All Change? What Humza Yousaf’s cabinet tells us

ByChloe Minish

All Change? What Humza Yousaf’s cabinet tells us

After a gruelling party leadership campaign, First Minister Humza Yousaf has announced his new cabinet.

He says his government is poised to deliver a radical, ambitious and progressive policy agenda. But is there trouble ahead for Nicola Sturgeon’s ‘continuity’ candidate?

At initial glance, this cabinet is a major breakthrough – led by Scotland’s first minority ethnic, Muslim First Minister, Yousaf’s cabinet is made up of a majority of women and half are under 40.

New blood versus the tried and tested

Rising stars Jenny Gilruth, Neil Gray and Màiri McAllan have all been promoted to cabinet posts. Natalie Don, Jenni Minto, Paul McLennan and Emma Roddick follow in McAllan’s footsteps, joining the cabinet as junior ministers from the 2021 intake of new MSPs.

In Gilruth we see a former teacher at the helm of education, a former occupational therapist (Michael Matheson) tasked with getting the health service back on target, and a former prison social worker (Angela Constance) bringing her experience to the justice brief.

The finance and the economy brief has been split into two portfolios and a Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade established. This may be an attempt to appeal to the business community who were drawn more to Kate Forbes’ campaign commitments to cut red tape and rule out tax increases for high earners.

Heading back to the backbenches

However, there are some very notable absences. SNP deputy leader Keith Brown takes a wealth of expertise with him as he exits the cabinet despite much speculation that an eleventh position would be created for him.

Despite Yousaf’s assurances of a position during the leadership race, Kate Forbes rejected the offer of the rural affairs brief.

Given her popularity within the SNP, having received 48% of the vote, many media commentators and members felt this olive branch was disingenuous and a demotion compared to her previous position as Finance Secretary.

Forbes was shortly followed to the backbenches by her former campaign manager and trade minister, Ivan McKee.

Mistaken priorities?

Taking a closer look at the portfolios themselves, housing becomes a junior ministerial post in its own right, while social security is nowhere to be seen. This seems to run counter to Yousaf’s priorities to ‘renew and redouble efforts’ to tackle poverty and has already attracted opposition criticism.

Scotland’s future in the Union falls to Jamie Hepburn as he takes on the new independence portfolio. An unsurprising move for an SNP leader needing to unite the party around a pledge to restart, reenergise and grow the Yes movement, that will draw ire from the media and opposition parties over the use of taxpayer funds for the role. Especially when polling suggests a fall in support for independence.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

In contrast, there’s no change in the Green corner of the Scottish Government with Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater retaining their ministerial briefs in a bid to shore up the pro-independence majority at Holyrood.

However, the writing may be on the wall for Slater’s Deposit Return Scheme as criticism continue to mount and Yousaf himself pledged to provide exemptions for small drinks producers.

Humza Yousaf’s cabinet is taking the keys to St Andrew’s House at a seminal moment – the SNP is a party divided, there’s disquiet on the backbenches and the cost-of-living crisis going nowhere. It’s certainly set to be an exciting time for public affairs in Scotland.