Minister steps down to focus on depute leader role
Clackmannanshire and Dunblane MSP, Keith Brown, has stepped down from the Scottish Government after being elected as the SNP’s new depute leader.
First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, made the announcement in a ministerial re–shuffle yesterday (Tuesday) morning.
Mr Brown will vacate his jobs as Economy Secretary in order to dedicate his time to his new SNP role and become campaign director for the party – with responsibility for policy development, preparation for future elections and building the case for independence.
Mr Brown’s responsibilities will include preparing the party for a possible snap UK General Election.
Mr Brown said:“Over the last few weeks, the public outcry over the Tory power grab has led to a further increase in our party membership and a refreshed debate about independence – and so it has become clear to me that we must capitalise on this moment.
“The First Minister and I have agreed that, as part of the leadership team, I should dedicate my time and energy to the role of depute leader – effectively becoming the standing campaign director of the party – and lead work to build our policy platform, ensure we are ready for an early general election should it happen, build and strengthen the case for independence and start to lay the foundations for the 2021 Holyrood election. In the coming days we will be appointing a team of MPs and MSPs to support this work and put the party on a campaign footing.
“While my constituency will always come first, serving as a Government Minister has been a huge honour, and I’m particularly proud to have helped deliver the iconic Queensferry Crossing, the hugely successful Borders Railway and to have served as veterans minister, representing our veterans community inside government. I am relishing the opportunity to get the SNP ready for the campaigns and opportunities that lie ahead.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said:“To ensure we can deliver the best future for Scotland we must be ready for a snap UK election at any time, and we must also begin the hard work of building a policy platform on which to seek the support of the people of Scotland in the next Holyrood election.
“We must also make sure that the voice, expertise, energies and ideas of our expanded membership are harnessed.”