Nicola Sturgeon

Sturgeon has been first minster since 2014, taking over from Alex Salmond, who stiid down after running an unsuccessful independence campaign. She has come ...

She became a list MSP in the first Scottish Parliament election and quickly rose through the ranks to become Salmond's deputy leader in 2004 then deputy leader and health minister in 2007. She has come under increasing pressure in recent weeks over her bid to reform the Gender Recognition Act as well as for her plan to turn the next election into a de facto independence referendum. Details of the news conference were sent out this morning, with the BBC reporting that the purpose of the meeting is for Sturgeon to announce that she is stepping down.

The Scottish National Party leader is expected to make the announcement at a news conference in Edinburgh.

and disappointed" by the news. "In my head and in my heart I know that time is now. "We are at a critical moment. Ms Sturgeon has been a member of the Scottish Parliament since 1999, and became the deputy leader of the SNP in 2004. The Scottish National Party leader said that she knew "in my head and in my heart" that this was the right time to step down. Ms Sturgeon is the longest-serving first minister and the first woman to hold the position.

SNP leader expected to make announcement this morning at a press conference in Edinburgh.

FM says she has been trying to answer two questions: is carrying on right for me and “more importantly” is carrying on “right for the country”, the part and the independence cause “I have devoted my life to”. FM says she has been having to work “harder” recently to convince herself that she is the right person to lead both her party and country. The Scottish government leader has had a tricky few months. Sturgeon says she has concluded that the answer is “no”, she is not the person to continue leading. Sturgeon claims she has been “wrestling” with the decision to stand down “for some weeks”. FM says that giving everything to the job is the “only way” to do it.

Alison Thewliss, the SNP MP for Glasgow Central and the party's home affairs spokesperson, said she was "gutted" at news of Ms Sturgeon's impending resignation.

"A First Minister is never off duty, particularly in this day and age there is virtually no privacy. Big shoes to fill going forward." Nicola has been an incredible leader." The country deserves nothing less. She said the decision wasn't a reaction to "short term pressures", and said she would stay in office until a successor is found. The First Minister said her resignation "frees the SNP" on the issue of Scottish independence "to choose the path it believes to be the right one without worrying about the perceived implications for my leadership". "I'm firmly of the view that there's majority support for independence, but that spirit needs to be solidified and it needs to grow further," she stated. Nevertheless she said she believes Scotland is in the "final phase" of the road to independence. The SNP leader said she had been "wrestling" with the massive decision for a while, but said her head and heart told her the time to go had come. She added: "My point is this, giving absolutely everything of yourself to this job is the only way to do it. "In my head and in my heart I know that time is now" [Scotland's First Minister](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/snp) - saying she is passing over the baton in the country's "final" push for independence.

Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed that she is resigning as Scotland's first minister after more than eight years in the role. The Scottish National Party leader ...

and disappointed" by the news. "In my head and in my heart I know that time is now. "We are at a critical moment. Ms Sturgeon has been a member of the Scottish Parliament since 1999, and became the deputy leader of the SNP in 2004. The Scottish National Party leader said that she knew "in my head and in my heart" that this was the right time to step down. Ms Sturgeon is the longest-serving first minister and the first woman to hold the position.

From trusted deputy first minister John Swinney to Kate Forbes and Humza Yousaf, here are the possible names in the hat.

Although new to Holyrood in 2021, Neil Gray brings his previous experience from Westminster as an MP there since the SNP landslide of 2015. However, Swinney also briefly served as SNP leader in the early 2000s after Salmond unexpectedly quit as party leader. After Sturgeon, Swinney has the most experience in government and within the SNP.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has resigned after more than eight years in the role. She is Scotland's longest-serving leader and the first woman ...

Sturgeon has been Scotland's longest-serving first minister, acting in the position and as leader of the Scottish National Party since 2014. She replaced Alex Salmond as party leader and became First Minster of Scotland, following the independence vote. policy of devolution, the Scottish parliament controls domestic issues including education, health, justice, housing and transport. In November, the U.K.'s highest court She separately acknowledged she had become a polarizing figure, adding that another member of the SNP would be better-placed to lead the party ahead of next year's expected general election. "However, since my very first moments in the job, I have believed the part of serving well would be to know almost instinctively when the time is right to make way for someone else.

Ms Sturgeon refused to back anyone as a successor, insisting there was a wealth of talent within the SNP.

