SWINNEY NAMES First Minister sets out priorities and selects team ‘blending experience and energy’ Swinney sworn in as seventh First Minister

FIRST Minister John Swinney has named his new Scottish Cabinet. The new SNP leader was officially sworn in as Scotland’s seventh First Minister yesterday, after being confirmed by a vote of MSPs on Tuesday.

Swinney will lead a minority SNP government and familiar faces from the party, including likely future leadership contenders such as Kate Forbes and Mairi McAllan, were seen entering Bute House yesterday afternoon. A few hours later, their official roles in Swinney’s new government were announced.

Forbes is to take the economy portfolio and responsibility for Gaelic, as well as the Deputy First Minister brief.

Shona Robison, who Forbes replaced as deputy first minister yesterday, will take on the finance and local government briefs.

In all there are 11 members of the Cabinet, which is majority female:

●Kate Forbes, the youngest-ever Deputy First Minister, will take on the economy portfolio and responsibility for Gaelic

●Shona Robison remains in Cabinet with responsibility for finance and local government

●Jenny Gilruth remains Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills

●Ange●a Constance remains Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs

JOHN Swinney has been legally sworn in as Scotland’s seventh First Minister.

The new SNP leader took part in a short ceremony at the Court of Session in Edinburgh yesterday morning where he took the oath of office.

The Perthshire North MSP made his statutory declarations and was granted his official title of First Minister and Keeper of the Scottish Seal.

The oath was administered by Lord Carloway, the Lord President, who heads up the judiciary in Scotland.

Swinney’s family, including his wife Elizabeth, 13-year-old son Matthew and brother David, accompanied him to court.