Humza Yousaf holds first Cabinet meeting as First Minister

Humza Yousaf holds his first Cabinet meeting but new First Minister faces fury after ditching tourism role and downgrading transport job in his ministerial shake-up… although SNP leader has managed to introduce a taxpayer-funded independence minister

• Scotland’s new First Minister Humza Yousaf is holding his first Cabinet meeting 
• SNP leader is continuing to be criticised over his shake-up of ministerial ranks 

Scotland’s new First Minister Humza Yousaf is today holding his first Cabinet meeting in Edinburgh’s Bute House.

The SNP leader will chair the gathering of the Scottish Government’s new top team at his official residence after his shake-up of ministerial ranks was approved by MSPs.

Mr Yousaf is promising a ‘refreshed line-up for a new era of government’ and hailed his new ministerial appointments as ‘a changing of the guard’.

But the First Minister has sparked fury with his decision to ditch the role of tourism minister and to downgrade the transport role.

He has also been accused of sidelining the ‘best economic brains’ in the SNP from his new team after packing his Cabinet with key supporters.

Meanwhile, Mr Yousaf was yesterday forced to publicly defend his decision to appoint a minister for independence – branded a ‘taxpayer-funded nationalist campaigner’ by critics – in a newly-created position.

First Minister Humza Yousaf has sparked fury with his decision to ditch the role of tourism minister and to downgrade the transport role

Tourism is estimated to directly contribute £6billion to Scotland’s gross domestic product (GDP)

Union leaders criticised the ‘utterly astonishing decision’ not to have a Cabinet Secretary for Transport

Tourism is estimated to directly contribute £6billion to Scotland’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Under ex-SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon’s government, Ivan McKee was business, trade, tourism and enterprise minister.

But he quit as a minister this week after reportedly being offered what he considered a lesser job.

Richard Lochhead has been appointed small business, innovation and trade minister as a replacement, but there is now no dedicated tourism role among Mr Yousaf’s new ministerial ranks.

Scottish Conservative MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston, the party’s shadow tourism minister, told the Scottish Daily Express: ‘By deciding to drop this as a specific ministerial title, the new First Minister has snubbed one of our country’s most vital industries.

‘He’s trying to pull the wool over the public’s eyes by claiming that this will be wrapped into other ministerial responsibilities. Our tourism sector was decimated by the Covid pandemic and they are continue to grapple with huge rising costs

‘On his first week in office, Humza Yousaf has already shown a complete disregard for our tourism industry and that cannot be the hallmark of his government attitude towards them.’

Key figures in the Scottish tourism industry also expressed their concerns about Mr Yousaf’s decision. 

Fiona Campbell, CEO of the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers, said: ‘Given the immense challenges facing the tourism sector at the present time – from the impact of the cost-of-living crisis to pandemic recovery – the lack of a dedicated tourism minister is highly perplexing.

‘An industry employing so many people in Scotland that generates billions for the economy should be a priority, not an oversight.’

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross criticised Mr Yousaf for appointing a ‘taxpayer-funded nationalist campaigner’ after he named Jamie Hepburn as independence minister

Mr Yousaf was also under pressure over his decision to downgrade the transport brief in the Scottish Government.

Kevin Stewart has been given the transport role as a junior minister and will work under Mairi McAllan, the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Just Transition.

But there will no longer be a dedicated Transport Secretary in Cabinet.

Under Ms Sturgeon, Michael Matheson – now the Health Secretary – had served as Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport in her top team.

Peter Pendle, interim general secretary of the TSSA rail union, said: ‘The omission of a Cabinet Secretary for Transport is an utterly astonishing decision from Humza Yousaf and shows anything but a steady hand.

‘The fact is it seems transport has been shunted aside by the SNP government, despite their commitment to Net Zero carbon.

‘If they really cared about the future of our railways and buses, or indeed making our ferries work as they should for our island communities, then this decision should be revisited.’

Mr Yousaf has also been accused of being anti-business after sidelining the ‘best economic brains’ in the SNP from his new ministerial team.

It came after the departure of both Mr McKee as business minister and Kate Forbes, who was runner-up to Mr Yousaf in the SNP leadership contest, as finance secretary.

Ex-SNP MSP Alex Neil, a former health secretary who supported Ms Forbes’ leadership bid, said: ‘It seems that the two best economic brains in the government have been sidelined.

‘That is my concern, a political concern, because I don’t see anyone else who has got their capability of persuading people of the economic case for independence.’

Yesterday, during his debut session of First Minister’s Questions, Mr Yousaf defended his ministerial choices and his decision to include a minister for independence, Jamie Hepburn, in his government team.

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said while the new SNP leader had ‘been able to create a dedicated minister for independence’ in his government, he had ‘abolished’ key ministerial roles.

He said: ‘This is the largest government since devolution, with more ministers than ever before.

‘But key ministerial posts relating to social security and tourism were abolished, yet a new minister for independence was created.

‘Does the First Minister really believe appointing a taxpayer-funded nationalist campaigner is governing for all of Scotland?’

Mr Yousaf replied: ‘I make no apology whatsoever for having a minister for independence, as my goodness we need independence now more than ever before.

‘We need it now more than ever before, because in energy-rich Scotland we have Scots that are fuel poor because of the UK Government’s policies.

‘We need independence now more than ever before because we have more food banks in this country than at any other time than ever before because of over a decade of austerity.

‘So I would say to Douglas Ross, to the UK Government, we will continue to advocate and advance independence, because we need it now more than ever before.’

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