HIS NEW CABINET Forbes made deputy FM and given brief for Gaelic language
JOHN Swinney has appointed Kate Forbes as the Deputy First Minister of Scotland. Forbes takes over from Shona Robison, who has resigned from the role but will remain in Cabinet with responsibility for finance and local government.
The former finance secretary was the first to arrive at Swinney’s official residence, Bute House, as he put together his top table.
In a statement, Forbes said: “I am deeply honoured to accept John’s invitation to be his Deputy First Minister.
“This is a moment of extraordinary privilege for me. Having previously served in Cabinet, I know the duty that all ministers have to reflect the Government’s priorities and the missions that drive them.
“I look forward to working with John and Cabinet colleagues, delivering for the people of Scotland and building a better country.”
Announcing his new deputy, the First Minister said: “I am very pleased to appoint Kate as Deputy First Minister and look forward to working with her in this new government.
“She is an immensely talented politician and her new role will prove critical as we focus on our key commitments of eradicating child poverty, investing in public services and supporting economic growth.”
The move was criticised by the Scottish Greens – with co-leader Patrick Harvie also posting a “no right turn” sign on Twitter/X.
Harvie, who served as a government minister under both Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf before the end of the Bute House Agreement, claimed many Scots “will be concerned” about Forbes’s appointment to the top role given her socially conservative views.
He said: “There will be many people across our country who will be very concerned and who will want to know that this Scottish Government remains committed to a greener and more equal future for Scotland.
“When it comes to delivering fairer and more progressive taxation, a just transition from oil and gas and a watertight ban on so-called conversion therapy, it is vital that this government does not dilute the long-standing commitments that it has made.
“These are the values that the Scottish Greens remain committed to and that we will work for every day. The Scotland that we want to build is one where everyone is free to be themselves and where climate action is at the forefront of our politics.
“The First Minister must lay out his programme and his vision for Scotland, and where these values lie within it.”
The announcement that Scotland would have a Cabinet Secretary for Gaelic for the first time was welcomed by language campaigners.
The campaign group Misneachd Alba said, translated to English: “This is progress.
“We are happy to have someone in the Cabinet who represents Gaelic across the Government.”
Màrtainn Mac A’Bhàillidh, an organiser with Misneachd Alba, added that it was “much better” to have someone who could work cross-government on Gaelic than to have the language fall under the education brief, as it did previously.
Scottish languages campaign group Oor Vyce welcomed the news but said Scots also deserved recognition.