By Steve Bargeton, political editor

First Minister Jack McConnell unveiled a slightly-changed cabinet yesterday following the election of the new leader of his junior coalition partner, the Liberal Democrats.

Last week Nicol Stephen was comfortably elected as the successor to Jim Wallace, who is returning to the back benches.

Mr Stephen automatically becomes deputy first minister and over the weekend met colleagues to discuss changes to the Lib Dem ministerial line up.

The changes were agreed by Mr McConnell yesterday afternoon.

As expected, Mr Stephen takes on the enterprise portfolio previously held by Mr Wallace.

Tavish Scott, who was deputy finance minister and who master-minded Mr Stephen’s leadership election campaign, is rewarded with the transport minister post and thus a seat on the cabinet.

Mr Scott’s old job will be filled by ministerial newcomer George Lyon, the Lib Dems’ chief whip.

Robert Brown, the party’s spokesman on education, becomes the deputy education minister.

He succeeds Euan Robson, the sole casualty of the reshuffle.

The other Liberal Democrat minister, Ross Finnie, remains in charge of agriculture and rural development.

The changes are expected to be approved by Parliament this week.

Mr McConnell, who had Mr Stephen as his deputy when he was education minister, said he was looking forward to working with him.

“He and I worked extremely well when I was education minister and he was deputy,” he said.

“We had huge challenges that year in, for example, solving the problems of the Scottish Qualifications Agency and I think we can work as well for the interests of the whole of Scotland as we did in the interests of Scottish schools, parents and pupils.”

Commenting on the new ministerial appointments the First Minister said, “I’m sure the people who are about to join us will accept their new positions with enthusiasm and I hope we are going to have a strong team in place by the end of this week that is going to take forward Scotland.”