Shona Robison facing vote of no confidence

HOLYROOD: Health secretary accusee of using NHS Tayside staff as ‘human shields’

Shona Robison is facing a vote of no confidence in the Scottish Parliament.

The Liberal Democrats are sounding out Holyrood’s opposition parties in a bid to force out the under-fire health secretary.

An alliance of Conservatives, Labour, Lib Dems and Greens would be enough to pass a parliamentary motion demanding her resignation.

The Lib Dems’ Willie Rennie, a Fife MSP, became the second Scots party leader to call for Ms Robison to resign in as many days when he addressed the Scottish Liberal Democrat spring conference in Aviemore.

He accused the Dundee East MSP of using senior staff at NHS Tayside as “human shields” in the battle to save her own job.

Mr Rennie said the Tayside scandal is the final straw for Ms Robison after a raft of NHS failures.

“Change will only come when there is change at the top,” he said yesterday.

“She must resign and she must resign now.”

After his speech, Mr Rennie revealed he will open talks with other senior MSPs about whether they can “orchestrate” a cross-party manoeuvre against Ms Robison.

A vote of no confidence in Ms Robison would not be binding on the government but would be impossible to ignore.

The financial crisis at the health board deepened this month when it was revealed directors had dipped into donations from the public for general spending.

A spokesman for Ms Robison said: “Willie Rennie’s petty, personalised attack on Shona does him no credit whatsoever – the health secretary has addressed the issues facing NHS Tayside, where a new leadership team has been installed.”

Picture: Mhairi Edwards. Health Secretary Shona Robison is being urged to resign by opposition parties.