There is also a need for reform and healing within our party. He has also only been MP for Aberdeen South since 2019. The finance secretary has had a meteoric rise through the ranks of government. However the manner of his ascent to the Westminster leadership - taking over from a key Nicola Sturgeon ally in Ian Blackford - underlines that he has plenty of ideas about the future direction of the party. "There are some huge challenges facing our country and our government. She has been a critic of Ms Sturgeon's leadership on the issue of gender reform, and has built a following within sections of the party of a similar persuasion. The 61-year-old MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane has been at Holyrood as long as the SNP has been in government, and has held a range of briefs from transport to the economy. The 58-year-old would have been the obvious choice to step in for Ms Sturgeon in the shorter term, given his role as her deputy, and he is widely seen as a safe pair of hands. A former MP who has served at Holyrood since the dawn of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, Mr Swinney knows every inch of Holyrood and the government. The 58-year-old said he wanted to "create space" in the SNP for a "fresh perspective" on how to pursue independence. That said, health secretary is a tough job at the best of times, and Mr Yousaf has been running the show at a historically difficult moment for the NHS. She has refused to back anyone as a successor, insisting there is a wealth of talent within the SNP.

The First Minister made the shock announcement at a press conference in Bute House, Edinburgh.

“But if the question is can I give this job everything it demands and deserves for another year. “In my head and in my heart I know that time is now. “If the question is can I battle on for another few months then the answer is yes, of course I can,” the 52-year-old said.

Her one-time mentor turned political enemy said he “feels for” the SNP leader as she announced her resignation from the post on Wednesday.

“Secondly, there is no obvious successor. “One is that the movement has been left with no clear strategy for independence. She told a press conference the “time is now” for her to stand down as Scotland’s First Minister, adding it was “right for me, for my party and for the country”.

After more than eight years as the head of her country's government, Nicola Sturgeon will resign from her First Minister post, she announced Wednesday.

"In a way, it was a surprise because [she said she was going to go on], but then any leader would say that because you become a lame duck the second you say you're going to resign." Sturgeon will remain first minister until the Scottish National Party can elect a new leader. Both referenced the nasty tone of political discourse and the emotional strain that comes with serving in office. [told the BBC](https://www.bbc.com/news/live/uk-scotland-64648879) there was "plenty left in the tank" and that she hoped to be the very politician who could lead Scotland to independence. But when is that ever not the case?" [Journalists in the country were surprised](https://www.bbc.com/news/live/uk-scotland-64648879/page/2) to be invited to Sturgeon's residence on short notice during the Scottish parliament's recess. A person could essentially be one gender legally on one side of the Scottish-English border and then another gender legally a mile away. "This decision is not a reaction to short-term pressures. [ embroiled in a separate fight with the U.K. prime minister, for a Section 30 order,](https://www.npr.org/2022/06/14/1105025412/first-minister-of-scotland-unveils-campaign-for-scottish-independence) which would grant Edinburgh the power to hold such a vote. Or will it go the direction the rest of the U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the law would undermine U.K.-wide legislation because residents in other parts of the Kingdom do need to undergo a medical exam to change their gender.

Scotland's first minister will remain in office until successor is elected, but said 'time is right to make way for someone else.'

“This is just a completely wild situation,” they said ahead of the conference. “I’ve literally done this in one capacity or another for all of my life,” she said. She has also been under fire over the housing of a convicted rapist, who changed their gender, in a women’s prison. But the SNP leader has been embroiled in a row with the British government in recent weeks, after it blocked a bill aimed at reforming Scotland’s gender self-declaration laws. “However, since my very first moments in the job, I have believed that part of serving well would be to know almost instinctively when the time is right to make way for someone else. Sturgeon pointed out that she had been a member of the Scottish Parliament since the age of 29, and in government since the age of 37.

The First Minister made the shock announcement at a press conference in Bute House, Edinburgh.

“In my head and in my heart I know that time is now. “Our party needs a leadership election that is about policies and not personalities,” she said. Ms Sturgeon acknowledged the “choppy waters” but insisted her resignation was not in response to the “latest period of pressure”. “If the question is can I battle on for another few months then the answer is yes, of course I can,” the 52-year-old said. In a shock announcement on Wednesday, the SNP leader said she believes the “time is now” to stand aside but denied reacting to “short-term pressures” after a series of political setbacks. That it’s right for me, for my party and my country.”

