Angela Constance

Angela Constance
Official portrait, 2024
Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs
Assumed office
29 March 2023
First MinisterHumza Yousaf
John Swinney
Preceded byKeith Brown
Chairman & Business Convener
of the Scottish National Party
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)
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.