Humza Yousaf’s new Cabinet is younger than any previous Scottish Cabinet and the first with a female majority.
Five of the ten members are under 40, including Mr Yousaf himself. And there are six women and four men. There is a mix of familiar faces and new names. There are two ministers who have been MSPs since the very start of the Scottish Parliament in 1989 and two new entries to the Cabinet who were only elected at the last Holyrood election. A couple of those who have served before are staying in the same posts, but others are taking on new challenges.
After winning the race to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader on Monday, then being elected First Minister in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday and sworn in at the Court of Session on Wednesday morning, Mr Yousaf put his top team together on Wednesday afternoon and completed the junior ministerial appointments in the evening. All the names were put to the Scottish Parliament on Thursday and duly approved.
After winning the race to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader on Monday, then being elected First Minister in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday and sworn in at the Court of Session on Wednesday morning, Mr Yousaf put his top team together on Wednesday afternoon and completed the junior ministerial appointments in the evening. All the names were put to the Scottish Parliament on Thursday and duly approved.
5. Jenny Gilruth - Education and Skills
Born: 1984 MSP for Mid-Fife and Glenrothes. Born in Aberdeen, she moved with her family to Ceres in Fife. She studied at Glasgow and Strathclyde universities, then worked as a modern studies teacher in Edinburgh and later as principal teacher of social subjects at a school in Dunfermline and as national qualifications development officer at Education Scotland. She was elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2016 and made minister for culture, Europe and international development in 2020. And in 2022 she became transport minister and oversaw the transition of ScotRail into public ownership. Ms Gilruth is married to former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale. Photo: Scottish Government
6. Angela Constance - Justice and Home Affairs
Age: 52 MSP for Almond Valley. Born in Blackburn, West Lothian, the daughter of a miner, she was educated at West Calder High School, Bo’ness Academy and Glasgow University, going on to West Lothian College and Stirling University to qualify as a social worker. She worked as a prison-based social worker and mental health officer and also served on West Lothian Council before being elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2007 as MSP for Livingston, later renamed Almond Valley. She was appointed to government in 2010 as minister for skills and lifelong learning, becoming minister for children and young people in 2011 and later serving as youth employment minister before being promoted to Cabinet in 2014 as Secretary for Training, Youth and Women's Employment. She stood for the SNP deputy leadership in 2014, losing to Stewart Hosie. She was then made Education Secretary by Nicola Sturgeon and moved to Communities, Social Security and Equalities in 2016, leaving the government in 2018. She was brought back in 2020 to a new post as minister for drugs policy, charged with tackling record high drugs deaths in Scotland. Her new job marks a return to Cabinet in a major role. t Photo: Andrew Milligan
7. Angus Robertson - Constitution, External Affairs and Culture
Age: 53 MSP for Edinburgh Central. Born in London but raised in Edinburgh, he went to Broughton High School before going on to Aberdeen University and then working as a foreign correspondent for the BBC World Service in Central Europe. He was elected MP for Moray in 2001 and served as the SNP's foreign and defence spokesman in the Commons. He also led the SNP's Westminster group from 2007 until 2017 and was elected deputy leader of the SNP in 2016. But at the 2017 general election he lost his seat to the Tories. He set up a pro-independence think tank, Progress Scotland, and was selected to stand for the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh Central, winning the seat in 2021. He was immediately apponted to the Cabinet as Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Secretary. Photo: Scottish Government
8. Shirley-Anne Somerville - Secretary for social justice
Age: 48, MSP for Dunfermline. Born in Cardenden in Fife, Shirley-Anne Somerville went to Kirkcaldy High School, studied economics and politics at Strathclyde University and later took a housing diploma at Stirling University. She worked as a researcher for SNP MSP Duncan Hamilton, then as a policy and public affairs officer at the Chartered Institute of Housing and a media and campaigns officer at the Royal College of Nursing. She became a Lothian list MSP in August 2007 when Stefan Tymkewycz stepped down to concentrate on his role as an Edinburgh councillor, but she lost the seat in 2011. She returned to Holyrood in 2016, winning the Dunfermline seat, and was made a junior education minister. In 2018, she was promoted to Cabinet as Secretary for Social Security and Older People and in 2021 she was moved to Education. Photo: Scottish Government