Scottish cabinet reshuffle to continue

27 June 2018, 06:20 | Updated: 27 June 2018, 06:22

Nicola Sturgeon will continue to reshuffle her ministerial team at Holyrood after announcing major changes to her cabinet.

The First Minister appointed Jeane Freeman, a former adviser to Labour first minister Jack McConnell, to take on the high profile health brief, after Shona Robison quit the job.

With Keith Brown, who had been the economy secretary, and Angela Constance - whose brief took in communities, social security and equalities issues - also leaving the cabinet, Ms Sturgeon promoted a number of more junior ministers to her top team.

Those vacancies will be filled later, with speculation that the First Minister could call up SNP backbenchers such as Mairi Gougeon or Kate Forbes.

Humza Yousaf, who had been the transport minister, is now the new Justice Secretary, where he will lead on the delivery of new hate crime laws for Scotland.

Meanwhile Mike Russell, Shirley-Anne Somerville and Aileen Campbell, who had all had ministerial roles, have also joined the cabinet, with Mr Russell, who had been the Scottish Government's Brexit minister, taking on the newly created post of Government Business and Constitutional Relations Secretary.

Ms Sturgeon said on Tuesday that the reshuffle "brings fresh talent to the Scottish Government and ensures that we are fully equipped to meet the challenges and opportunities facing the country in the months and years ahead".