Angela Constance

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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]

Return to government (2020–)

Minister for Drugs Policy (2020–2023)

Constance announcing residential rehabilitation capacity increase, 2022 Extension to Edinburgh recovery service David McCartney with Drugs Policy Minister Angela Constance.jpg
Constance announcing residential rehabilitation capacity increase, 2022

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.

Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs (2023–present)

Constance launches Justice in an independent Scotland (Building a New Scotland paper), 2024 Building a New Scotland - Justice in an independent Scotland - 53678069175.jpg
Constance launches Justice in an independent Scotland ( Building a New Scotland paper), 2024

On 29 March 2023, newly elected first minister Humza Yousaf appointed Constance as Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs, marking a return to the Scottish cabinet for Constance following her departure from the cabinet during the third term of Nicola Sturgeon's premiership in 2018. [24] Yousaf claimed he was "looking forward" to working with Constance on "delivering real, tangible improvements". [25]

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. [25]

Constance was re–appointed Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs by new first minister John Swinney in May 2024. [26]

Personal life

Constance has been married to Garry Knox since 2000. [27] After her election to Holyrood, Constance announced she was expecting her first child, Cyrus in October 2007.

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References

  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. 1 2 "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. 1 2 "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. 1 2 "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. ↑ "New Cabinet unveiled". www.gov.scot. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
  25. 1 2 "Justice and Home Affairs: FM letter to Cabinet Secretary". www.gov.scot. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
  26. ↑ "New Scottish Cabinet". www.gov.scot. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
  27. ↑ Marriage certificate of Angela Constance and Garry Richard Knox, 2000, 701/ 2 Queensferry — National Records of Scotland
Angela Constance
MSP
Angela Constance - 53727458028 (cropped).jpg
Official portrait, 2024
Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office
29 March 2023
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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