Angela Constance

Angela Constance MSP
Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities
Incumbent
Assumed office 18 May 2016
First Minister	Nicola Sturgeon
Preceded by	Alex Neil(as Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners' Rights)
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(as Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills)
Cabinet Secretary for Training, Youth and Women’s Employment
In office 22 April 2014 – 21 November 2014
First Minister	Alex Salmond
Preceded by	Office created
Succeeded by	Roseanna Cunningham (as Cabinet Secretary for Fair Work, Skills and Training)
Minister for Youth Employment
In office 7 December 2011 – 22 April 2014
First Minister	Alex Salmond
Preceded by	Position created
Succeeded by	Annabelle Ewing (as Minister for Youth and Women's Employment from 21 November 2014)
Minister for Children and Young People
In office 20 May 2011 – 7 December 2011
First Minister	Alex Salmond
Preceded by	Adam Ingram (as Minister for Children and Early Years)
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 as Minister for Learning and Skills
Member of the Scottish Parliament for Almond Valley Livingston (2007-2011)
Incumbent
Assumed office 3 May 2007
Preceded by	Bristow Muldoon
Majority	8,393
Personal details
Born	(1970-07-15) 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 National Party (SNP) politician who has been the Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities since May 2016. She has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Almond Valley (formerly Livingston) since 2007, and has held a series of ministerial posts in the Scottish Government since 2010.

Constance stood as a candidate for Depute leader of the SNP in the party's 2014 leadership contest, but lost to Stewart Hosie.^[1]

Early life

Constance was born in Blackburn, West Lothian, the daughter of Simon Constance, a coalminer, and Mary Constance (née Colquhoun). She was raised in Addiewell and West Calder. While studying 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 Livingston by-election, 2005.

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 Scottish independence referendum, 2014, 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.

Personal life

After her election to Holyrood, Constance announced she was expecting her first child in October 2007.

References

External links

• Angela Constance MSP