Scotland’s 25

On Wednesday 19th June Nicola Sturgeon was sworn in at the Court of Session as First Minister of Scotland. Before her swearing in she announced her nine Cabinet Secretaries. Including herself there are five women and five men, so a gender balance of Cabinet Secretaries; and seven women and eight men in ministerial posts, so almost a 50/50 split.

Afterward being sworn in, the First Minister announced her fifteen Ministers. Most had been in government previously, but there was one new face – Mairi McAllan.

Mairi, a lawyer who co-founded the human rights organisation RebLaw Scotland whose mission is to use the law to fight for social justice, has just been elected as the MSP for Clydesdale, but she is no newbie to the parliamentary scene. Having previously worked in the office of an MSP, in January Mairi was appointed as a special adviser to the First Minister working on environment, climate change, land reform and renewable energy policy.

The new ministerial team is:

First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon
Minister for Drugs Policy, Angela Constance

Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery, John Swinney
Minister for Parliamentary Business, George Adam

Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy, Kate Forbes
Minister for Just Transition, Employment and Fair Work (who will also work alongside the Net Zero Secretary), Richard Lochhead
Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise, Ivan McKee
Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth, Tom Arthur

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Humza Yousaf
Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health and Sport, Maree Todd
Minister for Mental Wellbeing and Social Care, Kevin Stewart

Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Shirley-Anne Somerville
Minister for Children and Young People, Clare Haughey
Minister for Higher Education and Further Education, Youth Employment and Training, Jamie Hepburn

Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport, Michael Matheson
Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform (who will also work alongside the Rural Affairs Secretary), Mairi McAllan
Minister for Transport, Graeme Dey

Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Keith Brown
Minister for Community Safety, Ash Denham

Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government, Shona Robison
Minister for Equalities and Older People, Christina McKelvie
Minister for Social Security and Local Government, Ben MacPherson

Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gougeon

Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, Angus Robertson
Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development, Jenny Gilruth