First Minister John Swinney has placed public sector reform at the centre of his new Cabinet, appointing Ivan McKee as the inaugural Public Service Reform Secretary in a drive for fiscal sustainability. The move, announced on Wednesday, tasks McKee with overhauling the public sector, including reducing the workforce, to help the Scottish Government address a projected budget shortfall of nearly £5 billion by the end of the decade.
Swinney Rejects Cuts Claims
Speaking to journalists outside Bute House after unveiling his top team, Swinney dismissed suggestions that the reform push would equate to cuts. “What people should be prepared for is reform,” he stated. “That’s exactly what I’ve put at the heart of Government – public sector reform – to make sure that we deliver on the expectations of the public, but we do so in a way that is fiscally sustainable, and that is what an SNP Government has done for 19 years.” He emphasised that his team, under the focused leadership of Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth and Ivan McKee, would work across government to reform the public sector, sending a clear signal of a government prioritising fiscal sustainability and public needs.
Deputy First Minister Appointment
Earlier on Wednesday, after being sworn in at the Court of Session, Swinney appointed Jenny Gilruth, a former school teacher and education secretary, as his deputy. Gilruth described the role as “the greatest honour of my life” and pledged to deliver on the government’s priorities: supporting people through the cost-of-living crisis, improving NHS access, and delivering a fresh start with independence. “That is our task and it is one I will dedicate myself to delivering as Deputy First Minister, in a Scottish Government working for Scotland,” she said.
New Faces and Portfolio Changes
Former SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn is the only new face in the Cabinet, taking on the economy, transport, and tourism briefs. Neil Gray and Angela Constance have swapped portfolios from the previous parliament, with Gray moving to justice and Constance to health. Mairi McAllan, tipped as a potential deputy first minister, will oversee education, culture, and Gaelic. Gillian Martin continues as Climate Action Secretary, with added responsibility for rural affairs. Swinney, who retains responsibility for the constitution and independence, described his government as “leaner, more agile” and “very focused.”
Opposition Reaction
Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie criticised the reshuffle, calling Swinney’s decision to move Gray from health a “catastrophic admission that Scotland’s NHS is being failed by the SNP.” She added that replacing him with Constance, who “utterly failed as justice secretary,” showed the move was not a serious attempt to fix the SNP’s mess. “The same failed ministers are simply being shuffled around the table, with one joker being added to the deck,” she said, urging ministers to “finally get a grip” and end rhetoric and broken promises.
Formal Swearing-In
The First Minister was sworn in for a second term on Wednesday morning, leaving the Court of Session just after 10am accompanied by his wife Elizabeth and teenage son Matthew. Cabinet appointments will face a confirmatory vote in Holyrood on Thursday.
