Scottish Government transport minister Kevin Stewart has stepped down for the sake of his mental health, having been in post for just over two months.
Mr Stewart was appointed transport minister in March, having previously been minister for local government, housing and planning from 2016 and then minister for mental wellbeing and social care from 2021.
In a letter to first minister Humza Yousaf, Mr Stewart said he was resigning ‘with a heavy heart’.
He wrote: ‘It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve the people of Scotland in three ministerial positions under the leadership of Nicola Sturgeon and yourself and I do hope that I have made a positive difference for our people and our country.
‘Since last October I have had bouts of poor mental health, with a low ebb in early December of last year. Over the last week or so I have once again been feeling unwell and I feel that I can no longer put in the hours required to serve both my constituents and hold ministerial office, whilst also trying to maintain good mental health. I do hope that you understand.’
In reply, Mr Yousaf said he was ‘very sorry to get your letter of resignation’.
He wrote: ‘Many people underestimate the pressure on Ministers and I understand why you have felt the need to leave government to concentrate on your mental health and much loved constituency.
‘You leave with a record you can be proud of. As well as taking on transport in the last two months where you invested in buses and focused on improving the position on ferries, your previous roles have benefitted from your expertise and experience.
‘I know what a hard-working, loyal and dedicated Minister you have been in your eight years of service. That is much valued and appreciated by me and across government, and I hope you will feel able to serve again in the future.’
