Despite losing her majority, Sturgeon secured a second term in office, forming a minority government. However, in 2016 the plan was abandoned and the Scottish Government blamed Westminster. [316], Speaking after Johnson had resigned in 2022, Sturgeon said that he was the only prime minister she had worked with who was a disgrace to the office". The up side is that Peter understands what's going on and why I am late home all the time. [29] The political columnist Iain Macwhirter declared that while she "didn't inspire great warmth", she was "quick on her feet, lacks any ideological baggage and has real determination unlike Roseanna Cunningham". [128], Prior to the day the Prime Minister triggered Article 50, formally allowing the process of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union, the Scottish Parliament voted 69 to 59 in favour of another independence referendum. By Democrat reporter A fundamentalist representative of the Catholic Church in Scotland has called out the Scottish National Party's (SNP) "open and vicious hostility" towards pro-life Christians. In response to the UK-wide vote for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union, the Scottish Government, headed by Sturgeon, launched the Scotland's Place in Europe document, a white paper setting out the Scottish Government's aims and wishes of Scotland's role in Europe post-Brexit. The calls from Sturgeon's government and the wider independence movement for a second referendum were unsuccessful, as the UK government refused to grant a Section 30 order and in November 2022 the UK Supreme Court ruled that the Scottish Parliament does not have the power to hold a referendum on the question of Scottish independence. [77][78][79] Sturgeon said that there would be "no greater privilege" than to lead the SNP. [123] An emergency Scottish cabinet meeting on 25 June agreed that the Scottish Government would seek to enter negotiations with the EU and its member states, to explore options to protect Scotland's place in the EU. [244] Sturgeon sacked her Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick and in April 2021 said of the crisis: "I think we took our eye off the ball. The worldwide pandemic of COVID-19 began during Sturgeon's second term as First Minister. ", "IFS: Independent Scotland 'would face continued austerity' under Growth Commission proposals", "Is post-referendum Scotland a feminist paradise? [18][19][20], In an interview with the BBC's Woman's Hour, Sturgeon revealed that it was Margaret Thatcher who inspired her to enter politics, because, due to rising unemployment in Scotland at the time, she developed "a strong feeling that it was wrong for Scotland to be governed by a Tory government that we hadn't elected". This included rows over the House of Commons' decision to replace the Trident nuclear weapon system, and the SNP's plans to replace council tax in Scotland with a local income tax. [14], Sturgeon was a quiet child and has been described by her younger sister as "the sensible one" of the two. The impending departure of Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's longest-serving first minister, who said on Wednesday that she would step down, has roiled the nation's political establishment. [121] Sturgeon said it was "democratically unacceptable" that Scotland could be taken out of the EU "against its will".[122]. [100], The departure of Kenny MacAskill and Michael Russell signalled a generational shift away from the 79 group. [13] Her grandmother married Robert Sturgeon, a gardener from Ayr, at St Paul's Parish Church in 1943, and they both eventually moved back to the south west of Scotland. [330] In 2015, BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour assessed Sturgeon to be the most powerful and influential woman in the United Kingdom. Labour refused to support the bill as they claimed it failed to tackle windfall profit from alcohol retailers. Thatcher was the motivation for my entire political career. [337], In 2016, Sturgeon disclosed that she had miscarried five years previously. [229] However, the policy divided the party and it the bill was delayed during Sturgeon's second term in office because of opposition to the policy and the COVID-19 pandemic. [103], Sturgeon led the Scottish National Party through a landslide victory in the 2015 UK general election, winning 56 out of 59 Scottish seats at Westminster, the party's best ever performance. [15] She developed a passion for books and reading which continued into adult life. Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon (born 19 July 1970) is a Scottish politician serving as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) since 2014. ", "The triumph of Nicola Sturgeon | Ian Jack", "Nicola Sturgeon: 'The most dangerous woman in Britain? On Wednesday morning last week, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeonsometimes referred to as Scotland's "First Transactivist"resigned. The previous leader, Alex Salmond, announced at the time that he would not stand. Following the 2017 UK general election, Nicola Sturgeon announced that the Scottish Government would postpone legislation pertaining to the proposed second referendum on Scottish independence until at least autumn 2018. He spelled out the risks of partitioning Britain with so little elementary homework having been done. [49][50], Sturgeon also outlined a guaranteed maximum 18-week wait for patients after they had seen their GP and vowed to do away with deferred or "hidden" waiting lists. Is Nicola Sturgeon Catholic - What Is Her Religion? In a letter to Nicola Sturgeon, he said . 