Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture
The Cabinet 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 the Constitution Secretary (Scottish Gaelic: Rùnaire a’ Bhun-reachd), is a cabinet position in the Scottish Government. The Cabinet Secretary is supported by the Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development.
| Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture | |
|---|---|
| Scottish Gaelic: Rùnaire a’ Chaibineit airson Bun-reachd, Cùisean Taobh A-muigh agus Cultar | |
| Scottish Government Scottish Cabinet | |
| Style | Cabinet Secretary (within parliament) Constitution Secretary (informal) Scottish Constitution Secretary (outwith Scotland) |
| Member of | |
| Reports to | Scottish Parliament |
| Seat | Edinburgh |
| Appointer | First Minister of Scotland |
| Inaugural holder | Michael Russell Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland's Place in Europe |
| Formation | August 2016 |
| Deputy | Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development |
| Salary | £118,511 per annum (2023)[1] (including £67,662 MSP salary) |
| Website | www |
The current Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture is Angus Robertson, who assumed office in May 2021.
History edit
The United Kingdom European Union membership referendum took place on 23 June 2016. This position was established (initially as "Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland's Place in Europe") so that the Scottish government would be involved in the development of the UK government's position before the Prime Minister triggered Article 50.[2]
During a Scottish Government reshuffle in June 2018, the post was promoted to the Cabinet and renamed Cabinet Secretary for Government Business and Constitutional Relations.[3] It was further renamed to Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, Europe and External Affairs in February 2020.[4]
Overview edit
Responsibilities edit
The responsibilities of the Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture include:[5]
- independence
- cross-government co-ordination of European and external relations
- policy in relation to UK's exit from the EU
- post-Brexit relations
- migration
- Scottish diaspora
- Global Affairs Network
- Scottish Cities of Refuge
- New Scot strategy
- culture policy
- broadcasting and screen
- National Records of Scotland
- Registers of Scotland
- British Irish Council
- royal and ceremonial
Public bodies edit
The following public bodies report to the Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture :
List of office holders edit
Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland's Place in Europe edit | ||||||
| Name | Portrait | Entered office | Left office | Party | First Minister | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Russell | 26 August 2016 | 26 June 2018 | Scottish National Party | Nicola Sturgeon | ||
Cabinet Secretary for Government Business and Constitutional Relations edit | ||||||
| Mike Russell | 26 June 2018 | 17 February 2020 | Scottish National Party | Nicola Sturgeon | ||
Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, Europe and External Affairs edit | ||||||
| Mike Russell | 17 February 2020 | 20 May 2021 | Scottish National Party | Nicola Sturgeon | ||
Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture edit | ||||||
| Angus Robertson | 20 May 2021 | Incumbent | Scottish National Party | Nicola Sturgeon Humza Yousaf | ||
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "MSP salaries". parliament.scot. The Scottish Parliament. 5 April 2023.
- ^ "Michael Russell appointed Scottish Brexit minister". BBC News. 25 August 2016.
- ^ Freeman, Tom (25 August 2016). "Mike Russell named new Scottish Government Brexit minister". Holyrood. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
- ^ "Cabinet Appointments". Scottish Government. 17 February 2020.
- ^ "Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture - gov.scot". www.gov.scot. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
External links edit
- on Scottish Government website
- The Scottish Cabinet on Scottish Government website