SCOTLAND’S Transport Minister has quit the government after saying he is suffering from poor mental health.
In his resignation letter to the first minister, Kevin Stewart said he has had bouts of low mental health since last October.
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Mr Stewart said he had been feeling unwell for the past week, and could not put in the hours required to both serve his constituents and hold ministerial office.
The BBC says he will continue to sit as an SNP MSP.
And he pledged to continue to support First Minister Humza Yousaf and the government from the backbenches.
The Aberdeen Central MSP wrote: “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, while also trying to maintain good mental health.”
- Also yesterday, MPs voted to suspend Margaret Ferrier from the Commons for 30 days for breaching Covid lockdown rules.
The move will almost certainly lead to a by-election in her Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency.
Ms Ferrier won the seat for the SNP with a majority of 5,230 in the 2019 election, but has been sitting as an independent since losing the party whip.
The BBC says it would be an early electoral test for new SNP leader Humza Yousaf, with Labour hopeful of winning the seat.
Opinion polls have suggested that support for the SNP has fallen in recent months against a backdrop of Nicola Sturgeon resigning as first minister and party leader, and the ongoing police investigation into the party’s finances.had become a well-known figure in the House of Commons through his weekly appearance at Prime Minister’s Questions and was seen as being a close ally of Nicola Sturgeon.
