Before I turn to the nominations for which I seek approval today, I confirm to the chamber that, with regret, I will not be asking Parliament to approve the appointment of Gillian Martin as a minister. In the course of this morning, information about content on a blog that was written by her more than 10 years ago was brought to my attention. I was not previously aware of all the comments of which I am now aware. I have to say that that content—however ill advised it may have been—does not reflect the views of the person that I know in Gillian Martin. However, the content merits my further consideration and I will, therefore, not ask Parliament to approve her appointment until I have had the chance to reflect further.
I rise to seek Parliament’s agreement that Shirley-Anne Somerville, Michael Russell, Jeane Freeman, Humza Yousaf and Aileen Campbell be appointed as Scottish ministers and that Ash Denham, Ben Macpherson, Christina McKelvie, Clare Haughey, Graeme Dey, Ivan McKee, Kate Forbes and Mairi Gougeon be appointed as Scottish junior ministers.
I record my thanks to those who are leaving the Government. Keith Brown is leaving to become the full-time deputy leader of the SNP. He has many achievements that he can be very proud of, including having overseen the construction of the magnificent new Queensferry crossing and having secured Scotland’s excellent record of attracting inward investment.
Angela Constance also served with distinction, not only in laying the groundwork for the dramatic fall in youth unemployment that we have seen in recent years but in being a strong voice at the Cabinet table for those who are not always heard in society. The fact that Scotland has received international recognition for the work that we have done to support refugees, on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex plus rights, on women’s issues and in many other areas is in no small part down to Angela’s leadership.
Shona Robison has been a compassionate and effective health secretary. Even with more patients being seen than ever before, Shona leaves a legacy of high levels of patient satisfaction and the lowest accident and emergency waiting times in the whole of the United Kingdom. Her final act as a minister was to offer a 9 per cent pay rise over three years to our NHS staff, which is a fitting tribute to the way in which Shona has always championed their interests. I know that the past couple of years have been particularly challenging for Shona personally. The dignified way in which she has remained dedicated to the NHS while under pressure is a lesson in how politicians should seek to conduct themselves. [Applause.] I am very proud to call her not just a colleague but a valued friend.
Finally, I thank the departing ministers, Alasdair Allan, Annabelle Ewing and Maureen Watt, each of whom has left their own legacies in Government.
The outpouring of thanks over the past 48 hours for those who are leaving Government, from stakeholder organisations, some Opposition MSPs, members of the media and the wider public, speaks for itself. I know that MSPs from across the chamber will wish all of them well in the future.
I turn to the new appointments, and, first, the new Cabinet appointments. Humza Yousaf has been an outstanding Minister for Transport and the Islands. He has championed all forms of transport in Scotland. At the weekend, I saw that he has even started to take flying lessons. The Islands (Scotland) Bill, which he stewarded through the Parliament, is a major step forward for our island communities. As the minister for the beast from the east and many other unexpected events, Humza has more than proven his ability to calmly manage complex situations, and I know that he will be an excellent justice secretary.
Humza will be Scotland’s first Cabinet member from an ethnic minority background. That is a significant personal achievement for him but also a significant milestone for this Parliament. Humza will also become the youngest-ever cabinet secretary. The generational change in Scottish politics has certainly been brought home to me when I consider that, in Humza, I have just appointed someone to my Cabinet whom I first met when I spoke to his high school modern studies class some years ago.
I have asked Jeane Freeman to become the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport. Jeane has taken the enormous responsibility of overseeing the devolution of social security powers in her stride. Her forensic grasp of her brief has ensured that the process remains well on track. Importantly, Jeane has never treated the task simply as some Government project to manage. At every step of the way, she has adopted a bottom-up approach, making sure that our fellow citizens at the heart of the social security system are listened to and treated with dignity and respect. For those and many other reasons, Jeane is an ideal choice for her new role.
With the groundwork now laid for Scotland’s new social security system, the focus moves to its operation, and such a vital part of Government needs a permanent voice at the Cabinet table. I have therefore asked Shirley-Anne Somerville to become Scotland’s first dedicated Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People. Since her appointment, in 2016, Shirley-Anne has delivered substantial progress on widening access to university, improving student support for further and higher education and safeguarding Scotland’s academic excellence and innovation.
