Nicola Sturgeon

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.

Sturgeon made the announcement during a news conference today at her official residence in Edinburgh, Bute House, saying the decision wasn't a response to the “ ...

The inmate was transferred to a men’s prison after being assessed by prison authorities. “If the question is, can I battle on for another few months, then the answer is yes, of course I can,” she said. Sturgeon said she had been “wrestling” with whether it was time step down for a number of weeks. That raised concerns that Sturgeon’s position on transgender rights could undermine support for independence, the SNP’s overarching goal. Sturgeon, 52, has led Scotland since 2014, when Scots narrowly voted to remain part of the United Kingdom. Scotland is part of the UK but, like Wales and Northern Ireland, has its own semi-autonomous government with broad powers over areas including health care.

Sturgeon has been a member of the Scottish Parliament since 1999, and became the deputy leader of the SNP in 2004. She then took over from Salmond as leader and ...

Sturgeon had said she wanted the SNP to fight the next general election as a de facto referendum, but there has been some opposition to the plan within the SNP. Sturgeon has been a member of the Scottish Parliament since 1999, and became the deputy leader of the SNP in 2004. A source close to Sturgeon - the longest-serving first minister - told the BBC that she had "had enough".

Sturgeon has led Scotland since 2014, when Scots narrowly voted to remain part of the UK. The decision is “right for me, for my party and my country”, ...

The inmate was transferred to a men’s prison after being assessed by prison authorities. Sturgeon said she had been “wrestling” with whether it was time step down for a number of weeks. Scotland is part of the UK but, like Wales and Northern Ireland, has its own semi-autonomous government with broad powers over areas including health care. That raised concerns that Sturgeon’s position on transgender rights could undermine support for independence, the SNP’s overarching goal. But she added that part of serving well was knowing when to make way for someone else. “In my head and in my heart I know that time is now. “She’s been more successful in one way of being a figurehead, leading her party and leading the Scottish government, but she has failed to do the one thing she really set out to do, which is to secure independence,'' Maddox said. Sturgeon also came under fire for saying she would make the next Scottish parliament election a de facto referendum on independence after the government in Westminster refused to sanction a new vote on Scotland’s links to the UK. For the past few months, much of that energy has been focused on a renewed drive for independence and the gender recognition bill, which would allow people aged 16 or older in Scotland to change the gender designations on identity documents by self-declaration, removing the need for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria. “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 last eight years, the answer honestly is different.” [Nicola Sturgeon](https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/uk/300708772/scotlands-nicola-sturgeon-to-push-on-with-independence-vote-whatever-court-says?rm=a) has announced she plans to step down after more than eight years in office, amid criticism of her drive to [expand transgender rights](https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/uk/300786237/uk-government-to-veto-scotlands-gender-selfrecognition-law?rm=a) and her [strategy for achieving independence](https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/uk/300747428/uk-top-court-rules-against-scottish-independence-vote-plan?rm=a) from the United Kingdom. Sturgeon made the announcement during a news conference at her official residence in Edinburgh, Bute House, saying the decision wasn’t a response to the “latest period of pressure”.

Sturgeon's reasoning that part of serving was knowing when to quit has drawn parallels to Jacinda Ardern's own sudden resignation.

The inmate was transferred to a men's prison after being assessed by prison authorities. Sturgeon said she had been "wrestling" with whether it was time step down for a number of weeks. "In my head and in my heart I know that time is now," she said. That raised concerns that Sturgeon's position on transgender rights could undermine support for independence, the SNP's overarching goal. Sturgeon, 52, has led Scotland since 2014, when Scots narrowly voted to remain part of the United Kingdom. But she added that part of serving well was knowing when to make way for someone else.

Nicola Sturgeon has resigned as Scottish first minister, saying her dominance over her party and the country was no longer the asset it once was in the ...

She also helped to blunt criticism of its domestic record in areas such as health and education. She steered her party through a series of resounding electoral victories and earned a reputation as the best political communicator in Britain. "And my judgement now is that a new leader will be better able to do this.

Like ex-New Zealand PM, Scotland's first minister speaks of duty to admit how 'brutality' of political life got to her.

Sturgeon spoke of the “much greater intensity” and “brutality” of life as a politician today. Social media wasn’t so present, and actually the quality of the discourse was better than it is today,” she said. We all take slings and arrows – and women politicians more than most – so thank you.” It’s something we have got to tackle because not only will it force good people out of politics, it will have consequences in terms of the quality of legislation that is passed.” So much so that the New Zealand actor Sam Neill tweeted at the time she quit: “Her treatment, the pile on, in the last few months has been disgraceful and embarrassing. Could she have given it “every ounce of energy that it needs?” Then the answer was “different”, she said. “I am a human being,” she stressed more than once. And as one who had wrestled with accepting she simply no longer had the reserves needed to do the job justice, it was her “duty to say so”. Both had found themselves in the eye of the storm immediately before announcing their departures. She too spoke of a duty to admit her doubts. “Even ordinary stuff that most people take for granted like going for a coffee with friends, or for a walk on your own, becomes very difficult.” And she had “a duty to say so now”.

The search for a new First Minister of Scotland has begun after Nicola Sturgeon's surprise decision to stand down.

