John Swinney scraps post of minister for independence to focus on economy

New first minister says case for Scottish independence best made by creating ‘vibrant economy’

John Swinney has axed the post of minister for independence, in a clear signal to Scottish voters that his government is focused on their immediate cost of living concerns before the general election.

The post, held by Jamie Hepburn, was created by the previous first minister, Humza Yousaf, a year ago, with the main responsibility being publishing a series of papers on how different aspects of government would operate under Scottish independence. With no referendum imminent, opposition parties criticised the publications as a waste of taxpayers’ money. The thirteenth in the series, on justice in an independent Scotland, was published last month.