First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, has announced her intention to resign from her position as First Minister and leader of the Scottish National ...

Sturgeon is the first woman to serve as First Minister of Scotland, and her resignation marks the end of an era for Scottish politics. During her time as First Minister, Sturgeon has been a strong voice for Scottish independence and has worked to strengthen Scotland's economy and social services. Sturgeon has served in these roles for over eight years and was previously Deputy First Minister for the best part of eight years before that.

The first minister and SNP leader acknowledged the difficulty of keeping the party together on the sensitive question of whether the next election should be ...

One of these is the promise, the national mission, so close to my heart, to improve the life chances of care-experienced young people and ensure that they grow up nurtured and loved.” But if the question is can I give this job everything it demands and deserves for another year, let alone for the remainder of this parliamentary term – give it every ounce of energy that it needs, in the way that I have strived to do every day for the past eight years – the answer, honestly, is different.” And it is a cause I am convinced is being won. Someone about whom the mind of almost everyone in the country is not already made up, for better or worse. That it is right for me, for my party and for the country. And if that is true in the best of times, it has been more so in recent years. It is a cause I believe in with every fibre of my being. “My preference of using the next Westminster election as a de facto referendum is well known. “Since my very first moments in the job, I have believed that part of serving well would be to know – almost instinctively – when the time is right to make way for someone else. And the nature and form of modern political discourse means there is a much greater intensity – dare I say it, brutality – to life as a politician than in years gone by For me, it is now in danger of becoming too long. and the ‘brutality’ of modern politics

Nicola Sturgeon has resigned as the Scottish National party leader and Scotland's first minister, signalling the end of a political era and triggering the ...

That will reduce key elements of a successful quest for independence: confidence in the leader; confidence in the vision and in the SNP as a brand. People working in the equalities sector acknowledge that Sturgeon stepping down will mark a significant change, and there is initial unease and nervousness about what and who comes next, particularly with the UK Conservatives expected to fight the next general election on culture war territory. Bryson was moved to the male estate after a risk assessment, but similar cases emerged and opponents of the bill seized on the row as vindicating their concerns about its lack of safeguards. Anyone who is positioning themselves to be Scotland’s first minister needs to prove they care about all of this and want a Scotland where economic and social equality is a reality,” Yaqoob said. This proposal, widely disparaged by her opponents and many within the SNP, was unveiled as Sturgeon’s plan B when she told Holyrood last year that she would be asking the supreme court to rule on Holyrood’s referendum powers. It also risks being a poisoned chalice for her successor: its decisions will bind him or her to follow a policy they have not framed and one they know is unpopular. The timing of her decision was largely set for her, she said, by next month’s special SNP conference on deciding its next strategy in the independence campaign. She was drained by the unrelenting and unforgiving pressures of modern politics, she said, with a 24-hour news cycle, the intensity of social media and modern politics’ focus on personality. Delegates will also be offered one slight variation on that idea: to use the 2026 Holyrood election as the proxy referendum. Despite her own doubts about her resilience, her government – shared with the pro-independence Scottish Greens – was stable and commanded an unassailable majority. After serving as Alex Salmond’s understudy and deputy from 2004, during which time she was the SNP’s leader at Holyrood, she was crowned party leader in 2014 without a contest. [resigned](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/feb/15/nicola-sturgeon-expected-to-resign-as-first-minister-of-scotland) as the Scottish National party leader and Scotland’s first minister, signalling the end of a political era and triggering the SNP’s first leadership election campaign in nearly 20 years.

The SNP will now elect her successor as party leader, who is then expected to be formally appointed as first minister.

The SNP’s national executive committee agreed in January that members will be asked to approve using the next general election as a ‘de facto referendum’. She said that she “cannot in good conscience” ask the SNP to approve a strategy based on her position when she would not be the leader implementing it. He believes the SNP should adopt a long-term strategy, seeking to build sustained majority support for independence. The UK government would not be obligated to enter into independence negotiations. Once the next SNP leader is elected, Nicola Sturgeon will submit her resignation as first minister to the King. Following the Supreme Court’s decision, Sturgeon announced a ‘Special Democracy Conference’ on 19 March 2023 for the SNP membership to decide the next steps. Sturgeon’s declared ‘plan B’ was to use the next general election as a ‘de facto referendum’ on They have a cooperation agreement with the Scottish Greens intended to “last for this session of the Scottish Parliament”, giving the Scottish government a parliamentary majority. At 32, she would be the youngest ever first minister. This process does not apply when a vacancy arises as a result of resignation of the party leader. The NEC may include a campaign period for candidates to attend hustings and meet members across the country. The SNP has not had a contested leadership election since 2004.

