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.[8]
Previously,Constance was a junior Scottish cabinet member.[9]
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.
On 30 September 2014, Constance officially launched her bid to become the Depute leader of the Scottish National Party,[13][14] competing against Stewart Hosie and Keith Brown.[15] It was later revealed by Constance that she was "not seeking the position of Deputy First Minister".[16]
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.[17]
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.[18] Sturgeon described the SNP's record on drugs as "indefensible"[19] and Constance was given a full time ministerial portfolio with responsibility for the crisis.[18] 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."[20]
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.[21]
In November 2023, Constance was appointed as the SNP's Business Convener (party chair), succeeding Kirsten Oswald.[22] 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.
Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs (2023–present)
Following her appointment, Yousaf announced that both he and Constance had "agreed an ambitious range of outcomes" in order to modernise the Scottish justice system in order to "better focus on the needs of victims while ensuring rates of offending continue to be at historic lows". Additionally, Yousaf encouraged Constance to protect the independence of key justice agencies of the country as well as the Judiciary of Scotland. Additionally, Constance was tasked with reducing the court backlog created by the government restrictions introduced to mitigate COVID-19, work with both the Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland to deliver a sustainable budget, conduct collaboration between Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to "further drive out inefficiencies and achieve operational efficiencies", responsible for the overview and implementation of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021, updating of the Equally Safe strategy and support the implementation of "trauma-informed knowledge" and the associated skills framework for staff in justice organisations across Scotland.[24]
Constance was re–appointed Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs by new first minister John Swinney in May 2024.[25]
In winter 2025, Constance was accused of misleading the Scottish Parliament over the issue of expanding an inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal to Scotland. Constance told MSPs in September 2025 that Professor Alexis Jay, who chaired the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse in England and Wales, had advised the Scottish Government that a further inquiry into child sexual abuse was not necessary. Jay subsequently emailed Constance to say that her position had been misrepresented, and said that Scottish ministers "should urgently take steps to establish reliable data about the nature and extent of child sexual exploitation by organised networks".[26] While a correction was published by the Scottish Government, Jay emailed Constance again in November describing their position as unsatisfactory.[27] The Scottish Government subsequently announced a national review of evidence on the operation of grooming gangs in Scotland, including Professor Jay. Scottish Conservatives leader Russell Findlay accused Constance of a breach of the ministerial code by misleading the Scottish Parliament as to Jay's advice.[28]
The Scottish Conservatives put forward a motion for a vote of no confidence in Constance, which was supported by both Scottish Labour and the Scottish Liberal Democrats.[29] In an open letter published in the Daily Record, the mother of a grooming gang victim who had been gang raped at the age of thirteen while in care appealed to the Scottish Parliament to support the motion against Constance, writing; "The survivors have told me that they no longer have confidence in Justice Secretary Angela Constance. That trust is completely broken. Cabinet colleagues who come out in support of her will not change that. The only people whose confidence matters are survivors, and they say, 'We've lost it.' Any MSP who chooses to support her in this vote is choosing politics over victims."[30][31] On 16 December 2025, the Scottish Parliament rejected the motion of no confidence by 67 votes to 57 after the Scottish Green Party voted with the SNP to protect Constance.[32] At a session of Holyrood's education committee the following day, Constance offered a public apology to Professor Jay and said that she welcomed the parliamentary record being amended to clarify her past comments, but reiterated her belief that these were not a breach of the ministerial code and did not warrant an investigation.[33]
On 23 December 2025, the Scottish Government's independent advisers for the Scottish Ministerial Code notified John Swinney of their intent to investigate Constance over whether her remarks regarding Professor Jay constituted a ministerial code breach.[34][35]
Personal life
Constance has been married to Garry Knox since 2000.[36] After her election to Holyrood, Constance announced she was expecting her first child, Cyrus in October 2007.
References
↑Birth Certificate of Angela Constance, 1970, 669/2 108 Blackburn — National Records of Scotland
↑Birth certificate of Simon Constance, 1948, 672/ 428 Uphall — National Records of Scotland
↑Marriage certificate of Simon Constance and Mary Baird Colquhoun, 1970, 685/1 26 Haymarket
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