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Angela Constance

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Angela Constance
MSP
Official portrait, 2024
Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office
29 March 2023
First MinisterHumza Yousaf
John Swinney
Preceded byKeith Brown
Chairman & Business Convener
of the Scottish National Party
Incumbent
Assumed office
18 November 2023
LeaderHumza Yousaf
John Swinney
Preceded byKirsten Oswald
Minister for Drugs Policy
In office
18 December 2020 – 29 March 2023
First MinisterNicola Sturgeon
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byElena Whitham
Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities
In office
18 May 2016 – 26 June 2018
First MinisterNicola Sturgeon
Preceded byAlex Neil
Succeeded byAileen Campbell
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning
In office
21 November 2014 – 18 May 2016
First MinisterNicola Sturgeon
Preceded byMichael Russell
Succeeded byJohn Swinney
Cabinet Secretary for Training, Youth and Women’s Employment
In office
22 April 2014 – 21 November 2014
First MinisterAlex Salmond
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byRoseanna Cunningham
Minister for Youth Employment
In office
7 December 2011 – 22 April 2014
First MinisterAlex Salmond
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byAnnabelle Ewing
Minister for Children and Young People
In office
20 May 2011 – 7 December 2011
First MinisterAlex Salmond
Preceded byAdam Ingram
Succeeded byAileen Campbell
Minister for Skills and Lifelong Learning
In office
12 December 2010 – 20 May 2011
First MinisterAlex Salmond
Preceded byKeith Brown
Succeeded byAlasdair Allan
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Almond Valley
Livingston (2007–2011)
Incumbent
Assumed office
3 May 2007
Preceded byBristow Muldoon
Majority8,393
Personal details
Born (1970-07-15) 15 July 1970 (age 54)
Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland
Political partyScottish National Party
SpouseGarry Knox (m. 2000)
ChildrenCyrus Knox (South African)
Alma materUniversity of Glasgow
University of Stirling
ProfessionSocial worker

Angela Constance (born 15 July 1970) is a Scottish politician serving as Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs since 2023. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), she has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Almond Valley since 2007.

Born in West Lothian, Constance studied at the University of Glasgow and University of Stirling, before working as a social worker in the Lothians. She served as a councillor for West Lothian Council, where she was a spokesperson for children's services and lifelong learning. In the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, Constance was elected as a member of the Scottish Parliament for the Livingston constituency. As an SNP backbencher she served as a member of the Scottish Commission for Public Audit and justice committee.

Constance was appointed to the Scottish Government in 2010 and served under First Minister Alex Salmond as the minister for skills and lifelong learning and the following year she was reshuffled as the minister for children and young people. She later served as the youth employment minister, before the portfolio was expanded and promoted to cabinet-level in 2014 as the Cabinet Secretary for Training, Youth and Women's Employment. Following the resignation of Nicola Sturgeon as depute leader of the SNP when she announced her candidacy for leader, Constance ran unsuccessfully in the 2014 depute leadership contest, losing to Stewart Hosie.

Sturgeon was successful in her bid for leader and was subsequently sworn in as first minister and appointed Constance as education secretary. In a cabinet reshuffle in 2016, she was appointed the equalities secretary and oversaw the introduction of social security powers in Scotland. Constance left government in 2018 to sit as a backbencher. In 2020, Sturgeon appointed her to the new portfolio of drugs policy minister after record high drug deaths in Scotland. On 29 March 2023, newly appointed First Minister Humza Yousaf re-appointed Constance to cabinet as the justice secretary. In November 2023, she became Chairman and Business Convener of the Scottish National Party.

Early life

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Angela Constance was born on 15 July 1970 in Blackburn, West Lothian,[1] the daughter of Simon Constance,[2] a coalminer, and Mary Baird Constance (née Colquhoun).[3][4] She was educated at West Calder High School and later Bo’ness Academy.[5]

Constance attended the University of Glasgow, where she gained an MA in Social Science. At Glasgow University, she served on the Students' Representative Council, becoming president of the council in 1991.[6][7] Alastair Allan was her sabbatical vice president. She earned a Certificate of Welfare Studies from West Lothian College and an MSc in Social Work from the University of Stirling.[7]

Before her election to Holyrood, Constance worked as a social worker and was a Councillor for West Lothian Council where she was the SNP spokesperson for children's services and lifelong learning. She also stood for the SNP in the 2005 Livingston by-election, finishing second behind Scottish Labour with 32.7% of the vote.[8]

Political career

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Training, Youth and Women's employment

[edit]

During the 2014 SNP spring conference, First Minister and SNP leader Alex Salmond promoted Constance to the Scottish Cabinet in the position of Cabinet Secretary for Training, Youth and Women’s Employment. In the position, Constance was somewhat criticised by the opposition Scottish Labour Party in the Scottish Parliament, claiming that since Constance, youth unemployment in Scotland had actually risen.[9] In response to this, Constance stated:

These figures, based on data for 2013, show that the employment prospects are improving across much of Scotland, with women’s employment driving much of this improvement. “They also show that Scotland continues to outperformed the UK across all headline labour market indicators, with a lower unemployment rate, higher employment rate and lower economic inactivity rate.[9]

Previously, Constance was a junior Scottish cabinet member.[10]

SNP Depute leadership bid, 2014

[edit]
Further information: Scottish National Party leadership election, 2014

Following defeat in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, Scottish National Party leader and First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond announced his resignation as SNP leader and First Minister of Scotland.[11] In the aftermath of his resignation, a leadership bid was launched, and the then Deputy First Minister of Scotland and SNP Depute leader Nicola Sturgeon was widely tipped to become Salmond's successor.[12][13]

On 30 September 2014, Constance officially launched her bid to become the Depute leader of the Scottish National Party,[14][15] competing against Stewart Hosie and Keith Brown.[16] It was later revealed by Constance that she was "not seeking the position of Deputy First Minister".[17]

The results of the election were announced at the SNP Autumn Conference on 14 November, with Constance losing the contest to Stewart Hosie, after being eliminated in the first round.[18]

Cabinet Secretary for Education

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Following the election of Nicola Sturgeon as the First Minister, in November 2014, Constance was promoted as the Cabinet Secretary for Education within the Scottish Cabinet.

Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities

[edit]

After the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, Nicola Sturgeon reshuffled her Cabinet. On 18 May, Constance was appointed as Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities.

Minister for Drugs Policy

[edit]

In December 2020 First Minister Nicola Sturgeon sacked Joe FitzPatrick as Public Health Minister after official figures revealed that 1,264 people in Scotland had died from drugs in 2019. The number of deaths was three and a half times higher the figure for England and Wales and by some margin the highest in Europe.[19] Sturgeon described the SNP's record on drugs as "indefensible"[20] and Constance was given a full time ministerial portfolio with responsibility for the crisis.[19] The appointment was not universally welcomed; journalist Alex Massie opined in The Times that: "It says something, mind you, about the depth of talent available to Sturgeon that... she felt compelled to hand the drugs brief to Angela Constance, a minister she had previously demoted. Twice."[21]

At the Scottish Parliament election on 6 May 2021, Constance was re-elected as MSP for Almond Valley. On 19 May 2021, she was re-appointed to the new government, retaining the post of Minister for Drugs Policy.[22]

In November 2023, Constance was appointed as the SNP's Business Convener (party chair), succeeding Kirsten Oswald.[23] The Business Convener is responsible for chairing the SNP's Party Conference and the National Executive Committee; overseeing the party's management, administration and operations, as well as the coordination of election campaigns; working with the Chief Executive of Headquarters in setting priorities.

Personal life

[edit]

Constance has been married to Garry Knox since 2000.[24] After her election to Holyrood, Constance announced she was expecting her first child, Cyrus in October 2007.

References

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  1. ^ Birth Certificate of Angela Constance, 1970, 669/2 108 Blackburn — National Records of Scotland
  2. ^ Birth certificate of Simon Constance, 1948, 672/ 428 Uphall — National Records of Scotland
  3. ^ Marriage certificate of Simon Constance and Mary Baird Colquhoun, 1970, 685/1 26 Haymarket
  4. ^ "Angela Constance: I lived in poverty as a child, that's why I'm fighting it now". HeraldScotland. 29 May 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  5. ^ "Angela Constance MSP | Bio". www.angelaconstance.scot. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  6. ^ "From SRC to Cab Sec Education". www.gla.ac.uk. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Angela Constance MSP | Bio". www.angelaconstance.scot. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  8. ^ Boothroyd, David. "Results of Byelections in the 2005-2010 Parliament". United Kingdom Election Results. Archived from the original on 27 December 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  9. ^ a b "Female minister promoted by Alex Salmond to attract women voters has 'record of failure'". Telegraph.co.uk. 7 May 2014. Archived from the original on 20 September 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  10. ^ "Four key things we learnt from the SNP conference". News – Telegraph Blogs. Archived from the original on 17 April 2014.
  11. ^ Carrell, Severin; Wintour, Patrick; Mason, Rowena (19 September 2014). "Alex Salmond resigns as first minister after Scotland rejects independence". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 November 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  12. ^ Cusick, James (21 September 2014). "Scottish referendum: Nicola Sturgeon edges closer to SNP leadership following Alex Salmond's resignation". The Independent. Archived from the original on 1 January 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  13. ^ "Scottish ministers 'back Sturgeon as next first minister'". BBC News. 21 September 2014. Archived from the original on 29 October 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  14. ^ "MSP Angela Constance enters race to become next SNP deputy leader". dailyrecord. 30 September 2014. Archived from the original on 3 October 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  15. ^ "Constance appeal in SNP deputy bid". The Glasgow South and Eastwood Extra. 2 October 2014 [1 October 2014]. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  16. ^ "Scottish referendum: Keith Brown and Stewart Hosie launch SNP deputy bids". BBC News. 25 September 2014. Archived from the original on 14 May 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  17. ^ "Angela Constance calls on SNP to 'build' independence case". BBC News. 1 October 2014. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  18. ^ "Stewart Hosie elected deputy leader of the SNP". BBC News. 14 November 2014. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  19. ^ a b "Drug deaths in Scotland: Minister Joe FitzPatrick loses job". BBC News. 18 December 2020. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  20. ^ Sanderson, Daniel (18 April 2021). "Nicola Sturgeon admits SNP's record on drug deaths is 'indefensible'". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  21. ^ Massie, Alex. "Sturgeon is using candour as shield against criticism". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  22. ^ "Nicola Sturgeon appoints new health and education secretaries". BBC News. 19 May 2021. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021.
  23. ^ "Angela Constance takes over from Kirsten Oswald as new SNP business convener". 18 November 2023.
  24. ^ Marriage certificate of Angela Constance and Garry Richard Knox, 2000, 701/ 2 Queensferry — National Records of Scotland
[edit]
Scottish Parliament
Preceded by Member of the Scottish Parliament for Livingston
2007–2011 		Constituency abolished
New constituency Member of the Scottish Parliament for Almond Valley
2011–present 		Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Minister for Skills and Lifelong Learning
2010–2011 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Children and Young People
2011 		Succeeded by
New office Minister for Youth Employment
2011–2014 		Succeeded by
New office Cabinet Secretary for Training, Youth and Women’s Employment
2014 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning
2014–2016 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Alex Neil
 Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities
2016–2018 		Succeeded by
New office Minister for Drugs Policy
2020–present 		Incumbent
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