Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture

The Europe and External Affairs brief was instituted in 2000 and combined with Education as the Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs which was a Cabinet position in the McLeish 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 as Deputy Minister for Culture and Sport. It was made into a Cabinet position as Minister for Culture and Sport in the First McConnell government from 2001 to 2003. The Second McConnell government from 2003 to 2007 combined the Culture and Sport brief with Tourism to form a Cabinet post in the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport. Culture was combined with External Affairs and Europe, to form a junior ministerial position, of Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture in the Salmond government following the 2007 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 the National Conversation.^[2] After the 2011 Scottish Parliament election the office-holder returned to the Cabinet with the junior ministerial post being transformed into the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs.^[3] After the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, the post was retitled Cabinet 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 the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy (that role becoming the Cabinet Secretary for Finance), whilst responsibility for external affairs was transferred to the Cabinet Secretary for Government Business and Constitutional Relations, with that post being renamed Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, Europe and External Affairs. Tourism moved to the Rural Economy brief.^[4] On 19 May 2021 the position ceased to exist with the re-creation of the positions of Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy and the separate Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture reconstituted.

The responsibilities of the Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture:^[5]

• British Irish Council
• broadcasting and screen
• communication with people, businesses and organisations regarding devolution, independence and Scotland's constitutional future
• architecture, creative Industries and supporting the creative workforce
• Creative Scotland
• constitutional policy and strategy
• culture, community engagement and libraries
• cultural festivals
• culture policy
• Europe and the European Union including alignment
• Historic Environment Scotland
• international development
• international strategy implementation
• independence strategy
• major events
• Museums and Galleries Scotland and cultural collections
• National Performing Companies
• National Records of Scotland
• other arts including performing arts, literature and poetry
• Parliamentary co-ordination and liaison regarding devolution, independence and Scotland's constitutional future
• royal and ceremonial
• Scottish Connections
• Scotland’s International Network
• UNESCO World Heritage/intangible cultural heritage
• youth music initiative and youth arts

Cabinet position edit

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		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 with Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy and Cabinet 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 with Cabinet 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

• Scottish Parliament
• Scottish Government

• Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture Archived 16 May 2020 at the Wayback Machine on the Scottish Government website