The Scottish Bunker Cabinet, SNP Leader Nicola Sturgeon unveils her new woefully inept Cabinet Ministers, the SNP diversity group of "incompetents" surges to the front, this is a Cabinet of failed Ministers, failed serial politicians, damaged goods, and people carrying more baggage than a train station lost property department, it's a Cabinet of Free Fall Decline for Scotland

Dear All 

When a new government takes office, there is usually a buzz about a Cabinet reshuffle, especially if the previous government has been re-elected on a huge majority. The SNP won the Holyrood election because, let's be honest, no one effectively presented themselves as a viable alternative. No one came close to breaking through as a potential 'government in waiting', the polling showed it, the ballot box showed it, and the media coverage certainly showed it. And of course, Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP won the election using UK government money to bribe the voters. It was probably best described as a free for all election, bikes, laptops, and free dental treatment probably the carrots which sold. It wasn't like the SNP could win on their disastrous record of incompetence and non achievement. It was an election yet again which produced nothing of note, no one, absolutely had a vision of real meaningful change. I think as I have commented before real meaningful change is practically impossible in Scotland, historic discrimination, effectively a class system is still very much in operation. Although a few working class people break out of the mould, the vast majority still remain trapped due to lack of opportunities and social mobility. 

So, let's look at Nicola Sturgeon's new Cabinet, it is in the main, a Cabinet of failures and retreads. In trying to 'big up' her choices, Sturgeon tried and failed to put the spin on her appointments saying that her top team "combines experience with new arrivals and fresh faces". There is experience, experience of failing to lead, failure of failure to manage and just plain lack of vision, lack of a structured narrative and just gumption. It's like an arts and crafts session in an old folks home, nothing produced is really going anywhere. One interesting thing was two of Sturgeon's longest-serving ministers, Fiona Hyslop and Fergus Ewing, would step down. In the case of Ewing, his departure is probably not of his choosing, and his resignation letter was a box ticking exercise of the usual guff of supports. One bit did catch my eye on his letters, his sign off, which was 'yours aye', which someone may consider as sarcasm, I thought that a very odd turn of phrase, because it can be taking in two distinct different ways. Is this the end of the Ewing Dynasty in the SNP, well not just yet, but the regulation to being bit players must be a slap in the face, and a huge dent in the wage packet. If you were on a 100k and then got bumped down to 64k, you would be less than impressed. 

The list of new appointees to me seems constructed to hide failure ridden SNP Ministers. John Swinney who was Education Minister and oversaw its continued declined and sexualisation of children has been moved. His new post to my mind is a made up piece of nonsense, Minister of Covid recovery, when you look at the other posts, it looks like a 'job for the boys' situation. Swinney is Nicola Sturgeon's stooge, I think that is the best way to describe him, brought when Sturgeon doesn't want to face bad press. The removal of Humza Yousaf as Justice Minister and placed into the Health brief is another timely move to avoid trouble. Yousaf recent tweets on Rangers FC, and other historic tweets show that he is a rocket, every post he has held he has failed to deliver. As Justice Minister, he will go down as the man who should never have been appointed and was. Humza Yousaf, becomes Health Sec, he is a Sturgeon ally, and viewed by many as a 'man child'. One appointment which surprised me was the return of the man who can't walk and chew gum at the same time. Keith Brown, who was previously sacked is the new Justice Sec. My comment online may seem like a throwaway but it is relevant, is his IQ up to doing this job? Brown was supposed to organise indyref  2, so his removal will spark interest that indyref 2 is now dead, but its value is simply now a talking point to galvanise the gullible. 

