| Scotland Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture | |
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| Scottish Gaelic:Rùnaire a’ Chaibineit airson Bun-reachd, Cùisean Taobh A-muigh agus Cultar | |
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| Scottish Government Scottish Cabinet | |
| Style |
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| Member of | |
| Reports to | |
| Seat | Edinburgh |
| Appointer | First Minister (following approval from Scottish Parliament) |
| Inaugural holder |
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| Formation | 1 November 2000 |
| Salary | £126,452 per annum(2024)[1] (including £72,196MSP salary) |
| Website | www |
TheCabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture (Scottish Gaelic:Rùnaire a’ Chaibineit airson Bun-reachd, Cùisean Taobh A-muigh agus Cultar), commonly referred to as theConstitution Secretary (Scottish Gaelic:Rùnaire a’ Bhun-reachd), is acabinet position in theScottish Government. The incumbent Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture isAngus Robertson, who assumed office in May 2021.
The Cabinet Secretary was supported by theMinister for Culture, Europe and International Development until May 2024.
The Europe and External Affairs brief was instituted in 2000 and combined with Education as theMinister for Education, Europe and External Affairs which was a Cabinet position in theMcLeish Government. After 2001 the Europe and External Affairs Brief was abolished as a ministerial position. From 1999 to 2001, the Culture brief was a junior post in the Scottish Government asDeputy Minister for Culture and Sport. It was made into a Cabinet position asMinister for Culture and Sport in theFirst McConnell government from 2001 to 2003. TheSecond McConnell government from 2003 to 2007 combined the Culture and Sport brief with Tourism to form a Cabinet post in theMinister for Tourism, Culture and Sport. Culture was combined with External Affairs and Europe, to form a junior ministerial position, ofMinister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture in theSalmond government following the2007 Scottish Parliament election. In February 2009 the role was expanded to deal with constitutional issues this additional role was later removed in December 2009 following the publication of theNational Conversation.[2] After the2011 Scottish Parliament election the office-holder returned to the Cabinet with the junior ministerial post being transformed into theCabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs.[3] After the2016 Scottish Parliament election, the post was retitledCabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs.
In February 2020 the existing Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs,Fiona Hyslop took on additional responsibilities for economic matters from theCabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy (that role becoming theCabinet Secretary for Finance), whilst responsibility for external affairs was transferred to the Cabinet Secretary for Government Business and Constitutional Relations, with that post being renamedCabinet Secretary for the Constitution, Europe and External Affairs. Tourism moved to theRural Economy brief.[4] On 19 May 2021 the position ceased to exist with the re-establishment of the roles of Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy, and a separateCabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture.
The responsibilities of the Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture:[5]
| Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs | Minister for Environment, Sport and Culture | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Portrait | Entered office | Left office | Party | First Minister | Name | Portrait | Entered office | Left office | Party | First Minister | ||
| Jack McConnell |  | 1 November 2000 | 22 November 2001 | Labour Party | Henry McLeish | Sam Galbraith | 1 November 2000 | 20 March 2001 | Labour Party | Henry McLeish | |||
| Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport | |||||||||||||
| Mike Watson |  | 28 November 2001 | 28 November 2002 | Labour Party | Jack McConnell | ||||||||
| Elaine Murray |  | 28 November 2002 | 21 May 2003 | Labour Party | |||||||||
| Frank McAveety |  | 21 May 2003 | 4 October 2004 | Labour Party | |||||||||
| Patricia Ferguson |  | 4 October 2004 | 19 February 2007 | Labour Party | |||||||||
| Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs | |||||||||||||
| Fiona Hyslop | .jpg) | 19 May 2011 | 21 November 2014 | Scottish National Party | Alex Salmond | ||||||||
| Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe and External Affairs | |||||||||||||
| Fiona Hyslop | | 21 November 2014 | 18 May 2016 | Scottish National Party | Nicola Sturgeon | ||||||||
| Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs | |||||||||||||
| Fiona Hyslop | | 18 May 2016 | 17 February 2020 | Scottish National Party | Nicola Sturgeon | ||||||||
| Role reshuffled withCabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy andCabinet Secretary for Government Business and Constitutional Relations Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture | |||||||||||||
| Fiona Hyslop | | 17 February 2020 | 19 May 2021 | Scottish National Party | Nicola Sturgeon | ||||||||
| Role reshuffled and merged withCabinet Secretary for the Constitution, Europe and External Affairs Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture | |||||||||||||
| Angus Robertson |  | 20 May 2021 | Incumbent | Scottish National Party | Nicola Sturgeon Humza Yousaf John Swinney | ||||||||