Angela Constance | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs | |
| Assumed office 29 March 2023 | |
| First Minister | Humza Yousaf John Swinney |
| Preceded by | Keith Brown |
| Chairman & Business Convener of the Scottish National Party | |
| Assumed office 18 November 2023 | |
| Leader | Humza Yousaf John Swinney |
| Preceded by | Kirsten Oswald |
| Minister for Drugs Policy | |
| In office 18 December 2020 – 29 March 2023 | |
| First Minister | Nicola Sturgeon |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Elena Whitham |
| Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities | |
| In office 18 May 2016 – 26 June 2018 | |
| First Minister | Nicola Sturgeon |
| Preceded by | Alex Neil |
| Succeeded by | Aileen Campbell |
| Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning | |
| In office 21 November 2014 – 18 May 2016 | |
| First Minister | Nicola Sturgeon |
| Preceded by | Michael Russell |
| Succeeded by | John Swinney |
| Cabinet Secretary for Training, Youth and Women’s Employment | |
| In office 22 April 2014 – 21 November 2014 | |
| First Minister | Alex Salmond |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Roseanna Cunningham |
| Minister for Youth Employment | |
| In office 7 December 2011 – 22 April 2014 | |
| First Minister | Alex Salmond |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Annabelle Ewing |
| Minister for Children and Young People | |
| In office 20 May 2011 – 7 December 2011 | |
| First Minister | Alex Salmond |
| Preceded by | Adam Ingram |
| Succeeded by | Aileen Campbell |
| Minister for Skills and Lifelong Learning | |
| In office 12 December 2010 – 20 May 2011 | |
| First Minister | Alex Salmond |
| Preceded by | Keith Brown |
| Succeeded by | Alasdair Allan |
| Member of the Scottish Parliament for Almond Valley Livingston (2007–2011) | |
| Assumed office 3 May 2007 | |
| Preceded by | Bristow Muldoon |
| Majority | 8,393 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 July 1970 Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland |
| Political party | Scottish National Party |
| Spouse | Garry Knox (m. 2000) |
| Children | Cyrus Knox (South African) |
| Alma mater | University of Glasgow University of Stirling |
| Profession | Social 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.