London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 15, 2025

Shona Robison replaces Kate Forbes as finance secretary in new cabinet

Shona Robison replaces Kate Forbes as finance secretary in new cabinet

Shona Robison is to replace Kate Forbes as Scotland's finance secretary after new First Minister Humza Yousaf announced his first cabinet.

Ms Robison will be responsible for drawing up the annual Scottish budget in her new role as finance secretary

Ms Robison has been given the finance brief as well as serving as deputy first minister.

She is a close friend of former first minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Ms Robison was responsible for introducing the controversial gender reforms in her previous role as social justice secretary.

The announcement came as Mr Yousaf unveiled his new cabinet team after being formally sworn as first minister in a brief ceremony at the Court of Session.

Other key appointments include Michael Matheson taking over from Mr Yousaf as health secretary, while former transport minister Jenny Gilruth will join the full cabinet for the first time as education secretary.

Another cabinet newcomer, Mairi McAllan, will be the net zero and just transition secretary at the age of just 30.

The new cabinet team consists of six women and three men


And Neil Gray, who led Mr Yousaf's SNP leadership campaign, also joins the cabinet after being given responsibility for the wellbeing economy, fair work and energy briefs.

The SNP's deputy leader, Keith Brown, has been replaced by Angela Constance as the country's justice secretary.

The remaining three members of the nine-strong cabinet team are:

*  Mairi Gougeon, who remains the rural affairs secretary

*  Angus Robertson, who is still the secretary for the constitution, external affairs and culture

*  Shirley-Anne Somerville, who becomes cabinet secretary for social justice

The full list of 18 non-cabinet ministerial roles was also announced on Wednesday, including a new post of minister for independence which will be filled by Jamie Hepburn.

The co-leaders of the Scottish Greens Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater have been reappointed to the roles they held under Nicola Sturgeon as part of the partnership agreement with the SNP.

There is no role in Humza Yousaf's government for defeated SNP leadership candidate Ash Regan.

Kate Forbes, who was narrowly defeated by Mr Yousaf in the contest, had announced on Tuesday that she was leaving the government.

She had been offered a new role by Mr Yousaf that would have given her Ms Gougeon's rural affairs job rather than finance - which would generally be viewed as a demotion - but turned it down.

The new cabinet team has five members under the age of 40 and, for the first time, has a majority of women.


Mr Yousaf said it reflected the priorities that the government will pursue, including tackling child poverty, improving public services and building a fairer, greener economy.

He added: "I have committed myself to a radical, ambitious and progressive policy agenda for Scotland - and I know that this team is the right one to deliver it.

"As we make the case for Scottish independence, we will continue to govern well and demonstrate to the people of Scotland the benefits of decisions about their lives being taken here in Scotland."

Mr Yousaf said he wanted a government that looked as much as possible like the people it represented, but insisted that all of his appointments had been made on merit.

He also paid tribute to those ministers who are now departing government - including Nicola Sturgeon and her deputy John Swinney.

And he said he was disappointed that Ms Forbes was not in his cabinet as "she's a great talent, she's somebody who has got a lot to give".

Mairi McAllan joins the cabinet for the first time at the age of 30


During the SNP leadership campaign Mr Yousaf said he favoured a "big tent" rather than "inner circle" approach to making key decisions and has pledged to bring the party back together again after deep divisions were exposed by the contest.

He faced withering criticism of his own ministerial record from Ms Forbes in a live STV debate, while her views on issues such as gender recognition reform and gay marriage led the Scottish Greens to question whether they could work with her.

Given the narrow margin of his victory over Ms Forbes, by 52.1% to 47.9%, some of her supporters had urged Mr Yousaf to keep her in government.

BBC Scotland said he understands that Ms Forbes felt the SNP's partnership agreement with the Scottish Greens would have "tied her hands and cost her dearly in her constituency" if she had taken the rural affairs job.

It emerged earlier on Wednesday that Ivan McKee, who had been the business minister under Nicola Sturgeon, will also leave the government after being offered a new role that he regarded as a demotion.

Mr McKee had initially been campaign manager for Ms Forbes in the leadership contest but stepped back from that role after early controversies in her campaign.

Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie described the new cabinet team as "dismal" and said it "cements the SNP's new status as a deeply divided party led by B-rate politicians".

She added: "The first minister promised to bring the country together, but he can't even bring his own party together. Loyalty is being rewarded over talent - but both are in short supply in the SNP.

"At the heart of this continuity government are some of the most incompetent politicians of the last decade, set to deliver more of the same failure."

Scottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy said: "This is a cabinet in Humza Yousaf's image - failed, continuity ministers appointed by a failed, continuity minister.

"The likes of Shona Robison, Michael Matheson, Angela Constance and Jenny Gilruth have been found sorely wanting in previous ministerial roles, yet all have been 'rewarded' with promotion by the new first minister."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
×