Salmond bids to woo female voters

The SNP leader Alex Salmond yesterday made a big push to win over female voters in the referendum by making 40% of his cabinet female.

The First Minister promoted two junior female ministers to ensure the Scottish Government meets an SNP plan to force Scots firms to give 40% of their most senior jobs to women.

The move which includes a new ministerial post for pensioners’ rights comes in the face of opinion polls which continue to show women are more sceptical than supportive of independence.

But the announcement also contrasts the Scottish Government’s cabinet with the UK Government’s which has failed to fill the majority of its top jobs with women.

Both promoted ministers, Sports Minister Shona Robison and Youth Employment Minister Angela Constance, will bank £16,000 pay rises under the plan.

Addressing the SNP conference in Aberdeen, Mr Salmond also branded the campaign for the Union “the most miserable, negative, depressing and thoroughly boring” in modern times.

He added: “Transforming childcare will open up opportunities for many more women in Scotland.

“An equal opportunity to join the workforce and an equal opportunity within the workforce.

“In an independent Scotland we will want our companies to aspire to at least 40 per cent female participation on their boards.

“The cabinet is our board as a country, and subject to a parliamentary approval, women will soon make up 40% of the members of the Scottish cabinet.”

just two of the eight Scottish cabinet members are currently female Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop but the two extra cabinet posts means the SNP administration will hit its 40% target.

Shona Robison will join the cabinet in the new post of Cabinet Secretary for the Commonwealth Games, Sport, Equalities and Pensioners’ Rights, creating a post specifically for pensioners for the first time.

Angela Constance will take the new post of Cabinet Secretary for Training, Youth & Female Employment.

Scottish Conservative Chief Whip John Lamont MSP said: ““Alex Salmond knows he has a problem appealing to half of the electorate, but women can spot a dodgy chat up line when they hear it.

“He has had seven years to do something about childcare, but he is only now interested in the issue because he thinks there are votes in it for himself.”