Five people share their views on what the first minister has – or has not – achieved.

Her obsession with independence after the 2014 referendum was lost has been to the detriment of Scots and UK citizens as a whole. “The decline in healthcare, education and living standards on her watch are a disgrace and she should be ashamed of herself for focusing on ephemeral issues like trans rights and independence while so many of the devolved services are in crisis. I wanted to live in a country that supported the EU. “I think politics in Scotland has become increasingly toxic, polarised and dogmatic under the SNP. “I hope that the push to reduce inequality and expand rights are maintained. I think she will be remembered for this push, and for the general leftwards direction of both the SNP and

The First Minister made the shock announcement at a press conference in Bute House, Edinburgh.

“In my head and in my heart I know that time is now. “Our party needs a leadership election that is about policies and not personalities,” she said. Ms Sturgeon acknowledged the “choppy waters” but insisted her resignation was not in response to the “latest period of pressure”. “If the question is can I battle on for another few months then the answer is yes, of course I can,” the 52-year-old said. In a shock announcement on Wednesday, the SNP leader said she believes the “time is now” to stand aside but denied reacting to “short-term pressures” after a series of political setbacks. That it’s right for me, for my party and my country.”

Sturgeon, 52, took over from Alex Salmond as first minister and SNP leader after the Scottish government that he led failed to win a referendum on independence ...

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Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price has praised Nicola Sturgeon who has resigned as First Minister of Scotland and SNP leader.

“Nicola’s political conviction that fairness and equality should be the guiding principles of all progressive governments has been a beacon of light in the some of the darkest days of UK democracy. Responding to Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation he said: “Nicola Sturgeon is a once-in-a-generation politician, driven by a deep and unwavering passion for her country and duty to public service. The Plaid Cymru Leader called Ms Sturgeon a “once in a generation politician, driven by a deep and unwavering passion for her country and duty to public service”.

She will stay on until her successor as SNP leader has been elected, but what does that mean for the party, the Government and the country?

In the long term, the party will be worried about electoral success. The short answer is: We do not know. In the immediate term, nothing will change. The First Minister said she had been “wrestling” with the decision “for some weeks” and had reached the conclusion that it was not right for either her personally, or the country, to carry on in the job. The First Minister said she did not want to ask SNP members to opt for using the next UK election as a de facto referendum on independence, if she was not the leader who would fight that election. At the press conference, the First Minister said serving had been the “privilege of my life”, but said leaving now was “right for me, for my party and for the country”.

The First Minister made the shock announcement at a press conference in Bute House, Edinburgh.

“In my head and in my heart I know that time is now. “Our party needs a leadership election that is about policies and not personalities,” she said. Ms Sturgeon had planned to fight the next general election as a de facto referendum on Scottish independence, but her exit now raises questions about the immediate future of the cause itself. Ms Sturgeon acknowledged the “choppy waters” but insisted her resignation was not in response to the “latest period of pressure”. In a shock announcement on Wednesday, the SNP leader said she believes the “time is now” to stand aside but denied reacting to “short-term pressures” after a series of political setbacks. “If the question is can I battle on for another few months then the answer is yes, of course I can,” the 52-year-old said.

So began the inevitable parsing of her resignation speech, itself praised for its honesty and humility – particularly in contrast to recent UK prime ministerial ...

