I can announce that the Scottish Labour Party and the Scottish National Party have voted to enter an opposition coalition and thus the official opposition to the Scottish Government will be formed of Labour and the SNP. As part of this coalition we shall work together on legislation, press and on holding the government to account. It has also been agreed, due to the differing views on the union within the opposition coalition, to suspend cabinet collective responsibility on this issue.

We chose to enter an opposition coalition with the SNP due to our shared left-wing ideals: we have similar ideas on economic issues, on healthcare, on education, on the environment, and on other issues; and this opposition coalition will allow us to form a united left-wing front to scrutinise and provide opposition to the centrist liberal coalition of New Britain and the Scottish Liberal Democrats.

I shall now announce who will form the shadow cabinet.

I shall for obvious reasons be the leader of the opposition and will scrutinise the government and the First Minister and hold them to account on their job. As one of mhoc’s train nerds, I shall also act as the Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Transport and will scrutinise the government’s plans on transportation.

Again for obvious reasons the leader of the SNP u/LeftyWalrus will be shadowing the Deputy First Minister and will also serve as the Shadow Cabinet Secretary for the Environment. At Westminster Walrus currently serves as the Secretary of State for Energy and Environment and I have full confidence in him to scrutinise the government’s policies on the environment and climate change.

My deputy u/Inadorable served in the last government as the Minister for Budgetary Responsibility and served as the Finance Minister within the Northern Irish Executive last term, which has given her valuable experience in finance-related matters and at budget drafting. In light of the Scottish Government planning to implement spending cuts and austerity to deal with Scotland’s fragile public finances, the Shadow Cabinet requires an experienced voice to scrutinise the government’s finance plans, which is why I have appointed Inadorable as the Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Economy.

The deputy leader of the SNP u/brihima will serve as the Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills. He was a senior member of the previous Scottish government and I believe they will do a great job scrutinising the work of the Scottish government on higher education funding, apprenticeships and other education-related matters.

My good friend u/model-avery is an experienced Scottish politician, having served as the deputy leader and previously co-leader of the Scottish Progressives before the merger. I therefore have appointed them as the Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Justice and I have full confidence in them to scrutinise the government’s justice policies.

As the Minister of State for Drugs and Addiction at Westminster, u/HKNorman has worked to pass common sense reforms to the UK’s drugs strategy and thus I have appointed them to serve as the Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health to scrutinise the government’s policies towards drugs, the NHS and other healthcare-related matters.

I was proud to have led the Scottish Progressives together with u/Muffin5136 before the merger and have decided to appoint him as the Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Local Affairs. I have full confidence in him to scrutinise the government’s policies on housing and local government affairs. Due to his work as chief whip at Westminster, he shall also be serving as Scottish Labour’s Chief Whip.

And finally, the Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Democracy will be u/Zakian3000. Despite their views on vegetable oil and salt, I believe that they have the experience to scrutinise the government’s plans on culture, to stand up for Scottish culture and the Scots Gaelic language, and to scrutinise the government’s policies on reforming our democracy.

I have full confidence in my shadow cabinet to work to deliver for the people of Scotland, to support the government on issues where we agree, and to oppose the government where we believe they have the wrong solution to a particular issue.