Chisholm demoted in Scottish Executive shake-up
A shake-up of the ministerial positions in the Scottish Executive has seen Malcolm Chisholm demoted from Health Minister to Communities Minister.
Mr Chisholm had been under sustained public criticism over his handling of changes to the NHS in Scotland, in particular the controversial hospital closures.
The tough job of Health Minister instead goes to Andy Kerr, up till now the Finance Minister, who is a close friend and political ally of the First Minister Jack McConnell. His appointment will be seen as a clear sign that Mr McConnell is keen to get a personal grip on the portfolio.
Tom McCabe returns to the Cabinet as the Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform, with a wide remit, including specifically for the first time “civil service reform and modernising government.” He will also take on responsibility for liquor licensing, which has been moved from the justice portfolio. Cathy Jamieson, who has been under fire over her handling of the Reliance contract, however, remains Minister for Justice.
The other significant change is the removal of Frank McAveety, formerly the Tourism, Culture and Sports Minister, from the Cabinet. Mr McAveety came under fire earlier this year when the saga about the future of Scottish Opera boiled over. He was later forced to apologise for misleading Parliament after he told the chamber he was late to answer questions after being detained at an awards ceremony. Unfortunately for him, a couple of journalists had seen him minutes previously eating his lunch in the canteen.
His role is being taken over by Patricia Ferguson who will be paid a full Cabinet salary as she will also be involved in external relations, namely promoting Scotland.
Announcing the changes, Mr McConnell said: “I am confident this is the right team to take Scotland forward and to tackle the challenges that lie ahead. It reflects a breadth of experience and talent, much of which has helped deliver the achievements of devolution to date.
“Our job now is to ensure continued progress in building a more enterprising Scotland, a Scotland of opportunity and fairness.”
