THE FIRST Minister has announced her ministerial team which will see a 50/50 gender split in the Cabinet.

A series of major changes were revealed yesterday, including the appointment of Finance Secretary John Swinney as Deputy First Minister.

The position is not required to be filled legally but will allow Mr Swinney to stand in for Ms Sturgeon at First Minister's Questions.

Ms Sturgeon announced the first new appointment on Twitter yesterday, and posted a selfie of her and Mr Swinney alongside the words: "Delighted to announce that @johnswinney is the new Deputy First Minister of @scotgov."

Former Health Secretary Alex Neil has been redeployed to become Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners' Rights minister, while Shona Robison will take over his previous role.

Mike Russell, former Education Secretary, and former Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill both left the Cabinet.

Ms Sturgeon said Mr Russell and Mr MacAskill had indicated that they wanted to step down from ministerial roles. She said: "Both of them felt they'd made a big contribution, that the time was right for them to demit ministerial office."

Asked whether Mr MacAskill's departure was an acknowledgement that the Government had got things wrong on justice, Ms Sturgeon said: "I pay tribute to Kenny MacAskill. Kenny MacAskill is the Justice Secretary who has ensured that there are 1000 more police officers on the streets of our country and has presided over a fall in crime that has led to the position where crime is at a 40-year low.

"He has significant achievements to his name and he should be proud of that."

Michael Matheson takes over at Justice.

Angela Constance will take over Mr Russell's role in the education department, a move which has been welcomed by teaching union bosses.

Larry Flanagan, of the teaching union EIS, said: "I hope that the EIS will continue to develop a positive working relationship with the new Cabinet Secretary," he said.

"The EIS would also like to acknowledge the contributions that the former Cabinet Secretary Mike Russell made during his years in post.

"While the EIS did not always agree with Mr Russell on all issues, we were always able to engage in meaningful and constructive dialogue."

Fiona Hyslop and Richard Lochead will stay in their respective roles as Culture and Rural Affairs minsters.

Completing the line-up are new additions Roseanna Cunningham, who is Fair Work minister and Keith Brown as Infrastructure Secretary.

Opposition parties said the new Cabinet now had to tackle the problems brought about by previous bad decisions.

hannah.rodger@eveningtimes.co.uk