Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

Humza Yousaf appoints Alex Salmond’s former media chief to top adviser role

Kevin Pringle previously helped the SNP to landslide victories and the brink of independence.

Kevin Pringle played a crucial role advising the SNP before the independence referendum. Image: Allan Milligan.

Alex Salmond’s former media fixer is making a dramatic return as Humza Yousaf’s new top adviser.

Kevin Pringle is taking on the demanding job of “official spokesperson and strategic political adviser” for the new first minister eight years after he quit the SNP’s spin machine.

He is considered to be the brains behind the party’s earlier success and 2014 referendum campaign.

Mr Pringle helped Mr Salmond take the SNP to its landslide victory in 2011 which sparked more than a decade of total dominance in Scottish politics.

“Eight years after I left my last job with the SNP, thinking that was me finally done with working in politics, I’m taking up a new post this month with the Scottish Government,” he writes in a parting column for The Courier today.

First Minister Humza Yousaf, pictured in Dundee, took charge in March. Image: Mhairi Edwards/DC Thomson.

Mr Pringle’s move is a sign of the difficulties Mr Yousaf had in securing a big-hitter at a difficult time for the Scottish Government.

The first minister won a tense leadership contest where senior Nationalists ripped into his record in health, justice and transport.

Mr Yousaf was stunned days into the job when police questioned SNP chief executive Peter Murrell – Nicola Sturgeon’s husband – in a finance probe.

The SNP still seems to me to retain its hard-earned and relatively recently-acquired status of natural party of government in Scotland.

– Kevin Pringle.

He has since had to watch opinion polls fall for the SNP.

Mr Pringle continues: “Despite all the difficulties and controversies, the SNP still seems to me to retain its hard-earned and relatively recently-acquired status of natural party of government in Scotland.

“I’m not saying this will be the case forever, but I think it holds true for now.

“Indeed, a big part of the attraction of going back to work in government is that this administration – now SNP plus Greens – still has a future, not just a past.

“There are three years to go until the next Scottish Parliament election, but what I don’t yet see is an alternative government among any of the opposition groups, with a compelling, coherent message for change.”

Mr Pringle’s role is likely to put him back in front of the media at weekly briefings after first minister’s questions in Holyrood.

Kevin Pringle, originally from Perth, has been working at Charlotte Street Partners in Edinburgh.

Who is Kevin Pringle?

Mr Pringle, 55, attended Perth High School and went on to graduate from the University of Aberdeen with a degree in economic history and international relations.

He first worked for the SNP in 1989 when future success seemed like a pipe dream and only four MPs sat for the party in Westminster. He credits Mr Salmond with helping him to find his feet.

He was chief spin doctor for the former leader between 2007 and 2012, moving to head the party’s communications operation until he quit in 2015.

This isn’t the first time he’s been pulled back to the SNP.

A stint doing public relations for Scottish Gas also ended with a return politics, and success with Mr Salmond in government.

He now lives in Inverclyde with his family.

Kevin Pringle started working closely with the Yes campaign in 2013 when Alex Salmond was in charge. Image: Allan Milligan.

He is giving up a private sector consultancy role at Charlotte Street Partners to return to the heart of government.

His areas of expertise listed at his current role include media relations and “crisis comms”.

On his biography page, Mr Pringle writes about enjoying the “Byzantine world of Scottish politics”.

He adds: “At home in Inverclyde, I like to walk the local moors with my two young children and gaze out across the Firth of Clyde to Argyll and the hills beyond – still trying to work out what it all means.”

Conversation