Kate Forbes's elevation from humble backbencher to deputy first minister today signals a clear intention John Swinney wants to unite his party and take his government in a very different direction from that of his predecessor Humza Yousaf.

Mr Yousaf deliberately did not give his close and fierce rival in last year's SNP leadership contest the role, appointing Shona Robison to the post instead.

But the decision caused acute ill feeling among Ms Forbes's supporters and that discontent reverberated through his 13 months in office.

Mr Swinney will be hoping that by bringing in the former finance secretary and MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch some of these internal party divisions will be smoothed over.

READ MORE: Why is John Swinney striving to be a Holyrood peacemaker?

Ms Forbes has had her own detractors in the SNP with some members of the party's socially liberal wing attacking her over her opposition to equal marriage. Indeed, one such critic was Mr Swinney.

Last week the North Perthshire MSP told The Herald "Kate and I are over that," when he was reminded of his remarks.

But while there may be some grumbles among those in the SNP who had forged close allegiances with the Greens during the Bute House Agreement years, among most there is likely to be a sense of relief that ongoing rows inside the party may be coming to an end.

As well as hoping that Ms Forbes' appointment will mean the drawing of a line under SNP divisions, Mr Swinney's decision to hand make her his number two, also suggests his government will have a new focus on the economy.

READ MORE: Profile: Who's in John Swinney's new Scottish Cabinet?

Since launching his leadership bid last Thursday the First Minister has stressed that his focus will be on creating jobs, delivering crucial public services and combating child poverty.

Ms Forbes said his vision chimed with her own as she ruled out standing in the contest.

Together the new FM and DFM will be moving the Scottish Government back towards the mainstream of Scottish politics.

Ms Forbes's appointment is already being enthusiastically welcomed by business organisations.

But notably the change of direction towards the centre ground is also move away from some of the core issues for the Scottish Greens which have to say the least been challenging for the SNP.

While close to the hearts of Greens, a ban on conversion therapy, rent controls and replacing gas boilers with heat pumps (housebuilders and other business groups are campaigning against the latter two), would not be regarded by most as the pressing priorities for a majority of voters and had the habit of attracting unwelcome negative headlines for Mr Yousaf's government.

Ms Forbes's appointment was quickly seized on by Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie - who was quick to underline the significant difference from the previous Cabinet.

In a statement released after she was unveiled as DFM, Mr Harvie said: "There will be many people across our country who will be very concerned and who will want to know that this Scottish Government remains committed to a greener and more equal future for Scotland.

“When it comes to delivering fairer and more progressive taxation, a just transition from oil and gas and a watertight ban on so-called conversion therapy, it is vital that this government does not dilute the longstanding commitments that it has made."

While the Conservatives, Labour and the Lib Dems have decried the new Cabinet - which does indeed include all the same members as Mr Yousaf's along with the addition of Ms Forbes - as the 'same old, same old', in truth the government of Swinney and Forbes will be a very different one to that of Yousaf and Robison - and one likely to be a harder challenge for the Conservatives and Labour to take to task.