Tired pack shuffled
Nicola rings the changes with her Cabinet in the biggest shake-up since the SNP came to power
NICOLA Sturgeon’s close friend Shona Robison left her job as Health Secretary yesterday as part of the biggest reshuffle since the SNP came to power more than a decade ago. The Dundee City East MSP vacated her role nearly four years after succeeding Miss Sturgeon, following mounting criticism of her performance.
Her resignation letter was part of a series of carefully co-ordinated comings and goings as part of a wide-ranging reshuffle.
Economy Secretary Keith Brown and Communities Secretary Angela Constance left the Cabinet, while Justice Secretary Michael Matheson was sidelined.
Opponents said the reshuffle showed the SNP Government is ‘tired, completely out of ideas and all over the place on key issues’.
Miss Robison’s job went to Jeane Freeman. Once an adviser to Labour former First Minister Jack McConnell, she was involved in a row over a ‘smear’ campaign against a nurse who criticised Miss Sturgeon in a TV debate in last year’s general election campaign.
Humza Yousaf was promoted from transport minister to Justice Secretary, in place of Mr Matheson, who switched to a new role as Transport and Infrastructure Secretary following widespread concern about soft-touch justice and failings in Police Scotland.
Miss Sturgeon increased her top team from ten to 12, with junior ministers Shirley-Anne Somerville, Aileen Campbell and Michael Russell securing promotions.
Scottish Tory deputy leader Jackson Carlaw said: ‘This is an SNP Government that is 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.’
Miss Robison had been facing the threat of a no-confidence vote from opposition parties after the summer recess, amid mounting criticism about her running of the NHS.
Her exit was confirmed yesterday in an exchange of letters with Miss Sturgeon. Miss Robison said her time in the role had been an ‘immense privilege’ but admitted it had been ‘at times very challenging and all-consuming’.
She cited the death of her parents, a health scare which saw her recalled as part of the breast cancer screening programme before being cleared and ‘big changes’ in her personal life.
Miss Robison broke up with Dundee East MP Stewart Hosie after details emerged of his affair with political blogger and former actress Serena Cowdy.
In her resignation letter, Miss Robison said: ‘I feel I have reached a point in my life where I would be best to step down from a role in Government. I have entered a new chapter in my life, including a new relationship, where it would be good to take time to focus on those closest to me’
In her response, Miss Sturgeon said her time as Health Secretary had ‘coincided with a time of unprecedented pressure on our NHS’. She added: ‘Our friendship has always been extremely important to me and while we may no longer sit together around the Cabinet table I know that I will continue to seek your counsel as a colleague and a friend.
‘The people of Dundee East can be assured that in you they have one of our nation’s finest elected representatives.’
Scottish Labour health spokesman Anas Sarwar said: ‘Nicola Sturgeon had to remove Shona Robison. The problems in our health service had piled up on her watch on an unprecedented scale.
‘The challenge for her successor is to win the argument around the Cabinet table for adequate funding and staffing of our health service.’
Labour said Miss Freeman’s appointment was ‘surprising’ given that she was responsible, alongside MP Joanna Cherry, for criticising nurse Claire Austin, who told Miss Sturgeon her wage as a nurse had left her struggling to pay bills and using food banks.
BMA Scotland chairman Peter Bennie said: ‘I congratulate Jeane Freeman on being appointed Health Secretary. We look forward to working constructively with her, as we did with Shona Robison.
‘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.
‘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 doctors have faced in Scotland for several years.’
In yesterday’s reshuffle, five ministers were promoted into the Cabinet. In addition to Mr Yousaf and Miss Freeman, Brexit Minister Michael Russell was given the Cabinet role of Government Business and Constitutional Relations Secretary, while public health minister Aileen Campbell was handed the Communities and Local Government Secretary role and higher and further education minister Shirley-Anne Somerville was made Social Security Secretary.
Mr Brown left the Economy Secretary role despite previously suggesting during his successful campaign to become SNP deputy leader that he could do both roles.
His exit from the Cabinet was announced by SNP HQ shortly before most of the changes were revealed. Miss Sturgeon said: ‘He and I have decided the time is right to ensure the energies of the SNP leader and depute leader team are focused not just on delivering a
‘Out of ideas and all over the place’ ‘First Minister’s time is up’
strong SNP Government, but also a party operation that is, from top to bottom, fit and ready for the opportunities that lie ahead.’
All the departing politicians will be paid a ‘resettlement’ grant of 25 per cent of their salary.
Miss Sturgeon, who will announce further changes today, said: ‘Those appointments, together with the reshaped portfolios announced today, mean people can have confidence the Scottish Government will continue to deliver public services and communities the length and breadth of the country.
‘People already have high trust in the Scottish Government to look after their interests and I am determined this new, refreshed Cabinet will continue to repay that trust.’
Stephen Daisley – Page 16