New First Minister

Nicola Sturgeon will be formally appointed as First Minister during a selection process at Holyrood later.

She takes over from Alex Salmond who stood down from the post yesterday after seven years in the top job.

Ms Sturgeon will be sworn in at the Court of Session on Thursday.

The Scottish Liberal Democrats are calling Ms Sturgeon to sack Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill from her Cabinet.

The party claims his tenure has been nothing short of a disaster for communities in Scotland.

Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Alison McInnes MSP said:
 
"As Justice Secretary, Kenny MacAskill's agenda of cuts, controversy and closures has been nothing short of a disaster for Scotland. Eight police forces have been reduced to one, 61 police public counters have closed their doors to the public, five police control rooms and 5 fire control rooms have been closed and 17 courts local courts have been shut across Scotland. We've had armed police attend routine duties in even the smallest towns and villages, whilst 500 children under ten were subject to stop and search by the new single force.
 
"Everything the Justice Secretary has touched has drawn heavy criticism and not just from opposition parties. We shared a platform with the most esteemed voices in the legal profession in our opposition to Kenny MacAskill's plans to scrap corroboration. Scottish Liberal Democrats spoke with communities in our concerns over the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act. The Human Rights Commission, Barnardo's, Children 1st and many others shared our anxiety at the largely unregulated and unaccountable nature of stop and search.
 
"We have yet to see the full impact of police reform, because the scale of the savings to be made over the next few years will threaten the very nature of what our police service does.
 
"While the SNP were focussed on campaigning for independence, Scotland's communities were left with a Justice Secretary unwilling to listen and in denial of the scale of the many problems with his reforms. In creating her new Cabinet for her new position as First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon must end the seven years of bad luck for local communities and dismiss Kenny MacAskill."