3: Robert Aderholt and Alabama's 4th District", "Sturgeon backs Catalan referendum calls", "Iain Macwhirter: Madrid should have learned the lesson of the Scottish independence referendum", "Nicola Sturgeon has first audience with the Queen", "First Minister Nicola Sturgeon leads Scottish tributes to Queen", "First Minister Nicola Sturgeon: 'The Queen was special to Scotland', "Nicola Sturgeon attacks 'Westminster austerity economics', "What's in the SNP's growth commission report? It is a scar on the conscience of this Scottish Government. "[59] Four days later, a Scottish woman with underlying health conditions died at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley. [233][234], In September 2021, Sturgeon was accused of shutting down debate about gender reforms after she described concerns about gender recognition reform as "not valid" and campaign groups and analysts complained that their concerns were being ignored. John Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon "wrestled" with the idea of leaving at the same time, the Deputy First Minister has said. [107] As part of the election campaign, Sturgeon indicated that the SNP would hold another independence referendum if it won the upcoming 2016 Scottish Parliament election. However, infighting between the two rival candidates for the Labour nomination, Mohammed Sarwar and Mike Watson, along with an energetic local campaign,[citation needed] resulted in Glasgow Govan being the only Scottish seat to see a swing away from Labour in the midst of a Labour landslide nationwide. [237] Sturgeon refused to say if she regards Bryson as a man or woman, though she used female pronouns when talking about Bryson. [42] Ultimately, Salmond formed a minority government and he was appointed First Minister of Scotland. [127] As the constitution is a reserved matter under the Scotland Act 1998, for a future referendum on Scottish independence to be legal under UK law, it would need to receive the consent of the British Parliament to take place. [219] She proposed the Scottish Government would use the pound sterling for a brief period before transitioning to a new currency known as the 'Scottish Pound'. [73] In July 2014 Sturgeon said this would put at risk the right of EU citizens to continue living in Scotland: "There are 160,000 EU nationals from other states living in Scotland, including some in the Commonwealth Games city of Glasgow. [26], Sturgeon served as Shadow Minister for Health and Community Care from 2000 to 2003, and Shadow Minister for Justice from 2003 to 2004. The official name is the Free Church of Scotland, and many devotees dislike the popular epithet of the "Wee Frees," with good grounds for arguing that the term is both outdated and sectarian. Following the referendum defeat, Sturgeon said that "further devolution is the route to independence". A dispersal order had to be issued as officers in riot gear battled with boozed-up fans refusing to leave . "[69], In November 2013, Sturgeon joined Salmond to launch Scotland's Future - the Scottish Government's prospectus for independence. Furthermore, they concluded that the Scottish Government had awarded the contracts without normal financial safeguards and presided over a "multitude of failings". Published: December 12, 2014 10.48am EST Professor Emeritus of Politics, University of Bradford provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation UK. [] I can think of no greater privilege than to seek to lead the party I joined when I was just 16. Sturgeon argued that the meetings were SNP party matters, and thus not covered. ", "Missed funerals and helicopter transfers as ferries misery grows", "Ferries fiasco blamed on 'significant operational failures', "400m estimate for ferries as expert demands public inquiry", "Nicola Sturgeon: Buck stops with me over ferry contract row", "Official Report: First Minister's Question Time", "Sturgeon defends ferries contract decision", "Yesterday, Keith Brown was quizzed on the Ferguson Marine ferry deal- telling @C4Ciaran "that document, the one that signed it off, if it ever existed, is not now available", "Permanent secretary demands 'rigorous' record-keeping after ferries missing document", "Jack McConnell claims SNP may have 'broken law' over missing ferry paperwork", "Scotland's leader starts a campaign for a new independence vote", "Nicola Sturgeon unveils case for Scottish independence", "Sturgeon plans to hold second Scottish independence referendum in October 2023", "Sturgeon plots alternative route to Scottish independence vote next year", "Boris Johnson Rejects Nicola Sturgeon's Call For A Second Independence Referendum", "Scotland announces plan for independence vote in October 