Aileen Campbell will take on the new role of Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government. Aileen has shown strong leadership in a number of areas, not least in championing a public health approach to problem drug use and in tackling overweight and obesity.
Over the past two years, Michael Russell has been relentless in standing up for Scotland’s interests in the Brexit process, not least in his work in exposing the power grab that lies at the heart of the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill. Mike has—to the irritation, no doubt, of some Opposition MSPs—become omnipresent in Parliament, on television and at the numerous events that he is invited to both in Scotland and further afield, but that is testament to the way in which he has effectively kept the minutiae and the chaos of the Brexit process under real, effective public scrutiny. His return to the Cabinet is as necessary as it is deserved. With a new chapter opening up in the Brexit process, it is right that the enormous impact that it will have on our economy and our society is fully reflected at Cabinet level.
A number of other individuals remain in the Cabinet. Derek Mackay will assume responsibility for the economy and fair work, in addition to finance. Michael Matheson will take on the new brief of transport and infrastructure. I have asked Roseanna Cunningham, Fergus Ewing, Fiona Hyslop and John Swinney to continue in their respective roles. John Swinney will also continue to serve as the Deputy First Minister, and I take this opportunity to thank him for the personal support and advice that he continues to offer to me and to other ministers.
I now turn to the junior ministerial appointments. After 11 years in office, it is encouraging that this Government is still able to draw on a wealth of new talent from our back benches. Today’s nominees represent constituencies the length and breadth of our country, and they bring an enormous amount of political, personal and professional experience into Government.
Clare Haughey is a former mental health nurse who continues to hold an honorary nursing position, and she will take on the role of Minister for Mental Health. Kate Forbes has been an excellent MSP, and I think that she will make an excellent Minister for Public Finances and Digital Economy, working with the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work to manage the Scottish budget and tax policy. As if promoting Humza Yousaf has not made me feel old enough, Kate Forbes’s appointment also represents a first, as she is the first Scottish minister to have been born in the same decade as the Scottish Parliament itself.
Ivan McKee, who has extensive business experience, will take on the role of Minister for Trade, Investment and Innovation, building on Scotland’s strong track record of attracting inward investment in recent years and working to boost exports. Christina McKelvie becomes the Minister for Older People and Equalities, building on her experience as the convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Equalities and Human Rights Committee. Mairi Gougeon, who has represented Scotland on the Committee of the Regions and recently held the United Kingdom Government to account on the rights of EU migrants, including her own husband, will be the Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment.
Ash Denham, who has ably and effectively assisted in prosecuting the case against the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill, is to be the Minister for Community Safety. Ben Macpherson takes on the role of Minister for Europe, Migration and International Development. Having literally walked 500 miles from Scotland to London in his younger days to promote international peace, he will bring a real, personal commitment to Scotland’s international development work. Graeme Dey, who is a highly effective committee convener and who has, in that role, put ministers under regular pressure, will now find out what it is like on the other side, as the new Minister for Parliamentary Business and Veterans. There is no revenge whatsoever in that appointment.
Finally, I am pleased that Joe FitzPatrick, Jamie Hepburn, Paul Wheelhouse, Maree Todd and Kevin Stewart have all agreed to remain part of the ministerial team.
I am pleased to say that, as well as having a gender-balanced Cabinet, we will have a junior ministerial team that is gender balanced for the first time. Every one of today’s nominees is there on merit, and I know that they will be hugely effective members of the ministerial team. I also know that they are itching to get started and get on with the job, so it gives me great pleasure to move the motions today.
I move,
That the Parliament agrees that Shirley-Anne Somerville, Michael Russell, Jeane Freeman, Humza Yousaf and Aileen Campbell be appointed as Scottish Ministers.
That the Parliament agrees that Ash Denham, Ben Macpherson, Christina McKelvie, Clare Haughey, Graeme Dey, Ivan McKee, Kate Forbes and Mairi Gougeon be appointed as junior Scottish Ministers.
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