Making a return to Cabinet is Shona Robison, who failed as Health Sec, she also failed at her marriage, her husband, dumped her behind her back, ran off to shag a bird who hung about the House of Commons in London. I am just going to stick this in as well, she let herself go, what a mess. Hosie and his new wife are still in Dundee, no doubt a constant reminder to her, that she isn't good enough. I keep writing about those who have shown to be incompetent and have a track record of failure to deliver, but for sheer volume running over possibly two decades, everyone gets eclipsed by Shirley Anne Somerville. Somerville is appointed as Education Sec, given Swinney's previous failings there, Somerville in my opinion can reach an even lower depth. She isn't smart, she isn't dynamic, in fact she has absolutely nothing going for her at all. She is a fully signed up member of the trans lunacy, and I would imagine schools will be getting restocked with 'Bananas and Nutella' for lgbt sexualisation of kids. Your kids might not be able to read or write, or have a future at uni, but there will be well placed for jobs in the sex industry. Former Transport Secretary Michael Matheson will take on a new role as Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport. Matheson was a former Justice Minister regarded as the invisible man in that portfolio, I firmly expect him to be equally invisible as a force and as a Minister. The quiet man will be taking the money and keeping his head down. 

One rising star, the supposed heir to Sturgeon, Finance Secretary Kate Forbes is the only minister to keep her old job. Not that is much of an achievement, but recognition that simply there isn't anyone else to call on. Although Forbes isn't a threat, she is better placed than any of the original cabinet to take the reins of power if Sturgeon leaves to another job. Apparently, it has been said by some that Nicola Sturgeon CV has been put about the place in Europe and possibly the United Nations. But I would say, just like independence, Nicola Sturgeon has missed the boat there. Let's face it, even pre Salmond, she wasn't really EU or UN material. I would also doubt given her record of inter government contact that she would get an endorsement from the UK Government. One appointment which tends to suggest that a transition has started, is the appointment of Angus Robertson. Robertson, a former MP is the new heir in waiting if ever anyone calls on Sturgeon with a possible job appointment. In this parliament expect Sturgeon to be flying all over the world, promoting herself, under the guise of Scotland. Robertson, however isn't a baggage free zone, and a shoo in for leadership, he has questions to answer, and more baggage than a left luggage department. Of course, it isn't just Robertson, he also has a wife, the odious Jennifer Dempsie, she is a horror story. Could you imagine Robertson as First Minister and Dempsie as his Lady Di figure?  

Sturgeon said: 

“I’m delighted to announce the Scottish Government’s new Cabinet team. Scotland needs a serious Government for the serious times we face as a nation, and in the top level ministerial line-up I have announced today we have exactly that. 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. This term of office is unquestionably the most important one the nation has faced since devolution, more than 20 years ago. We are dealing with the joint challenges of a global pandemic and recovery from it, the ongoing tests posed by Brexit and the urgent, pressing need to take forward our net zero agenda as part of the global efforts to secure a greener future. The magnitude of these challenges is clear, but now is not a moment to shirk from those tasks but to embrace them.” 

Sturgeon added:  

“In the next five years, we have a chance to shape Scotland permanently for the better, creating a healthier, happier, fairer, more prosperous and more sustainable country for everyone who calls Scotland home, establishing a positive legacy for future generations. The immediate challenge is the focus on recovery and the part that all policy portfolios can play in that. But, as I have made clear, when the crisis is over and the time is right, Scotland must and will have the chance to choose its future in line with the unquestionable democratic mandate for that choice.”   

Finally, what is missing from her PR spin is of course any mention of indyref  2. You can see the shutters going up just by the reduction of the size of the Cabinet, the inclusion of Angus Robinson, and the return of dead beats. This is a 'bunker cabinet', in every sense of those words. When will Nicola Sturgeon start globetrotting for a new job, probably new year, in the meantime, you can expect bland rhetoric about recovery to dominate everything. I think it is pretty clear that although a few noises will be made by the likes of Mhairi Black and Cosy feet Pete Wishart, the SNP MSPs will be strangely silent. In case you don't get it, SNP MPs are there to whip up the indy mob while the MSPs stay quiet, of course with Alba established, the SNP will not be as welcome on indy marches. Yesterday's blog title was the 'Land of the Woking Dead, well this SNP Cabinet appointees really sealed the deal on that point. This isn't a cabinet of covid recovery, that is beyond the SNP, this isn't even a cabinet of managed decline, it is a cabinet who effectively serve no real purpose in the life of Scotland, it's a mirage for Sturgeon's sofa government, and not all the cabinet is getting a seat!

Yours sincerely 

George Laird                                                                                                                                The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University