Stop focusing on Brexit and cut the Cabinet, First Minister is told

NICOLA Sturgeon will this week face calls to ‘prune’ her Cabinet.

The First Minister leads a 25-strong team of Ministers and law officers – larger than any predecessors – and the Scottish Tories claim many are ‘treading on each other’s toes’.

They say too many highly paid Ministers are focused on making political capital out of Brexit instead of improving the economy, schools and health service.

Tory MSP Murdo Fraser said: ‘The First Minister needs to get some garden shears out and prune her team back into order.’

Power over foreign affairs is reserved to Westminster, yet External Affairs Secretary Fiona Hyslop’s brief includes ‘EU and international relations’ and overlaps with the work of Europe Minister Alasdair Allan.

Miss Sturgeon has also employed a separate Brexit Minister in Mike Russell.

Mr Russell’s role was created to lead talks with the UK Government prior to the triggering of Article 50 – this took place last month yet he remains in the post.

Derek Mackay has responsibility for the constitution although the Finance Secretary’s focus should be on the economy.

A senior Tory source said Mr Mackay would come under greater scrutiny after the economy contracted by 0.2 per cent in the last three months of 2016, while the UK’s grew by 0.7 per cent. If it contracts again in the following three months, we will be in recession.

The source said: ‘The outlook for Mr Mackay’s prospects has gone the same way as the Scottish economy – into negative territory.’

A spokesman for the First Minister said: ‘Theresa May presides over a Cabinet more than double the size of the Scottish Cabinet, while the bloated House of Lords is full of unelected Tory placemen and women.

‘We wouldn’t need anyone dealing with Brexit if the Tories hadn’t created the issue.’