Those who know Sturgeon well highlight her comments on Wednesday on the polarisation of Scottish politics, and its “brutal” nature – especially for women. Jeane Freeman, whose friendship with Sturgeon was cemented when she worked as her health secretary during the pandemic, told the Guardian: “It’s inevitable that going through something as relentless and all-consuming takes its toll, as I know personally. That Sturgeon was ready to leave the role she has occupied since she seamlessly replaced Alex Salmond in 2014 was no secret. MP Amy Callaghan toppled the former Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson in 2019 and Sturgeon’s delighted fist-pumping reaction, caught unintentionally on camera, went viral at the time. While she leaves the independence question in deadlock, she insisted her decision to step down was anchored in what was right “for the country, for my party and for the independence cause I have devoted my life to”. I will always be a feminist.” But Sturgeon is a woman who likes to craft her own narrative. [harassment complaints made against the former first minister](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/aug/30/alex-salmond-inquiry-upheld-five-sexual-harassment-complaints), constant calls for her to quit, and ultimately her being [cleared](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/mar/22/nicola-sturgeon-cleared-of-knowingly-breaching-ministerial-code) of misleading parliament. In her resignation speech she warmly thanked “my SNP family”, the party she joined as a serious-minded 16-year-old in the 1980s, when support for independence was marginal and membership was not about forging a career in politics. She The superlatives flooded in from supporters and opponents alike, describing Scotland’s first female first minister, who has led her party to political dominance for nearly a decade, as “formidable”, “unparalleled”, “tireless”. [Nicola Sturgeon](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/nicola-sturgeon) in the hours before she publicly announced her resignation as Scotland’s first minister, it was the timing and not the fact of her departure that came as the almighty shock.

Ms Sturgeon shocked Holyrood on Wednesday when she told a hastily arranged press conference she was to quit. The SNP leader insisted recent political challenges ...

He told the BBC’s Newsnight: “Labour currently have one MP in the whole of Scotland, the Conservatives have six. “For 12 years I don’t think people in Scotland have believed that a Labour UK government was possible. That it’s right for me, for my party and my country,” she told reporters at Bute House, her official residence. I think people believe a UK Labour government is possible,” he told BBC. At the same time, he said it would require the party to make “significant gains” in Scotland at the next general election – expected in a little over 12 months – for that to happen. SNP president Michael Russell has said he expects that process to be “shortened” and for there to be a “contested election”.

Ms Sturgeon has come under fire for saying that her party would fight the next general election as a de facto referendum on Scottish independence – an issue she ...

[resigned at a press conference at her official residence, Bute House in Edinburgh](https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/nicola-sturgeon-resigns-scottish-independence-b2282685.html), on Wednesday, after leading the party for more than eight years. [Nicola Sturgeon exit throws push for Scottish independence into doubt](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nicola-sturgeon-resigns-scotland-first-minister-b2282629.html) That it’s right for me, for my party and my country,” she said at Bute House, her official residence, on Wednesday. [Nicola Sturgeon](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/nicola-sturgeon) as Scotland’s [First Minister](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/first-minister) will be a “contested” election, the SNP’s president has said, as the party puts into motion the steps to find a new leader. “So that would be my take in relation to that. [Nicola Sturgeon](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/nicola-sturgeon), [Scotland](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/scotland)’s first female first minister, announced that she would be stepping down as leader of the [Scottish National Party](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/scottish-national-party) (SNP) on Wednesday after eight years in power. [SNP](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/snp), which she has led for eight years, is now in the process of selecting her successor and its national executive committee will meet soon to discuss a timetable for the leadership election. The race to replace Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and Scottish first minister will be a “contested” election, the SNP’s president has said – as the party grinds into action to hold a leadership contest. [stepping down at a press conference on Wednesday](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nicola-sturgeon-resigns-press-conference-latest-b2282630.html), lamenting the “brutal” nature of politics and saying she knew “in my head and in my heart” that it was the right time to step down. [Nicola Sturgeon](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/nicola-sturgeon)’s shock resignation as first minister has raised doubts about the future of [Scottish independence](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/scottish-independence) – with opposition parties declaring the [SNP](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/snp)’s cause “dead”. [Labour](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/labour) figures claimed her resignation would give their party an opportunity to win back as many as 20 seats in [Scotland](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/scotland), where Labour was almost wiped out just eight years ago, and boost Sir [Keir Starmer](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/keir-starmer)’s chance of a majority at the 2024 general election. [Ms Sturgeon had planned to fight the next general election](/news/uk/politics/nicola-sturgeon-resigns-scotland-first-minister-b2282629.html) as a de facto referendum on Scottish independence but Mr Flynn said the new leader “should have the opportunity and indeed the space to set out their position, their values and their intentions going forward”.

As her time in Scottish politics comes to an end, BBC Scotland correspondents look at her record.

