Nicola Sturgeon appoints new community safety minister for Scotland

The First Minister has announced Elena Whitham will be the new community safety minister,

Ms Whitham, a former Women’s Aid worker, takes on the post after Ash Regan quit the role because she could not back Scottish Government reforms which will bring in self-identification for transgender people.

Announcing the appointment, which has to be formally confirmed by both the King and the Scottish Parliament, Nicola Sturgeon said her new minister’s experience would would “stand her in good stead for this role”.

Ms Whitham entered Holyrood in 2021, when she was elected as the MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley.

Prior to that she had worked in the community youth sector and in helping the homeless, and also ran three small businesses.

She spent more than a decade as a Women’s Aid worker in the Ayrshire area, and was the deputy leader of East Ayrshire Council, also serving as community wellbeing spokesperson for the local government body Cosla, where part of her remit involved housing and homelessness issues.

Ms Sturgeon thanked Ms Regan for her contribution to the Scottish Government, saying this “most notably” involved her “leading new legislation to control the sale and use of fireworks and tackling inequality in the justice system”.

The First Minister added: “I’m pleased to appoint Elena to her first ministerial position, which has cross-cutting responsibilities across Scotland’s fire service, our justice system, and the prevention of violence against women and girls.

“I’m confident Elena’s professional and personal experience will stand her in good stead for this role and I look forward to working with her to improve the safety of communities across the country.”