John Swinney has chaired the first meeting of his scaled-down Scottish cabinet, vowing that the new team will “waste no time in delivering” on the priorities of the people of Scotland. The First Minister announced a reduced ministerial line-up earlier this week, with former education secretary Jenny Gilruth promoted to deputy First Minister and handed responsibility for the finance brief.
Gilruth will work closely with Ivan McKee, who has been appointed to the new role of Public Service Reform Secretary. The position is seen as key as the Scottish Government faces a funding shortfall that could reach £4.7 billion by the end of the decade. Swinney said he was “delighted” to chair Friday’s meeting of the new-look cabinet.
“The ministerial team I have appointed will be focused on and responsive to the challenges facing communities across the country,” Swinney said. “That means supporting families through the current cost-of-living crisis, continuing to deliver improvements in our NHS, and growing our economy – all of which will require a concerted effort by the entire government working together.”
The First Minister added that the leaner cabinet would drive work with “greater purpose, co-ordination and effectiveness”, and that ministers around the table possess the “experience, skills, talent and drive” needed to deliver lasting change. He said: “We have a vision to take our country forward, and we will waste no time in delivering progress.”
However, the reshuffle drew criticism from opposition parties. Conservative MSP Meghan Gallacher joked that the government “had been on Mounjaro because it has slimmed down in size” but “still somehow carries all the same political baggage”. She added: “We now have a government where the cabinet looks exhausted already, and they haven’t even delivered their first Programme for Government.”
Reform UK’s Scottish deputy leader Thomas Kerr described the new cabinet as “tired and knackered”, insisting: “Scotland does not need another recycled government pretending to be revolutionaries. What Scotland needs is seriousness, competence and accountability.”
