Colleagues Pay Tribute to First Minister & Deputy
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today chaired her final Cabinet meeting, alongside Deputy First Minister John Swinney, ahead of both standing down from Government next week.
As well as the substantive business of Cabinet being discussed, Cabinet colleagues took time to reflect and pay thanks to the FM and the DFM and their 32 years of combined service in Government.
Colleagues paid tribute to both, thanking them for their personal and professional support. Some of the ministerial team around the cabinet table have known each other since the SNP was a minority party – when the idea of a Scottish Parliament, let alone an SNP-led Government, was a distant dream.
The FM said that, by her calculation, this was the 637th cabinet under the SNP Government.
Of all the things that had been discussed around the cabinet table in that time, she added, minimum unit pricing for alcohol was one of those she was most proud of. An ambitious policy which took time to become law in the face of parliamentary opposition and legal bids to thwart, but which is saving lives – as confirmed in today’s report published in the Lancet.
As well as thanking cabinet colleagues, the FM and the DFM also paid tribute to the many civil servants who had helped and supported them over the years.
Today truly marked the end of an era, with the last Cabinet meeting held by Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney.
GRAEME
Two incredibly capable leaders move on from these roles next week, but will leave their legacies in the form of achievements across all policy areas and will remain giants of the independence movement.
I was honoured to serve in their Scottish Government in my previous ministerial roles, and was pleased to see the tributes made today to their contributions throughout their time in office.
Today’s Cabinet allowed colleagues to thank the First Minister and Deputy First Minister for their tireless commitment to public service and to making Scotland a better country for all of those who call this nation home.
SPOKESPERSON FOR THE FIRST MINISTER
The FM and DFM in turn thanked colleagues for their unstinting backing – and also made clear they will continue to offer their support from the backbenches as a new generation takes up the baton to take Scotland forward and complete the country’s journey to independence.
