John Swinney faced accusations of bringing back a cabinet of ‘deadbeats’ and ‘flops’ yesterday as he added just one new face to his top team. The First Minister placed himself in charge of the constitution, shuffled four cabinet secretaries between portfolios, left two in their current roles, and promoted a single minister.
Tory Criticism of the New Cabinet
The Conservatives argued that the public would have ‘no faith in these deadbeats’ to rectify the SNP’s failures. Former SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn was the sole newcomer to Holyrood, taking on the ‘poisoned chalice’ of transport, which includes managing the ferry crisis and dualling the A9 and A96 roads.
Key Appointments and Changes
Mr Swinney appointed former education secretary Jenny Gilruth as deputy First Minister, passing over Mr Flynn and former housing secretary Màiri McAllan, who had been tipped for the role. Ms Gilruth, a former modern studies teacher who failed to close the attainment gap between rich and poor pupils, also received the finance and local government brief.
After overseeing record NHS waiting lists and crises in A&E and delayed discharge patients, Neil Gray was moved from Health to the Justice brief. On the same day Scotland’s prison population hit a record high, Angela Constance moved in the opposite direction from Justice to Health.
Climate Action Secretary Gillian Martin had rural affairs added to her duties, while Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville gained housing responsibilities. Ms McAllan became education secretary with responsibility for culture and Gaelic. In addition to transport, Mr Flynn was given responsibility for economy and tourism.
Public Service Reform
In perhaps the most significant appointment, former public finance minister Ivan McKee was given the new cabinet role of public service reform secretary. His task is to find £1 billion of efficiency savings over five years to help plug the £5 billion black hole in public finances and address around 11,000 public sector job cuts.
Mr Swinney stated that his cabinet, trimmed from 12 members before the election to nine, would lead a ‘leaner, more agile government’ that would ‘hit the ground running.’
Political Reactions
Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton said: ‘Scots will have no faith in these deadbeats turning around the SNP’s appalling record in government. John Swinney’s recycling of the same failed SNP faces demonstrates the chronic lack of talent at his disposal. Jenny Gilruth was a flop as transport minister and, as education secretary, did nothing to tackle the epidemic of classroom violence, yet she’s been rewarded with the most important portfolio and the role of Swinney’s deputy. Neil Gray and Angela Constance presided over crisis, chaos and scandal at health and justice respectively, yet we’re to believe that things will improve by them swapping jobs. The SNP’s dire record on transport probably explains why Swinney has handed that poisoned chalice to Stephen Flynn, the man eyeing up his job.’
Mr Swinney began his lunchtime reshuffle after being formally sworn in as First Minister at the Court of Session, flanked by his wife Elizabeth and teenage son Matthew. Ms Gilruth was the first to arrive at Bute House. Her surprise appointment as deputy FM, seen as a stepping stone to the top job, sets up a three-way fight for the SNP leadership with Ms McAllan and Mr Flynn once Mr Swinney steps down. Married to former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale, she is the first LGBT person to hold the role, replacing Kate Forbes, who quit as an MSP at the election.
Announcing the appointment, Mr Swinney said: ‘As my Government takes on the emphatic mandate we were given by the people, she will play a central role in making sure we deliver on people’s priorities. This will be a Scottish Government working for Scotland. We have pledged that we will support people with the cost of living, ensure easier access to the NHS and deliver a fresh start with independence. That is exactly what we will do, and I am pleased that Jenny will bring her drive and determination to that task.’ Ms Gilruth called it ‘the greatest honour of my life.’
Mr Swinney said Mr McKee’s appointment was a ‘very clear signal’ his government would push for ‘fiscal responsibility.’ Speaking on the steps of Bute House as he posed for a cabinet family photo, he denied that meant cuts. He said: ‘What people should be prepared for is reform. 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.’
With constitution secretary Angus Robertson losing his seat to the Greens, the FM, who wants to work more closely with Sinn Fein and Plaid Cymru on independence, takes on the role.
Further Criticism
Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie said: ‘John Swinney’s decision to sack Neil Gray as Health Secretary is a catastrophic admission that Scotland’s NHS is being failed by the SNP. But his decision to replace him with Angela Constance - who utterly failed as Justice Secretary and left Scotland’s streets less safe - shows that this is not a serious attempt to fix the mess the SNP has made. The same failed ministers are simply being shuffled around the table with one joker being added to the deck. John Swinney is kidding no-one if he thinks this amounts to a fresh start for Scotland.’
Scottish Liberal Democrat Willie Rennie said: ‘I wish the new Cabinet well, but they have an enormous task ahead fixing the problems created by their predecessors over the last twenty years. It will be an even bigger challenge as their predecessors are in the new cabinet too. The new cabinet looks pretty much like the old cabinets but just with different job titles.’
Gordon Llewellyn-MacRae, assistant director at Shelter Scotland, said that housing losing its ‘dedicated seat at the table’ was ‘incredibly deflating.’ He added: ‘Playing hokey cokey with a dedicated minister in then out of the cabinet does nothing to build confidence that ending the housing emergency remains a top priority.’
Responding to Mr Flynn becoming the ninth SNP transport secretary since the dualling of the A9 and A96 was promised in 2011, Tory MSP Tim Eagle added: ‘For the last 15 years, roads across the north and north east of Scotland have been left to rot by the SNP. Stephen Flynn must make the A9 and A96 a top priority by ending the perpetual talking shops and finally getting spades into the ground to dual these roads in full.’