2023", "Nicola Sturgeon takes Indyref2 to Supreme Court as Scotland will 'not be prisoner of Boris Johnson', "Scottish independence: 19 October 2023 proposed as date for referendum", "Nicola Sturgeon launches third independence paper: full speech", "Nicola Sturgeon promises new 'Scottish pound' and no passports to visit England - as she lays out economic plan for independence", "Scottish pound: Independent Scotland would introduce new currency", "First Minister: Independence "essential" to Scotland's prosperity", "Independence will rid Scotland of UK economic chaos, says Nicola Sturgeon", "Supreme court rules against Scottish parliament holding new independence referendum", "SNP will treat next UK general election as 'de facto referendum', Sturgeon says", "We'll find another way to Scottish independence - Nicola Sturgeon", "Scottish opposition parties reject SNP's plan to treat election as referendum", "Angus MacNeil: Why we should hold a Holyrood election as a vote on independence", "Nicola Sturgeon makes gender recognition pledge", "SNP civil war deepens as leading Sturgeon critic Joanna Cherry purged from Westminster team", "Scottish transgender reforms put on hold", "Transgender reforms shelved due to coronavirus pandemic", "Trans rights: How gender recognition reform became one of Scotland's most heated debates", "Nicola Sturgeon facing backlash over proposed gender legislation", "Nicola Sturgeon dismisses concerns over gender reforms as 'not valid', "Nicola Sturgeon says gender reform row will go to court", Nicola Sturgeon's gender conundrum: Is Isla Bryson a man or a woman, "Nicola Sturgeon says time is right to resign as Scotland's first minister", "Nicola Sturgeon resigns as First Minister after eight years at top of Scottish politics", "Nicola Sturgeon resigns: Indyref2 is in a perilous position with no clear successor for first minister", "Health boards told to fill 15 million cut in funding for drug and alcohol care", "Proposed cuts on funding for drug and alcohol rehabilitation in Scotland", "Drug deaths in Scotland rose by 23% in 2016", "Scotland's drug deaths rise to new record", "Sturgeon: We took our eye off the ball on drug deaths", "Deaths among homeless people in Scotland up 10%", "Drug deaths in Scotland reach new record level", "Scotland: Drug deaths hit record level for seventh year in a row here's what the data shows", "Nicola Sturgeon accused of ignoring drug deaths epidemic in Scotland", "Scottish government under pressure as drug deaths fell by just nine in 2021", "Drug deaths in Scotland fall by one per cent but are still second highest ever recorded", "Nicola Sturgeon: Scottish education 'not good enough', "Nicola Sturgeon: Judge me on education record", "Attainment gap remains wide and better education data needed | Audit Scotland", "School attainment gap 'remains wide', watchdog warns", "Schulz empfngt Schottin Sturgeon zu Gesprch ber Brexit-Folgen", "Nicola Sturgeon says 'difficult' Theresa May will struggle with Brexit talks", "Nicola Sturgeon calls for united front to protect devolution", "Nicola Sturgeon breaks convention to back Hillary Clinton in Presidential race", "Sturgeon 'will not be silent' over Trump", "Nicola Sturgeon congratulates Donald Trump on inauguration", "Nicola Sturgeon 'let women down' by posing with anti-abortion politician", "Taking Back the House, Vol. Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has said her government is an "unequivocal supporter" of Catholic schools. [157][158][159] Subsequently the restrictions were repeatedly tightened, loosened and adapted in parts or all of Scotland in response to developments in the situation. [338], In May 2022, Sturgeon tested positive for COVID-19. In the 1987 UK General election, Sturgeon got her first taste of campaigning, going door-to-door to get her local SNP candidate, Kay Ullrich, elected to Westminster. [101] Roseanna Cunningham, who had difficult relationship with Sturgeon, was surprisingly promoted to cabinet as the fair work secretary. In line with Government guidance, she completed a self-isolation period.[339]. She served successively as the SNP's shadow minister for education, health, and justice. "[241] That year 867 Scots lost their lives to drugs an increase of 23% on the previous year's figure and the SNP insisted it was part of a trend seen across much of Europe. On 19 September 2014, independence was rejected in the Scottish independence referendum, with 55.3% of the voters voting no and 44.7% voting yes. [321], Sturgeon was elected leader of the SNP at a time the party enjoyed a surge in membership. Yes, I think that is true. [235], On 22 December 2022, the Scottish Parliament voted 86 to 39 to pass the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill which was introduced by Sturgeon's government, but the bill was vetoed by the UK Government. When the British Government turned down the Scottish Government's idea of a formal currency union - on the grounds that the rationale for sharing a currency with a foreign country was "not clear" - Sturgeon accused Westminster of trying to "bully Scotland" and said it would "cost their own businesses hundreds of millions in transaction costs". ", "Rise of Nicola Sturgeon: from 'nippy sweetie' to SNP leader? He has been my friend, mentor and colleague for more than 20 years. [28] On 24 June 2004, Sturgeon announced that she would also be a candidate in the forthcoming election for the leadership, with Kenny MacAskill as her running mate. She also served as a member of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee and the Health and Community Care Committee. [47] She reversed the decision to close casualty units at University Hospital Ayr and University Hospital Monklands. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has stated that she feels the Church is still influential in Scottish life. [90] In her first speech as leader, Sturgeon said that it was "the privilege of her life" to lead the party she joined as a teenager. [205][206][204] Key documentation, which might have explained why ministers signed the contracts without appropriate safeguards to protect taxpayers' money, was lost and Sturgeon later said this too was "regrettable" and that "the Government will learn lessons. [279] However, in 2018 she endorsed her party's Growth Commission report that pledged to reduce an independent Scotland's budget deficit as a percentage of GDP[280] something the Institute for Fiscal Studies concluded meant "continued austerity". "[155] However, on 18 March Sturgeon announced to the Scottish Parliament that all schools and nurseries in Scotland would close on 20 March to try to limit the spread of the virus. [231][293] The Scottish Government said it had paused the legislation in order to find "maximum consensus" on the issue[231] and commentators described the issue as having divided the SNP like no other, with many dubbing the debate a "civil war". It is absolutely crushing. "[245], The crisis has particularly impacted the homeless in Scotland: 216 homeless people died in Scotland in 2019 an increase of 11% on the previous year; over half (54%) of these deaths were drug-related. The national mission is failing. [37][38] This was one of many swings to the SNP, as the party emerged as the largest party, winning one seat more than the governing Scottish Labour Party. [145], On 4 March 2021, Sturgeon answered questions over a period of eight hours from members of the committee. But now these Scots are mainstream. [274] On the day Queen Elizabeth II became Britain's longest reigning monarch, Sturgeon travelled with her to open the Borders Railway and told a crowd of well-wishers: "She [The Queen] has carried out Her duties with dedication, wisdom and an exemplary sense of public service. Nicola Sturgeon has rejected an accusation she lied to the Scottish people about the country's currency after independence. "[98], Sturgeon began making appointments to her first cabinet on 21 November 2014, beginning with the appointment of finance secretary John Swinney to become her Deputy First Minister. [156] On 23 March, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Sturgeon ordered Scotland into "lockdown", limiting the reasons why people may leave their homes in an attempt to limit the spread of the virus, to protect the health of the population, and to ease the pressure the virus placed on NHS Scotland services and workforce. On 15 February 2023, Sturgeon announced that she would resign as first minister and SNP leader once a new leader is elected. The move is prompting a new conversations about trans rights, independence and Jacinda Ardern. [91], Although Salmond officially tendered his resignation as First Minister on 18 November 2014, Sturgeon was not sworn in until two days later. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon whose party are losing electoral support from fundamentalist members of the Catholic Church in Scotland. I hated everything she stood for. [88], At a speech in Dundee's Caird Hall on 7 November, Sturgeon pledged to be "the most accessible First Minister ever" when she took over. [56][57], On 11 June, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the influenza virus a pandemic. 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Sturgeon apologised for being overexcited although expressed that she was celebrating Amy Callaghan's win. [231] Critics of the changes within the SNP had accused Sturgeon of being "out of step" on the issue, and expressed concerns that the reforms would be open to abuse and allow predatory men into women's spaces. Nicola Sturgeon, (born July 19, 1970, Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland), first minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party (2014- ), Scotland's fifth leaderand first woman leadersince the establishment of the Scottish Parliament and government in 1999. Across Scotland, 62% of voters backed the UK remaining a member of the EU, with 38% voting for the UK to leave. Her grandmother married Robert Sturgeon, an Ayr gardener, at St Pauls Parish Church. Their poverty had been alleviated by post-1945 British reforms. [202][203][204], Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament of her "deep regret" that islanders were enduring such chaos and said that the Government was "learning lessons from this experience".