Nicola Sturgeon appoints new health and education secretaries

Nicola Sturgeon has unveiled her new cabinet team, with several new faces being appointed to ministerial roles.

Shirley-Anne Somerville has been named as the country's new education secretary, with Humza Yousaf moving from justice to health.

Mr Yousaf has been replaced as justice secretary by Keith Brown.

Finance Secretary Kate Forbes will take on an expanded role which will also give her responsibility for the economy brief.

And Angus Robertson has been appointed as the constitution, external affairs and culture secretary - which is likely to be a key role as the Scottish government pushes for a second independence referendum.

Mr Robertson was once the SNP's leader at Westminster and became an MSP in the election earlier this month.

Other changes saw Michael Matheson take on a new role as cabinet secretary for net zero, energy and transport.

Shona Robison is the new social justice, housing and local government secretary, and has been tasked with reducing child poverty as well as working to deliver on the SNP's pledge to build 100,000 affordable homes.

Mairi Gougeon replaces Fergus Ewing as the rural affairs and islands secretary after Mr Ewing stood down earlier on Wednesday - as did Fiona Hyslop, who had been the economy, fair work and culture secretary.

It was announced on Tuesday that Deputy First Minister John Swinney would be given a new role with responsibility for co-ordinating the country's recovery from the Covid pandemic.

The move meant Mr Swinney would no longer be the country's education secretary - with that role now being filled by Ms Somerville.

Several other senior posts were left empty when ministers retired from parliament ahead of the election.

They included Health Secretary Jeane Freeman, Constitution Secretary Mike Russell, Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham and Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell.

Paul Wheelhouse - who had been energy minister - lost his seat in the election.

The Scottish Conservatives said Ms Sturgeon had only been able to muster "the same tired faces that have already failed Scotland's schools, hospitals and justice system."

And Scottish Labour said the new ministerial team must focus on the recovery from the pandemic rather than "the arguments of the past".

Nicola Sturgeon has made big changes to her cabinet - even if many of the "new" faces are rather familiar ones.

To start with, she has slimmed down the full cabinet from 12 to 10, with roles such as environment and transport being combined.

Kate Forbes is the only minister who keeps their old job, with a beefed-up finance portfolio.

Michael Matheson keeps his transport job, but "net zero" and the climate emergency will be a big focus of his new role.

Shirley-Anne Somerville and Humza Yousaf have arguably the biggest jobs in education and health, and this is part of a pattern of posts going to more experienced hands rather than fresh faces.

This team actually has more in common with the cabinet appointed in 2016 than with the most recent version, from 2018 - with Keith Brown and Shona Robison reclaiming their places at the top table.

And another of the "new" ministers is Angus Robertson, a former deputy leader of the SNP who has 16 years of experience as an MP.

Mairi Gougeon is the only junior minister to win promotion into the full cabinet.

Ms Sturgeon said her new team would ensure that Scotland had a "serious government for the serious times we face as a nation".

She added: "It is a government which will drive Scotland forward, as we look to build a just, fair and sustainable recovery from the Covid pandemic.

"My cabinet team combines experience with new arrivals and fresh faces, giving us the range and depth of talent we need to tackle the pressing issues we need to tackle, from covid to climate change."

Ms Sturgeon later headed to the Court of Session to be formally sworn in as first minister.

She won a vote of MSPs on Tuesday to ensure she remains in the role following the SNP's victory in the election on 6 May.

Three new MSPs were among 15 junior ministerial appointments made later on Wednesday.

Mairi McAllan, who was previously part of Ms Sturgeon's team of special advisers, became the new minister for environment, biodiversity and land reform.

George Adam, who has been an MSP since 2011 and was the SNP group chief whip at Holyrood, was made the new minister for parliamentary business.

Thomas Arthur, who had been deputy whip, was given the role of public finance, planning and community wealth minister.

The remaining junior appointments were as follows: