The party heirs-apparent given new roles
WIDELY seen as a rising star in the SNP who could be a future leadership contender, Humza Yousaf yesterday became the first Cabinet member from an ethnic minority. At 33 the new Justice Secretary is also thought to be the youngest.
He was at the centre of a scandal in 2016 when he was fined £300 for being caught driving without insurance — while Transport Minister. At the time he claimed to have no idea he was driving illegally and blamed the mistake on the break-up of his marriage to wife Gail. He has had a sometimes turbulent time as Transport Minister, including the occasion he told MSPs he was ‘not a transport expert’ when questioned on policy.
New Communities and Local Government Secretary Aileen Campbell first became a minister in Alex Salmond’s government in 2011 — handed the local government remit before switching to Children’s Minister. She was the first member of the Scottish Government to take maternity leave when she had her second child in 201 . As Public Health Minister since 2016, she has been responsible for pressing ahead with controversial plans to ban junk food promotions such as ‘buy one get one free’ and ‘3 for 2’.
Michael Russell returns to the Cabinet after a brief hiatus, demoted in 201 when Nicola Sturgeon became First Minister.
He received an £11,000 taxpayer-funded pay-off when sacked as Education Secretary.
Despite the payment, he was back in the government just two years later as Brexit Minister, but is promoted with a wider remit as Government Business and Constitutional Relations Secretary.
Shirley-Anne Somerville, widely seen to have done well as higher and further education minister, becomes Social Security and Older People Secretary — in charge of Scotland’s new benefits system.
She first became an MSP in the Lothians in 2007, lost her seat in 2011, but won Dunfermline in 2016.