Live Blog: Nicola Sturgeon will stand down as First Minister of Scotland, she has announced at a press conference at Bute House in Edinburgh. : As it happens
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Nicola Sturgeon to resign in hastily arranged press conference, BBC reports
Key Events
- The First Minister spoke at a hastily arranged press conference from her residence at Bute House in Edinburgh at 11am
- Nicola Sturgeon has instructed the SNP to begin the process of electing a new leader and will remain in office until her successor is chosen, she told a press conference at Bute House in Edinburgh.
- Nicola Sturgeon has said she knows the “time is now” for her to stand down as Scotland’s First Minister, adding that it was “right for me, for my party and for the country”.
Being Scotland’s First Minister has been “the privilege of my life”, Nicola Sturgeon said as she announced her plans to step down.
Nicola Sturgeon said her resignation as Scotland’s First Minister “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”.
Nicola Sturgeon has said her decision to resign as First Minister of Scotland “is not a reaction to short-term pressures”.
Setting out “as best as I can my reasons”, Ms Sturgeon said: “First, though I know it will be tempting to see it as such, this decision is not a reaction to short-term pressures. Of course there are difficult issues confronting the government just now, but when is that ever not the case?
“I have spent almost three decades in frontline politics, a decade-and-a-half on the top or second-top rung of government.
“When it comes to navigating choppy waters, resolving seemingly intractable issues, or soldiering on when walking away would be the simpler option, I have plenty of experience to draw on.
“So if this was just a question of my ability or my resilience to get through the latest period of pressure I wouldn’t be standing here today, but it’s not.
“This decision comes from a deeper and longer-term assessment. I know it may seem sudden, but I have been wrestling with it, albeit with oscillating levels of intensity for some weeks.
“Essentially, I’ve been trying to answer two questions: Is carrying on right for me? And more importantly is me carrying on right for the country, for my party and for the independence cause I have devoted my life to?”
Nicola Sturgeon has said she knows the “time is now” for her to stand down as Scotland’s First Minister, adding that it was “right for me, for my party and for the country”.
SNP president Michael Russell has thanked Nicola Sturgeon for her “extraordinary and brilliant leadership” after she announced her resignation as Scottish First Minister.
“As President of (The SNP) I thank (Ms Sturgeon) for her extraordinary and brilliant leadership of her party and country,” he tweeted.
“As a friend for 30 years I wish her all the best and look forward to her continuing huge contribution to our national wellbeing and success.”
Nicola Sturgeon has said she knows the “time is now” for her to stand down as Scotland’s First Minister, adding that it was “right for me, for my party and for the country”.
Nicola Sturgeon has instructed the SNP to begin the process of electing a new leader and will remain in office until her successor is chosen, she told a press conference at Bute House in Edinburgh.
Sturgeon resignation: Possible candidates to be new First Minister
Nicola Sturgeon will stand down as First Minister of Scotland after eight years, it has been confirmed.
The First Minister will speak at a press conference from her residence at Bute House in Edinburgh at 11am.
It is not yet clear if she will stand down immediately, or continue in the role until a new SNP leader is elected.
There are several possible candidates that could become the new SNP leader, such as the Deputy First Minister, John Swinney.
When Nicola Sturgeon was appointed First Minister, she appointed Mr Swinney as her deputy in 2014.
He previously served as Finance Secretary from 2007 to 2016 and the Education Secretary from 2016 to 2021.
Another potential candidate is the current Health and Social Care Secretary, Humza Yousaf.
Mr Yousaf was appointed in May 2021 and was the youngest MSP elected to the Scottish Parliament at age 26.
He has served in numerous roles and in 2018, he was was appointed as Cabinet Secretary for Justice. He introduced the Hate Crime Bill, which caused controversy among opposition parties.
Kate Forbes is also in the running. She has served as the Secretary for Finance and Economy since 2021. She was elected to Parliament in 2016 and was a convener of the Scottish Parliament’s cross-party group on Gaelic.
In 2020, following the resignation of Derek Mackay, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy, she delivered the 2020 Scottish Budget, becoming the first woman to do so.