Robison resigns

Shona Robison’s future as health secretary has long been doomed.

When it was revealed in April that NHS Tayside resorted to raiding a charitable fund to pay for day-to-day spending, the writing was on the wall.

The issue for Nicola Sturgeon has been how to negotiate a dignified exit for her friend, which both preserves the government’s integrity on the NHS and protects the personal relationship.

The purge of Ms Robison marks a bloody day for Cabinet members, with Keith Brown and Angela Constance also removed.

What seems clear is that although Ms Robison is out of the Cabinet, she will still have a big part to play in the running of the country.

In a cosy exchange of letters, Ms Sturgeon told the former health secretary that their friendship “has always been extremely important to me” and she will “continue to seek your counsel as a colleague and friend”.

Friends aside, the FM has embarked on a major reshuffle that is bigger than many expected.

Jeane Freeman steps in as health secretary, as The Courier reported was likely to happen in April.

Humza Yousaf is already a serious contender as a future first minister and his promotion from the transport to justice brief is another step on the 33-year-old’s meteoric rise.

The SNP have been in power for 11 years, a remarkable achievement. A fresh team will hope to replenish an administration which is trying to balance the demands of building a fresh case for independence with delivering on core issues such as education and health.

With yesterday seeing the Scottish Government announcing a delay to its flagship education legislation, the new Cabinet is already on the back foot.