Robison OUT as Nicola shuffles her pack
Robison the big victim as First Minister shakes up her top team
UNDER fire Shona Robison was the big casualty last night in a reshuffle of the Scottish Cabinet.
She was moved out after a catalogue of failures pushed the NHS to breaking point.
Robison, a close personal friend of the First Minister, described her departure as a “resignation”.
It came on the same day waiting times for cancer treatments were revealed to be at their worst level ever.
by ANDY PHILIP HEALTH Secretary Shona Robison dramatically left her job last night in a clear-out of Nicola Sturgeon’s struggling team of top ministers.
Poor performer Robison paid the price for months of missed targets and dire warnings from nurses and doctors.
Her “resignation” letter was published on the same day as official figures revealed cancer waiting times hit a record high.
Other casualties in Sturgeon’s reshuffle included Economy Secretary Keith Brown, Angela Constance, who leaves social security, Europe minister Alasdair Allan, legal affairs minister Annabelle Ewing and mental health minister Maureen Watt.
The First Minister congratulated her former ministers despite long-standing criticism of the way they’ve handled their portfolios.
When she unveiled her new top team last night, it included big promotions for Jeane Freeman, Humza Yousaf, Shirley-Anne Somerville and Aileen Campbell.
Sturgeon said: “The new Cabinet brings fresh talent to the Scottish Government and ensures that we are fully equipped to meet the challenges and opportunities facing the country in the months and years ahead.
“With the impact of Brexit on our economy and wider society, it is right that the issues it presents are fully reflected at Cabinet level, while the delivery of a new Scottish social security system also requires a voice at the Cabinet table.
“Those appointments, together with the reshaped portfolios announced today, mean that people can have confidence that the Scottish Government will continue to deliver for people, public services and communities the length and breadth of the country.”
Deputy First Minister and Education Secretary John Swinney was notably absent from the resignation list, despite a major embarrassment in Parliament yesterday.
His education reform legislation was effectively put on ice for a year after failure to secure enough support – even though education is supposed to be Sturgeon’s priority in government.
The reshuffle marks the first major changes in Sturgeon’s ministerial team since the 2016 Holyrood election.
Her new team of junior ministers will be announced shortly.
Robison was by far the biggest casualty and will be replaced by Freeman, who has been promoted from social security minister.
In letters exchanged yesterday, Robison highlighted problems in her personal life, including a health scare. She wrote: “I feel that I have reached a point in my life just now where I would be best to step down from a role in government.
“I have entered a new chapter of my life, including a new relationship, where it would be good to take time to focus on those closest to
me, who have too often had to come second place to my job, which has been hard for us all.”
Peter Bennie, chairman of the British Medical Associaton in Scotland, thanked Robison and Watt for their service.
He said: “This is a challenging time for the NHS in Scotland and we need to see more substantive efforts to tackle the growing gap between resources and demand for services.
“We also need to see concerted efforts to tackle recruitment and retention and this must include a significant pay increase to start addressing the unacceptable pay restrictions that doctors have faced in Scotland for several years.”
Brown, who was elected deputy SNP leader earlier this month, finds himself out of government and with a major pay cut – but he is now in charge of planning for campaigns and independence.
He said: “It is a huge honour to have been elected deputy leader of the SNP and I want to give my all to the role.”
The First Minister also thanked Constance for her “resignation” from the Cabinet.
Scots Tory deputy leader Jackson Carlaw said the reshuffle had been a long time coming.
He added: “There may well have been a few ministerial changes but this is an SNP Government who are tired, completely out of ideas and all over the place on key issues. The people of Scotland are coming to the view that Nicola Sturgeon’s time is up.” Labour health spokesman Anas Sarwar said: “Nicola Sturgeon had to remove Shona Robison from the health brief. The problems in our health service had piled up on her watch on an unprecedented scale. “Labour held the Government to account on a daily basis on the NHS and we will continue to do so. “Week after week at First Minister’s Questions, Richard Leonard highlighted the problems to Nicola Sturgeon, and week after week, this Government hid behind NHS staff.
“The challenge for Robison’s successor is to win the argument around the Cabinet table for adequate funding and staffing of our health service.
“Ultimately, our health service won’t be fixed by a new health secretary – it will be fixed by the next Labour government.”
Green MSP Alison Johnstone said: “The role of health secretary is clearly one of the most challenging in government. Shona Robison has shown serious commitment and I wish her well for the future.
“The NHS faces serious, systemic challenges, and they will not all be quick or easy to overcome.
“Staff and patients want to see meaningful improvements to services. GP recruitment and retention is a major problem in so many parts of Scotland and our hospitals will take the strain if that isn’t addressed.”
Scots Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie said: “Political difference does not indicate the absence of personal admiration for the dedication of former ministers to their roles and their service to the country.
“Nevertheless, change was required in the leadership of our NHS. We have seen long waiting times, a shortage of nurses and doctors and mental health service reform that fails to match up to what is required.
“If the change in the ministerial team is not matched by a change of policy, then our NHS will continue to decline.”