SHONA Robison will serve as the next deputy First Minister in Humza Yousaf's government.
The new First Minister told reporters on Tuesday at Holyrood that Robison had agreed to take on the deputy position, which had been filled by John Swinney before he stepped down alongside Nicola Sturgeon.
Reports have also suggested she will replace Kate Forbes as Finance Secretary, the second most important job in the Scottish Government
Yousaf previously said Robison’s “wise counsel has been indispensable” during his campaign as she was given a mention in his victory speech.
Here’s everything you need to know about the new deputy FM.
Who is Shona Robison?
Robison currently serves as the MSP for Dundee City East, the area where Yousaf lives.
She had also been the Social Justice, Housing and Local Government Secretary in Sturgeon's government since 2021.
Born in Redcar in Yorkshire, Robison went to school in Clackmannanshire before studying social science at Glasgow University.
She was previously married to SNP MP Stewart Hosie before a high-profile split in 2019.
What positions has she held since going into politics?
She worked for Glasgow City Council before being elected an MSP, but had long been active in politics.
She was even part of the youth wing of the SNP alongside Sturgeon.
She was first elected as a list member for the North East Scotland region in 1999, before winning a constituency seat in Dundee East at the next election. She has held that seat ever since.
Robison has been an MSP throughout the lifetime of the Scottish Parliament, and has served as a Government minister since 2007.
First, she was appointed minister for public health, having previously been the party's health spokesperson. She then shifted to sport after the 2011 election, overseeing the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in 2014.
Robison entered the cabinet for the first time in 2014 as equalities, social justice and communities secretary.
That was short-lived. By the end of the year, she was made health secretary under then new first minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Her tenure saw increased health spending. The NHS Scotland workforce hit a record high, and saw the integration of health and social care.
Pressure on Robison grew following a series of financial crises at NHS Tayside, the health board in her own constituency.
She resigned in 2018 and returned to the back benches before returning as secretary for social justice, housing and local government in 2021.
