This article appears as part of the Unspun: Scottish Politics newsletter.


When Humza Yousaf goes on paternity leave this summer, the role of head of the Scottish Government will be held by a woman for just the second time, albeit in a temporary capacity.

So who is Shona Robison, the deputy first minister and finance secretary, who is due to step in for Mr Yousaf come July?

The SNP MSP for Dundee City East is one of a small number of parliamentarians who is a member of 'Club 99', MSPs still sitting who were originally elected in 1999 to the first devolved parliament.

Indeed, the 57-year-old along with transport secretary Fiona Hyslop are the only members of the club who currently serve in Mr Yousaf's Cabinet.

An SNP stalwart, Ms Robison first joined the party in 1988 and became active in its youth wing, the Young Scottish Nationalist, now known as Young Scots for Independence, where she got to know Nicola Sturgeon, John Swinney, Ms Hyslop and her future husband Stewart Hosie.

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For much of her career she will have been regarded as Ms Sturgeon's best friend in politics, perhaps quite an achievement itself given the former first minister's reputation to prefer to keep a tight circle of allies.

Their closeness was clear when Ms Sturgeon gave a tearful Ms Robison a hug in the Holyrood chamber in May 2016 after the news broke that Mr Hosie was leaving her after 20 years of marriage following his affair with Westminster freelance journalist Serena Cowdy.

Ms Robison, who has a daughter from her marriage to Mr Hosie, went on to find love again with Yes campaigner Mike Strachan while Mr Hosie and Ms Cowdy later married.

The Herald: Shona Robison was described by some as former first minister Nicola Sturgeon's best friend in politicsShona Robison was described by some as former first minister Nicola Sturgeon's best friend in politics (Image: Newsquest)
After years on the backbenches when the SNP were in opposition from 1999 to 2007, Ms Robison was given her first job in government by Alex Salmond in 2007 as minister for public health and sport which she held until the 2011 Holyrood election.

She then oversaw the Scottish Government's preparations for the 2014 Commonwealth Games as minister for Commonwealth games and sport from 2011 to April 2014, when she was promoted to the Scottish Cabinet as Cabinet Secretary for Commonwealth Games, Sport, Equalities and Pensioners' Rights.

When Ms Sturgeon succeeded Mr Salmond as First Minister in November 2014, she appointed Ms Robison health secretary.

In 2018, she resigned from government during a cabinet reshuffle after being widely criticised for her performance in the role. 

Her tenure saw increased health spending from the budget and the NHS Scotland workforce hitting a record high, as well as the integration of health and social care.

However, concerns were raised during this time about long-term planning, with the health services facing increased demand from an ageing population during a period of austerity.

On the backbenches for a second time, she served on the justice and health committees but returned to Ms Sturgeon's government in 2021 as the Cabinet secretary for social justice, housing and local government.

During her tenure as social justice secretary, she oversaw the government's efforts to pass the controversial Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, later blocked by the UK Government.

In the same role, she was also responsible for setting up the new Scottish Social Security Agency in Dundee and for introducing the Scottish Child Payment.

Following Ms Sturgeon's resignation in 2023, Ms Robison led Mr Yousaf's campaign to become SNP leader and after his success he appointed her Deputy First Minister and Finance Secretary in his new government.

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Curiously, perhaps, when Ms Sturgeon stepped down, one name not on the list of runners and riders as her possible successor was that of Ms Robison.

Early names included Mr Yousaf, as well as the then finance secretary Kate Forbes, and even relative newcomers such as Neil Gray and Mairi McAllan.

But Ms Robison's name was largely absent.

SNP sources suggest this could havwe been because of Ms Robison's 'unassuming' character.

Council leaders in Scotland, with whom she is at present engaged in a high profile battle over the council tax freeze and the level of funding to compensate for it, may disagree over that description with the finance secretary robustly defending the government's position.

It is understood she was one of the few people in the government who knew of the policy and discussed it with the First Minister ahead of him unveiling it to the SNP's annual conference in October.

Nevertheless, to some inside the SNP, where she is seen as a hard working team player, the description rings true.

"Shona is always someone who at conference for example would always be up for doing the media rounds and do what is required of her, but she is quite unassuming in some ways," said one senior party source who added that she wouldn't be someone who would have sought the media spotlight.

Another senior SNP figure noted that Ms Robison may have been in the shadow of Ms Sturgeon and others earlier in her government career.

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"Shona is one of the unsung champions of the Scottish Government and is now in the position of being one of its most senior and experienced people," said the insider.

"She may have lived in the shadow of particularly Nicola in the past, but she is very sharp politically, understands issues in detail, and is an impressive performer in her own right. Some people were surprised when Shona stepped in for Humza at FMQs the first time at how good she was, but they really shouldn't have been."

With Ms Sturgeon now on the backbenches and retreating from the spotlight it's clear that the star is rising for her old friend as she prepares to take over the reins of government in a few months time.

And who knows, whenever the next SNP leadership election comes around, perhaps Ms Robison's name will be top of the list of possible contenders?