Ms Sturgeon has blocked further private involvement in the NHS. The first minister is a campaigner at heart. They have created a legacy of higher costs and financial liabilities. Progress was being made closing the attainment gap in schools. Her government was the first in the world to declare a climate emergency back in 2019 and Scotland's climate leadership has been praised by the architect of the Paris Agreement, Christiana Figueres. In her opinion, a democratic outrage. Creative Scotland has warned that a third of their regularly funded organisations are at risk in the months ahead if the 10% cuts to their budget go ahead as planned. Since the COP26 summit in Glasgow, the first minister has argued for higher hurdles being placed in the way of further drilling for oil and gas. The spiralling number of drug deaths in Scotland led the first minister to admit her government had taken its "eye off the ball" when it came to addiction. The first minister portrays herself as a champion of women's rights and such a move would be expected to improve the conviction rate in rape cases. She has not given up on her dream of independence but it will be for someone else to decide the strategy and lead the campaign. Universities are now taking in a record number of students from the most disadvantaged parts of Scotland, but there are worries that other young people may be finding it harder to get on to certain courses.

Scottish politics has, for years now, had an outsized voice in the wider UK political conversation. The reason is simple: the prospect of Scottish ...

To put that in perspective, the last time they won a general election, in 2005, they won 41 seats in Scotland. How will the collective instincts of some of those Scots most committed to the cause of independence express themselves in selecting the next figurehead for the cause, and how will they take that argument to the persuadable but not convinced? A necessary, but not sufficient component in that is continuing to win elections and continuing to prove that Scottish public opinion remains, at the very least, split down the middle on the question of independence. And the SNP became and remain a significant player on the UK political stage: the third political party at Westminster and one with the potential to hold the balance of power in a hung parliament. And that - to state the obvious - matters massively in Scotland, but also everywhere else in the UK too. With the Scottish National Party running the Scottish government and holding the vast majority of Scottish seats at Westminster, the question of Scotland's constitutional future has remained live.

Scottish artists and figures from the entertainment world have been responding to Nicola Sturgeon's resignation as first minister.

[Frightened Rabbit](https://www.nme.com/artists/frightened-rabbit) drummer Grant Hutchison said: “Proud to be Scottish today and hopeful for the future of our wee country thanks to the commitment and sacrifices of this inspirational leader. I wish her all the best for the future and thank her for her everything she has done for Scotland. This would have temporarily transferred the power to hold a referendum from Westminster to Holyrood. Misogyny against the 1st minister was treated as normal and acceptable. Braithwaite referred to the comments Jeremy Clarkson made about Sturgeon in “It felt wonderful to feel genuinely proud of the person leading our country,” he continued.

The first minister said it was time for her to step back - but what might be the reasons behind her surprise decision?

However, after eight years as first minister, seven more as deputy and a lifetime in politics, she did not deny during her resignation press conference that it had taken its toll. The country deserves nothing less. She said she believes that a new first minister might help people see more clearly that the SNP "is full of talented individuals" and demonstrate that no one individual should be dominant in any system for too long. The cause of independence is so much bigger than any one individual. But in truth that can only be done, by anyone, for so long. She said going for a coffee with friends or for a walk on her own was difficult and that there was an increased "brutality" to life as a politician. With no shortage of controversy during a long career - including the ferry scandal, the Holyrood inquiry into the handling of the Alex Salmond sexual harassment complaints, the gender reform debate and the independence debate - she said fixed opinions about her were being used as "barriers to reasoned debate". Ms Sturgeon insisted at the time that she still had "plenty left in the tank". In recent weeks, Ms Sturgeon was quizzed on the origin of finances used by her husband but said the funds were entirely his own and she could not recall when she first learned of it. Questions have mounted over a loan of more than £100,000 that Peter Murrell - the SNP's chief executive and Ms Sturgeon's husband - gave to the party in June 2021 to help it out with a "cash flow" issue after the last election. And she said standing aside would allow the party to come to a decision on the best way forward without having to consider the potential impact on her leadership. There are several factors that could have influenced her decision, with the first minister having to deal with tricky political situations on a number of fronts in recent weeks.

The first minister's record wasn't perfect, but her resignation speech made me rueful for what might have been, says journalist Dani Garavelli.

