Forbes 'honoured' to become deputy first minister

Key Facts

• Ms Forbes, who has spent more than a year as a backbench MSP after stepping down from government in March 2023, had been promised a "significant" role in the government after opting not to run against Mr Swinney for the SNP leadership.
• Media caption, John Swinney named his cabinet after being sworn in as first minister (Video by Graham Fraser) Mr Swinney, in a written response, said he was "deeply" appreciative of Ms Robison's offer to "step aside from the role".
• Mr Harvie said the new deputy first minister had expressed "quite startlingly social conservative views" in the last SNP leadership campaign and said he would "welcome" a commitment from the government to a progressive agenda.
• "The return of Kate Forbes is a desperate attempt by both John Swinney and his new deputy to gloss over the huge splits in the SNP and fixate on independence," he said.

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