Nicola Sturgeon resigns as Scottish First Minister

Henry Parker looks back at the career of Nicola Sturgeon, her resignation, and the legacy she leaves behind

NICOLA Sturgeon’s political career has been, and largely will be, defined by one thing: the pursuit of Scotland’s independence from the United Kingdom. And yet it is paradoxically true that the thing that launched her to the forefront of British politics was the defeat at the 2014 Scottish Independence referendum. This prompted the departure of then leader, and her mentor, Alex Salmond, after which she became the new First Minster of Scotland, and as the first woman in the role she would go on to become the longest serving First Minister in the country’s history.

After over eight years in charge, she announced her intentions to step down to a mostly shocked British public. This comes only eight months after her most recent bid for another independence referendum, which was blocked by the Supreme Court in November 2022. The result meant that Sturgeon would have to look to the next general election, currently slated for the end of 2024, which she planned to campaign for as a de facto referendum, where a vote for the SNP would be regarded as a vote for Scottish independence, a strategy that is not wholly loved within her own party.

For many, this change in lead ership will only strengthen the union, as Sturgeon’s winning record in Scotland since their landslide in 2015 caused her to be one of the most powerful politicians in Scottish, as well UK, history, especially given her longevity during times where leaders have lasted anywhere between six years and six weeks.

Whilst independence has always been her focal point, over the years other is sues have caused internal and external strife. Like the rest of the world the pandem ic was difficult for Scotland, with over 16,000 recorded dead from a to tal of over 2,000,000 positive cases.

Scrub the replies of tweets announcing the resignation and you’ll find various accounts celebrating not just a damaging blow to the cause of separating the un - in reference to her use of Covid lockdowns. This reaction is not unlike what was seen after Jacinda Arden stepped down in January following her similar admissions of fatigue for the job. opinions people increasingly have about me…are being used as barriers to reasoned debate in our country.” ion, but also what is regarded as the toppling of a power-hungry tyrant,

Another party that Sturgeon has had to deal with of late are those who regard her as having turned her back on women in favour of the promotion of ‘gender ideology’ with the passing of the Gender Recognition Reform Bill that allows 16-yearolds to obtain a gender recognition certificate (GRC).

Figures on the right of British politics largely take the view that this is what ultimately led to Sturgeon finding her position as leader ultimately untenable, with even Alex Salmond calling it a “major misstep”.

It is perhaps in light of this issue that it is worth looking at what I find to be most insightful remark in her resignation speech. Sturgeon: “fixed