But while Sturgeon’s competence was established before she became first minister, her popularity was a product of timing; she rode into town on a post-referendum high. But the impulse to change the sexual harassment complaints process came from a place of principle; and she stuck to those principles despite the outpouring of vitriol and misogyny they unleashed. “And I cannot in good conscience ask the party to choose an option based on my judgment, whilst not being convinced that I would be there as leader to see it through,” she explained. I admire Sturgeon for not clinging too desperately to her dream of personally delivering independence. My service station sadness was part ruefulness for what might have been, part fear there was no one else capable of filling her shoes. Or resigning gracefully in the interests of his party and his country. Sturgeon changed all that, not merely by being a woman at the helm (after all, there have been two female prime ministers during her time in power), but by actively promoting gender equality. [Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation speech](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/feb/15/nicola-sturgeon-in-her-own-words-key-moments-resignation-speech) on Wednesday morning, I was hit by a wave of sadness. And if they had acknowledged the SNP’s overwhelming mandate for a second independence referendum, she would not now be facing criticism for failing to secure one. These are qualities absent in the five UK prime ministers who have been in office as she attempted to steer her ship through the choppy waters that their greed and populism created. Nor am I blind to the chequered nature of the first minister’s legacy. There were mistakes there, too, of course, most notably the release of

Christians Against Poverty Scotland tweeted: “Nicola Sturgeon has been the longest serving first minister in Scotland. Under her leadership, [the Scottish ...

In 2021, Scotland became the first country in the world to embed lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans inclusive education across the school curriculum.” In 2018, as first minister, she became the first serving first minister in Scotland to lead a Pride March. Christians Against Poverty Scotland tweeted: “Nicola Sturgeon has been the longest serving first minister in Scotland. “I have been first minister for over eight years, and I was deputy first minister for the best part of eight years before that. Sturgeon showed leadership in creating a loss and damage fund which acknowledges the role that nations like Scotland have played in creating the climate crisis. As first minister, Sturgeon has been involved in various charities throughout her tenure.

Support for independence doesn't depend on the departing SNP leader, but her successor will need a new plan.

The impact of the 2014 and 2016 referendums has been to create, for the first time, a potential pro-independence majority. In choosing a successor to Sturgeon, the SNP needs to consider how to balance its quest for independence with effectively delivering policy. But this plan was not supported by all in the SNP, so will need to be revisited with a new leader. If they are able to deliver successful policy that helps (or at least does not undermine) their aim to build support for independence, they could reinvigorate not just the party but also the wider independence movement. The high levels of support for Sturgeon and the SNP during the pandemic coincided with record levels of support for independence, Her personal popularity and her signficant role in her party’s recent success raises the question of whether her successor will be able to deliver the same growing enthusiasm for independence. Sturgeon leaves behind an SNP that is still by far the most popular party in Scotland. She also led the SNP in the cross party discussion which resulted in the Scotland Act of 2016. [independence](https://theconversation.com/scottish-independence-what-has-changed-since-the-last-referendum-185985) just after it lost a referendum on the subject. This granted Scotland more devolved powers over taxation and health, and was a win for the SNP, arguably taking Scotland a step closer to independence. Salmond led the SNP from the fringes to power and was often credited with its success, much as Sturgeon is now. The party had failed to achieve its cherished goal of

When Alex Salmond quit after the independence referendum, there was little doubt about who would succeed him. Nicola Sturgeon was the obvious candidate and ...

The delay will allow the new leader a chance to help shape that debate. They did not get much warning that Nicola Sturgeon was about to quit and building a campaign team and assessing potential support within the party takes time. That is a widely perceived as an obstacle to a high profile MP like Joanna Cherry running but she has already ruled herself out. That's what Alex Salmond did in 2004 when the party was in opposition. Allowing a little space for reflection on Nicola Sturgeon's decision and her contribution to Scottish politics. The expectation is there will be one this time but so far there are no official candidates.

A POLITICAL cartoonist has been slammed for a “grotesque” image depicting a decapitated First Minister.

The image was published in Thursday's edition of The Independent. “The image is grotesque. SNP president Michael Russell described the image as “anti-Scottish” and echoed concerns that the image was harmful to women specifically. The image was published in The Independent, which referred to Sturgeon as the "Margaret Thatcher of Scotland". “This incident comes after harmful reporting in recent weeks from large parts of the British media against women and shows that we need urgent change in how the media recognises, understands and reports on violence against women and girls.” “And when politicians – particularly women – are regularly subjected to death threats and other threats of violence, such an image is in very poor taste and shows extremely bad judgement.”