Angela Constance
Angela Constance | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2021 | |
| Minister for Drugs Policy | |
| Assumed office 18 December 2020 | |
| First Minister | Nicola Sturgeon |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| 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 |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Political party | Scottish National Party |
| Spouse(s) | Gary Knox (m. 2000) |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | University of Glasgow University of Stirling |
| Profession | Social worker |
Angela Constance (born 15 July 1970) is a Scottish politician serving as Minister for Drug Policy since 2020, having previously served in the Scottish Cabinet from 2014 to 2018. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP) , she has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Almond Valley since 2007.
Constance stood as a candidate for Deputy leader of the SNP in the party's 2014 leadership contest, but lost to Stewart Hosie.[1]
Early life[]
 | This section does not cite any sources. (January 2022) |
Angela Constance was born on 15 July 1970 in Blackburn, West Lothian, the daughter of Simon Constance, a coalminer, and Mary (née Colquhoun) Constance. She was raised in Addiewell and West Calder. While studying Shipping Management at the University of Glasgow, Constance was elected President of Glasgow University Students' Representative Council, where her sabbatical vice president was Alasdair Allan, now SNP MSP for the Western Isles.
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.
Political career[]
Training, Youth and Women's employment[]
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.[2] 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.[2]
Previously, Constance was a junior Scottish cabinet member.[3]
SNP Depute leadership bid, 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.[4] In the aftermath of his resignation, a leadership bid was launched, and current Deputy First Minister of Scotland and SNP Depute leader Nicola Sturgeon was widely tipped to become Salmond's successor.[5][6]
On 30 September 2014, Constance officially launched her bid to become the Depute leader of the Scottish National Party,[7][8] competing against Stewart Hosie and Keith Brown.[9] It was later revealed by Constance that she was "not seeking the position of Deputy First Minister".[10]
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.[11]
Cabinet Secretary for Education[]
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[]
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[]
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.[12] Sturgeon described the SNP's record on drugs as "indefensible"[13] and Constance was given a full time ministerial portfolio with responsibility for the crisis.[12] 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."[14]
At the Scottish Parliament election on 6 May 2021, Constance was re-elected as MP for Almond Valley. On 19 May 2021, she was re-appointed to the new government, retaining the post of Minister for Drugs Policy.[15]
Personal life[]
After her election to Holyrood, Constance announced she was expecting her first child in October 2007.
References[]
- ^ "BBC News – Angela Constance calls on SNP to 'build' independence case". BBC News.
- ^ a b "Female minister promoted by Alex Salmond to attract women voters has 'record of failure'". Telegraph.co.uk. 7 May 2014.
- ^ "Four key things we learnt from the SNP conference". News – Telegraph Blogs. Archived from the original on 17 April 2014.
- ^ Carrell, Severin; Wintour, Patrick; Mason, Rowena (19 September 2014). "Alex Salmond resigns as first minister after Scotland rejects independence". the Guardian. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
- ^ Cusick, James (21 September 2014). "Scottish referendum: Nicola Sturgeon edges closer to SNP leadership following Alex Salmond's resignation". The Independent. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
- ^ "Scottish ministers 'back Sturgeon as next first minister'". BBC News. 21 September 2014.
- ^ "MSP Angela Constance enters race to become next SNP deputy leader". dailyrecord.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Scottish referendum: Keith Brown and Stewart Hosie launch SNP deputy bids". BBC News. 25 September 2014.
- ^ "Angela Constance calls on SNP to 'build' independence case". BBC News. 1 October 2014.
- ^ "Stewart Hosie elected deputy leader of the SNP". BBC News. 14 November 2014.
- ^ a b "Drug deaths in Scotland: Minister Joe FitzPatrick loses job". BBC News. 18 December 2020. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
- ^ Sanderson, Daniel (18 April 2021). "Nicola Sturgeon admits SNP's record on drug deaths is 'indefensible'". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
- ^ Massie, Alex. "Sturgeon is using candour as shield against criticism". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
- ^ "Nicola Sturgeon appoints new health and education secretaries". BBC News. 19 May 2021. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021.
External links[]
- Scottish Parliament profiles of MSPs: Angela Constance
- 1970 births
- Living people
- Alumni of the University of Glasgow
- People from Blackburn, West Lothian
- Scottish National Party MSPs
- Members of the Scottish Parliament 2007–2011
- Members of the Scottish Parliament 2011–2016
- Members of the Scottish Parliament 2016–2021
- Members of the Scottish Parliament 2021–2026
- Women members of the Scottish Government
- Scottish social workers