There has also been speculation that she might continue to play a role on the world stage with an organisation such as the United Nations. She has worked as an MSP since the Scottish parliament was opened in 1999. She plans to remain in office until her successor is elected. She is the longest-serving first minister and the first woman to hold the position. Michael Russell, the party's president, said he expected the process to be "shortened" and that it would be a "contested election". The SNP's Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, who ruled himself out of the leadership contest, has called for the conference to be paused until a new leader is elected.

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.

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.

Their departures are a stark contrast to some recent male leaders who held on until they were forced out.

They have also shown that stereotypically “feminine” traits, and the “masculine” traits more traditionally associated with world leaders, do not have to be mutually exclusive. The idea that office is a duty, and that one should serve only as long as it is in the public interest to do so, is a concept lost on too many of our political elites. Instead, they have demonstrated a balanced approach to leadership that many of their counterparts would do well to follow. The total commitment and devotion to the job that each leader gave throughout her tenure took its toll, but it is harder for women to survive in public life without excelling at their job. The desire for renewal has now come full circle: we see women leaders seeking to avoid the staleness of their male predecessors by knowing when to quit. Seeing two leaders step back as soon as they felt that they were no longer the best person for the job, rather than waiting to be forced out, is a refreshing and inspiring change. Sturgeon is the first woman (and longest serving person) to hold the office of first minister of Scotland. But both still commanded the leadership of their party and the respect of their nation, and neither was under any imminent pressure to call it quits. Women’s growing presence in politics has been associated with political renewal – the replacement of the Ardern is the first leader of New Zealand (and second in the world, after Pakistan’s Benazir Bhutto) to give birth while in office. Two women known for their feminism and their candour were willing to acknowledge that it is not possible to fire on all cylinders forever, and that once burnout hits, it is time to let someone else have a turn. They are both women who have smashed through glass ceilings to reach the summit.

Sources confirm Nicola Sturgeon's resignation was abrupt, citing that she has "had enough". UK correspondent Enda Brady says that politicians everywhere have ...

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.

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". 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. 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. 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.

No obvious contender among possible successors to star politician, strong communicator.

It needs a campaigning politician who can move the dial on the independence debate. Some in the party strongly support it, while others see it as a distraction from the party’s main goal: independence. Then she said she would use the next UK national election, due by 2024, as “de facto” plebiscite on independence — though it was unclear exactly how that would work. Scotland’s first female leader refashioned the SNP from a largely one-issue party into a dominant governing force with liberal social positions. Sturgeon took power in the wake of that defeat and tried to forge a path to a second vote. Brexit looked like it might give her a chance: The UK as a whole backed leaving the European Union in a 2016 referendum, but voters in Scotland strongly favoured remaining.

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.

Editorial: Scotland's first minister has been a dominant political figure. But her resignation does not mean that independence is dead.

[independence referendum strategy](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/feb/16/snp-nicola-sturgeon-stephen-flynn-independence-plan-rethink) – the heart of what she and her party stand for – has run out of road. Her party is being investigated by police over financial transparency issues, including a £107,000 [loan](https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/23303488.snp-loan-sturgeons-husband-led-multiple-rule-breaches/) from her husband. [Nicola Sturgeon’s](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/nicola-sturgeon) resignation is a massive political event. The result was a huge swing to the SNP. David Cameron misread the signs after the referendum in 2014. She would not have survived for 16 years at the summit of politics without both sets of abilities. More immediately, her domestic policies are also facing a concatenation of criticism. Ms Sturgeon has not resigned simply because she has had enough. The warning is best summed up in 10 plain words spoken by Scotland’s first minister in her surprise [announcement](https://www.snp.org/nicola-sturgeon-to-the-people-of-scotland-thank-you-from-the-bottom-of-my-heart/) in Edinburgh on Wednesday: “I am a human being as well as a politician.” If we are not careful, politics risks becoming the preserve of the wealthy, the corrupt, the brutal and the brazen. What Ms Sturgeon said on Wednesday is concerning and shaming. This is particularly true of women politicians, who still have to cope with intolerable attentions and pressures that men are often spared.

A gender recognition row consumed Sturgeon's final few months as Scottish first minister. Trans Rights Protest Against UK Plan To Block Scotland's Gender ...

“People support the SNP because they want independence,” one Scottish government minister, who plans to back Forbes, said. She has strong views and she has very strong Christian beliefs, but I think that’s a tremendous asset.” The highly-rated Finance Secretary Kate Forbes is considered a strong contender to succeed Sturgeon. Sturgeon’s team breathed a sigh of relief when the law finally passed — but the issue erupted again when the U.K. While in public the SNP reacted with fury, party chiefs privately believed Westminster’s intervention would boost support for their wider goal of Scottish independence. Pressed repeatedly on the case during a government’s intervention at the High Court. The clip swiftly went viral. [statement by John Swinney](https://twitter.com/JohnSwinney/status/1626341091518689286?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet), Sturgeon’s loyal deputy, who confirmed Thursday [night](https://twitter.com/JohnSwinney/status/1626341091518689286?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet) he will not be running, but said her successor must “anchor the SNP in the mainstream of Scottish politics.” “I hope and expect that she will run,” a senior SNP lawmaker said. government announced last month it was blocking the reforms, arguing they were incompatible with wider U.K. It coincided with a sharp drop in polling support for the SNP, the wider cause of independence, and even for the once-unassailable Sturgeon herself.