New Cabinet Holds First Meeting

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will convene the first meeting of the new Scottish Cabinet today.

Ms Sturgeon revealed her top ministerial team with a 50-50 gender split on Friday, two days after becoming Scotland's first female leader and a day before addressing a rally of more than 10,000 people at Glasgow's Hydro arena.

She is expected to announce her first legislative programme to the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday.

The First Minister said her team of all the talents'' would take forward the Government's aim to create asocially democratic and socially just'' Scotland.

The new Cabinet would work with verve, vigour and determination'' toaddress poverty, support business, promote growth and tackle inequality'', she said.

Joining her at the top table will be Deputy First Minister John Swinney, who has also retained his brief as Finance Secretary.

Angela Constance has replaced Michael Russell as Education Secretary, and Michael Matheson has taken on the justice portfolio after Kenny MacAskill's departure.

Former sports secretary Shona Robison was promoted to Health Secretary in last week's reshuffle, with Alex Neil moving to the role of Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners' Rights.

Former legal affairs minister Roseanna Cunningham is now Cabinet Secretary for Fair Work, Skills and Training, while ex-transport minister Keith Brown is Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities.

Richard Lochhead and Fiona Hyslop remain in their roles as Environment and Culture Secretaries respectively.