大象传媒

Name of the game

• Brian Taylor
• 14 May 07, 02:43 PM

A fun game you can all play at home.

Pick Scotland's next cabinet.

Alex Salmond will be elected first minister on Wednesday - and will appoint his cabinet the following day.

He's already said he'll cut the number of cabinet ministers (to six, including himself.) So here goes.

First Minister - Alex Salmond (that's it Brian, stick your neck out).
Finance - John Swinney, the former leader.
Health (and, of course, Wellbeing) - Shona Robison.
Education - Nicola Sturgeon, Salmond's deputy.
Justice - Kenny MacAskill.
Rural Affairs - Probably Richard Loch-head, who held the brief in opposition and is a former Salmond aide.

But what about the claims of Fergus Ewing, soon to be remarried?

The Minister for Parliament (likely to be Bruce Crawford) will attend cabinet but not as a voting member.

The law officers will no longer sit in cabinet.

Come to think of it, who will they be?

Might it be an ecumenical approach to allow Eilish Angiolini to continue as Lord Advocate? Or is that ruled out by the promise to hold an inquiry into the Shirley McKie case?