Scotland's Justice Secretary Angela Constance faces a no-confidence vote on Tuesday. Opposition parties accused her of misrepresenting an expert's views to Parliament and refusing to correct the record. Labour leader Anas Sarwar has made a final appeal to Scottish National Party (SNP) and Green Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) to support the motion, warning that backing Constance would signal "lying is tolerated in the highest ranks of government".
The controversy stems from Constance's statement in September during a parliamentary debate on the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill. She urged MSPs to reject a Conservative amendment requiring research into grooming gangs, saying Professor Alexis Jay "shares my view" that no further inquiries were needed.
Professor Jay, who chaired a national inquiry into child sexual abuse, contacted Constance days later to clarify her position. In correspondence obtained under Freedom of Information laws, Jay insisted her earlier comments "had nothing to do" with Scotland and described Constance's public maintenance of the quote as "unsatisfactory". Jay urged Constance multiple times to correct the record "to no avail".
Labour's Warning
Sarwar wrote to First Minister John Swinney and Green co-leaders, calling the case "clear and indefensible". He argued: "If the Cabinet Secretary cannot be trusted to tell the truth on an issue as grave as child protection, then she cannot be trusted to do her job."
In his letter, Sarwar warned MSPs that supporting Constance would mean "sending a clear signal that lying is tolerated in the highest ranks of government and abiding by the ministerial code is now optional". He added: "You will be telling the victims that have lost confidence in her that you are more concerned with politics than with justice."
Conservative Position
Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton declared Constance's position "untenable". She said: "The Justice Secretary misled Parliament and the country by twisting the views of Professor Jay and then ignoring repeated calls to correct the record — all to sustain the SNP government's illogical efforts to block a Scottish grooming gangs inquiry."
Hamilton criticized both Constance and Swinney: "Because she lacks the integrity to resign and John Swinney lacks the backbone to sack her, it falls to MSPs to do the right thing and make the First Minister see sense."
Government Defense
First Minister John Swinney maintained full confidence in Constance, stating her remarks were "making a general comment". Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes defended Constance, saying: "The Angela Constance that I know and have worked with for many years is caring, she's credible and she's competent." Forbes highlighted Constance's work putting victims at the heart of the justice system.
The Scottish Greens confirmed they will not support the no-confidence motion. A spokesperson said survivors "deserve so much better than this being turned into a party political issue". They argued the vote does neither protect children nor secure justice. They suggested Parliament's time would be better spent having Constance answer questions and announce additional safeguarding steps, including publishing "long-delayed guidance for schools".
Political Math
Labour, the Conservatives, and Liberal Democrats combined hold 54 MSPs. The SNP has 60 MSPs and the Greens have seven. With SNP and Green support, Constance will likely survive the vote.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
