, BBC Scotland News

First Minister John Swinney has announced his new cabinet, which will lead what he promises will be a slimmed-down government.

However, the arrival of Kate Forbes as his deputy actually increases the cabinet by one. So who’s who in the 11-strong senior ministerial team?

John Swinney – first minister

At 60, John Swinney is the oldest person to take the role of first minister since Donald Dewar, who was 61 when he won the first Holyrood election in 1999.

With that comes enormous experience: 45 years in the SNP, a previous spell as leader, and 16 years as a cabinet secretary including nine years managing Scotland’s finances.

Few question his qualifications for the role and he is widely seen as a stabilising voice, popular with colleagues and opponents.

He will need all his experience to fulfil his promise to seek consensus with opposition parties, with the aim of growing the economy and tackling poverty.

Kate Forbes – deputy first minister, economy and Gaelic secretary

Kate Forbes returns to government after little more than a year on the backbenches, and the terms of the deal she struck not to run against Mr Swinney now become clear.

The 34-year-old becomes Scotland’s youngest ever deputy first minister and takes over the economy portfolio as well as responsibility for Gaelic.

The MSP, who is a member of the Free Church of Scotland, has been criticised for her views on gay marriage, abortion and trans rights.

She is a former finance secretary and is fluent in Gaelic.

Angela Constance – justice and home affairs secretary

Angela Constance remains at justice and home affairs.

The former social worker has been in parliament since 2007 and joined the government in 2010.

She previously served as education secretary and communities and social security secretary before leaving government for a spell.

Mairi Gougeon – rural affairs, land reform and islands secretary

The 39-year-old has held the rural affairs brief since 2021.

Before entering parliament in 2016 she was a councillor in her native Brechin and defeated the sitting MSP, Nigel Don, in a party selection contest.

She was briefly public health minister before taking on her current role.

Jenny Gilruth – education and skills secretary

Jenny Gilruth also stays in the same job.

The Mid-Scotland and Glenrothes MSP was a teacher in Edinburgh and Dunfermline before entering politics. She entered government in 2020 as minister for Europe, migration and international development.

She is married to the former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale.

Neil Gray – health and social care secretary

Neil Gray was only elected to Holyrood in 2021, having spent the previous six years at Westminster.

He took over as health secretary earlier this year, after the resignation of Michael Matheson.

The native Orcadian was a journalist and producer with the BBC in Kirkwall before working for the former health secretary Alex Neil.

Fiona Hyslop – transport secretary

A member of the Scottish Parliament since its inception in 1999, Fiona Hyslop has now served in junior and senior government roles under all four SNP first ministers.

She has been a member of the party for almost 40 years and stood unsuccessfully in council and Westminster elections before devolution.

She held the culture portfolio for 11 years between 2009 and 2020.

Mairi McAllan – net zero and energy secretary

Seen as one of the SNP’s brightest young stars, Mairi McAllan became a minister immediately upon being elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2021 at the age of 28.

The former corporate lawyer and special adviser to Nicola Sturgeon joined Humza Yousaf’s cabinet in the transport, net zero and just transition brief.

This became wellbeing economy, net zero and energy in February. The economy role now transfers to Kate Forbes under Mr Swinney but she retains the rest of her responsibilities.

Angus Robertson – constitution, external affairs and culture secretary

One of the SNP’s most experienced campaigners, Angus Robertson spent 16 years as an MP for Moray before losing his seat to the Scottish Conservative leader Dougas Ross in the 2017 election.

A German speaker who worked as a journalist in central Europe, he spoke for the SNP on foreign affairs and defence at Westminster and has been both the party’s deputy and Westminster leader.

Since being elected to Holyrood in 2021, he has been cabinet secretary for the constitution, external affairs and culture.

Shona Robison – finance and local government secretary

A close friend and political ally of former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Shona Robison is another of the 1999 intake of MSPs.

She was a junior minister for public health and sport in her party’s first government before joining the cabinet in 2014 but resigned as health secretary four years later.

After a spell on the backbenches, the Dundee MSP re-joined the cabinet in the social justice brief before serving as Mr Yousaf’s finance secretary and deputy first minister.

She offered to give up her role as deputy first minister in favour of Kate Forbes as a means of bringing the party together.

Shirley-Anne Somerville – social justice secretary

Shirley-Anne Somerville was an MSP from 2007-2011 before losing her seat.

After a spell helping run the Yes campaign she returned to Holyrood in 2016 and has been in government ever since.

She has been education as well as social justice secretary and between these roles has handled controversial policies such as gender recognition, school standards and the role of the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).

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