Nicola Sturgeon to stand down from Holyrood next year
Former Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced she will not seek re-election to Holyrood next year.
Ms Sturgeon – who represents the Glasgow Southside constituency – made the announcement on Instagram on Wednesday.
In a letter to local SNP members, she said: “I am writing to let you know that I have decided not to seek re-election to the Scottish Parliament next year.
“Reaching this decision has been far from easy, however, I have known in my heart for a while that the time is right for me to embrace different opportunities in a new chapter of my life, and to allow you to select a new standard bearer.
“Whoever you choose will have my full support and I look forward to campaigning alongside you to ensure that Glasgow Southside remains an SNP-held constituency.”
‘Trust’
As well as campaigning to keep the constituency in SNP hands next year, Ms Sturgeon said she will be with the party “every step of the way as we complete our journey to independence”.
She said: “To my constituents, past and present: thank you for the trust you have placed in me. Being your MSP has been my privilege and I will continue to represent you to the best of my abilities until I step down next year.
“To Southside SNP members: your support, loyalty and friendship, through thick and thin, has meant more to me than you will ever know. You are the best of the best.
“To SNP members across the country: I may be leaving Parliament, but I will be by your side every step of the way as we complete our journey to independence.”
Ms Sturgeon was the longest serving first minister in Scottish history, holding the top job since taking over from her mentor Alex Salmond following the loss of the independence referendum in 2014.
Covid-19 pandemic
During her time in charge, she led the country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and was responsible for setting up Scotland’s devolved benefits agency.
She shocked the political world in early 2023 by announcing she planned to stand down from the top job.
Within months of her announcement, her husband – and former SNP chief executive – Peter Murrell was arrested in relation to a police probe into the SNP’s finances. He was later re-arrested and charged in connection with the alleged embezzlement of party funds.
Ms Sturgeon was arrested months later in relation to the same probe, as was former party treasurer Colin Beattie.
They were both released without charge pending further inquiries.
Earlier this year, Ms Sturgeon announced she and Mr Murrell had “decided to end” their marriage.
The former SNP leader will release a book about her life and political career this summer.
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As Enoch Powell reminded us all political careers end in failure some more so than others.
It’s a sad fall from grace. Former SNP First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was a strong erudite leader who should have been Scotland’s first President/Prime Minister an independent country. No doubt British Unionists will rejoice at this news with the knowledge that they lied through their rotten teeth to stop Scotland from becoming an independent country. But if they are stupid enough to think the movement is dead and buried will do it at their peril. Scotland, and Wales I might add, will become independent one day. It’s not if but when.
Nicola Sturgeon was a great politician, but a dreadful leader. While she concentrated all her energy on an independence cause that didn’t have the support of the population, she let the country decline further and further. Before the SNP had the reigns, Scotland had the best education system in the UK. Now it is trailing far behind England (though still above Wales).https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-67616536. Meanwhile, she raised taxes in Scotland higher than the rest of the UK, and did nothing about the lowest life expectancy in the UK and the highest drug deaths in Europe. Her universal policy was to take credit… Read more »
Is it International Fish Day ?
It could be an indication that the Scottish Police investigation into the SNP’s funding is near to reaching a conclusion.
Arrogant and autocratic she undid all the excellent work done by the late and much missed Alex Salmond – this decision is good news for the SNP (and the wider scottish indy movement).
I thought this would come. The reasons why the SNP so suddenly and spectacularly crashed and burned under her leadership still remain quite opaque, but she never seemed to me to have a front-line political future in the aftermath.