TWO of Renfrewshire's three MSPs have joined the Scottish Government after a reshuffle by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Tom Arthur, who has represented Renfrewshire South since 2016, has been appointed Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth, having previously held the post of deputy whip of the SNP group.

He will combine his new role as a junior minister with his duties in his constituency, which covers Johnstone, Elderslie, Linwood, Kilbarchan, Howwood, Lochwinnoch, Houston and Crosslee, as well as Barrhead, Neilston and Uplawmoor.

George Adam, who has been Paisley's MSP since 2011 and was the SNP group chief whip at Holyrood, has been named Minister for Parliamentary Business.

The duo are among 15 junior ministerial appointments made as the First Minister carried out a wide-ranging reshuffle of her top team.

Ms Sturgeon said: “Scotland needs a serious Government for the serious times we face as a nation and, in the top level ministerial line-up I have announced, we have exactly that.

“It is a Government which will drive Scotland forward as we look to build a just, fair and sustainable recovery from the Covid pandemic.

“My Cabinet team combines experience with new arrivals and fresh faces, giving us the range and depth of talent we need to tackle the pressing issues we need to tackle, from Covid to climate change.

“This term of office is unquestionably the most important one the nation has faced since devolution, more than 20 years ago. We are dealing with the joint challenges of a global pandemic and recovery from it, the ongoing tests posed by Brexit and the urgent, pressing need to take forward our net-zero agenda as part of the global efforts to secure a greener future.

“The magnitude of these challenges is clear but now is not a moment to shirk from those tasks but to embrace them. In the next five years, we have a chance to shape Scotland permanently for the better, creating a healthier, happier, fairer, more prosperous and more sustainable country for everyone who calls Scotland home, establishing a positive legacy for future generations.”