Michael Russell is the Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, Europe and External Affairs.  Brought up in Troon in Ayrshire and educated at Edinburgh University, he has lived in Argyll for over 20 years.  Mr Russell was previously Minister for Environment from 2007 until 2009 and then served as Scotland's Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution before moving to the role of Cabinet Secretary for Education at the Scottish Government, which he held until 2014. He was appointed Scottish Government Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland's Place in Europe in September 2016.  He is the Constituency Member of the Scottish Parliament for Argyll & Bute.