Sturgeon stood for election to the Scottish Parliament in the first Scottish Parliament election in 1999 as the SNP candidate for Glasgow Govan. [18] Sturgeon also stood unsuccessfully as the SNP candidate for the Irvine North ward on Cunninghame District Council in May 1992, for the Baillieston/Mount Vernon ward on Strathclyde Regional Council in 1994, and for the Bridgeton ward on Glasgow City Council in 1995. [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". It's interesting what Dan Wootton said about her reaction to Omicron - that is the very first thing I said when I heard about it, that Nicola would jump on it and use it to bring in more restrictions. Anthony Horan, director of the Catholic Parliamentary . [267], Sturgeon had previously stripped Trump of his ambassadorial role for Scottish businesses with the Scottish Government in the aftermath of Trump's views of an outright ban of Muslims from entering the United States. [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". She also said that the result "renews, reinforces and strengthens" the mandate for Indyref2.[154]. Yet just like this makes it ironic for a Catholic to be ascending to lead Scottish Labour, the SNP is now being led by a flinty secularist. On Wednesday morning last week, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeonsometimes referred to as Scotland's "First Transactivist"resigned. First Minister condemns anti-Catholic bigotry. There is no concrete proof that Lori is actually Jewish and she hasn't shared any information regarding her religious beliefs. "[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. Initially, the Scottish Government resisted banning public events and on 12 March allowed 47,000 fans to attend a Rangers match at Ibrox, insisting that, "stopping mass gatherings [is] not the best way to contain this virus. [102], Sturgeon's cabinet was 50/50 gender balance, with five men and five women, including herself. [citation needed], Following her graduation, Sturgeon completed her legal traineeship at McClure Naismith, a Glasgow firm of solicitors, in 1995. The Catholicism of the Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy has attracted some attention this week against a backdrop of fascinating political developments in Scotland. [216] She sought the Prime Minister to consent to the vote by signing a section 30 order, a move that Downing Street has refused to comply. [302][303][304][305], Sturgeon has been highly critical towards the leadership of Boris Johnson's government. [citation needed], Sturgeon attended Dreghorn Primary School from 1975 to 1982 and Greenwood Academy from 1982 to 1988. [268], In May 2022, Sturgeon made a trip to the United States and met with controversial Republican member of Congress Robert Aderholt, a prominent anti-abortion supporter. The compromise had the support of Souter but an amendment to that effect was voted down by MSPs who expressed concerns it would stigmatise children from single parent and unmarried families. "[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. "[124][125] Sturgeon later said that while she believed in Scottish independence, her starting point in these discussions was to protect Scotland's relationship with the EU. More election successes are sure to follow. [132] Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, all plans for another referendum were put on hold. There was no agreement on oil and gas exploration, but the government now argued that it had a stronger case for a national independence referendum. by Anthony Horan in News. [264], With a view towards Brexit, Sturgeon demanded greater powers for the Scottish Parliament, arguing that Brexit is threatening Scotland's devolution settlement. [226][227] Some SNP members have urged Sturgeon to call an early election at Holyrood to speed up the process for a de facto referendum. [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. There have been questions going around saying is Nicola Sturgeon lesbian. [82][83] It quickly became apparent that no other candidate would be able to receive enough required nominations to run a credible leadership campaign. Sturgeon was retained as Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing until a reshuffle one year later, when she was appointed as Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Capital Investment and Cities and an additional role overseeing the referendum on Scottish independence, essentially putting her in charge of the SNP's referendum campaign. [48], As Health Secretary, Sturgeon became more widely known internationally for her handling of the 2009 flu pandemic. University of Bradford provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation UK. She has served as a member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) since 1999, first as an additional member for the Glasgow electoral region, and as the member for Glasgow Southside (formerly Glasgow Govan) from 2007. [189], The announcement was welcomed by the Scottish Green party but Greenpeace criticised Sturgeon for not coming out more strongly against the oil field. [31] The majority of the SNP hierarchy lent their support to the SalmondSturgeon bid for the leadership, although MSP Alex Neil backed Salmond as leader, but refused to endorse Sturgeon as depute. She was the Scottish National Party (SNP) Leader until her resignation on February 15 . She joined the SNP following an assumption by her English teacher, who was a Labour councillor, she would be a Labour supporter. In 2022 Audit Scotland concluded that the final price tag for the vessels would be somewhere between 250m and 400m once the ships were finished in 2023. [333] Reflecting on her marriage in 2012, Sturgeon told the Daily Record: "Being in the same kind of line of work has its up sides and its down sides. [126] May's comments confirmed that the PM wanted the Scottish government to be "fully engaged" in the process. [80] She also opined that Scottish independence was a matter of "when, not if". [171], In April 2021 Scotland's death toll from COVID-19 passed 10,000. 1d ago Charlotte Observer Within weeks of the referendum, Glasgow had a near five-fold rise in SNP membership and nearby Motherwell and Coatbridge had six-fold increases. [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. Sturgeon immediately announced that she would be a candidate in the election to replace him, and received huge support from the SNP hierarchy. [87] On this date, Sturgeon also came out on top in a trust rating opinion poll, conducted for the SNP, which indicated that 54% of the Scottish population trusted her to "stand up for Scotland's interests". Nicola Sturgeon blasted Rangers revellers for their anti-Catholic rampage Credit: Reuters. 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. "We have seen a rapid increase in the number of confirmed cases in Scotland over the past 10 days," she told Parliament. [146] Two of the civil servants who made complaints about Salmond later said they felt they had been "dropped" by the Scottish Government after it lost the judicial review against him, adding they feared their experiences would make it less likely people would make complaints in the future. Sturgeon was elected unopposed as SNP leader in November 2014 and was subsequently appointed as first minister, becoming the first woman to hold either position. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon whose party are losing electoral support from fundamentalist members of the Catholic Church in Scotland. [140], On 15 January 2019, the Scottish Parliament agreed to hold its own inquiry into the matter, the Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints,[141] to investigate how the Government breached its own guidelines in its original investigation into the harassment claims against Salmond, and then lost a judicial review into their actions and had to pay over 500,000 to Salmond for legal expenses. Alex Salmond, the departing leader, preached a rousing sermon and anointed his successor, Nicola Sturgeon, amid great fervour. Sturgeon - who had previously apologised to the Scottish Parliament after she was caught breaking the same law in December 2020[176] - apologised once more and said the police had been "absolutely right to treat me no differently to any other citizen. [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. Quite simply, I would not have been able to do what I have in politics without his constant advice, guidance and support through all these years. "[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. His then-depute, Roseanna Cunningham, immediately announced her intention to stand for the leadership. Immediately after the referendum he released an embarrassingly toadying statement praising Alex Salmond and then welcomed the new First Minister Nicola Sturgeon with unprecedented over-eagerness . [citation needed]. [328][329] She was recognized as one of the BBC's 100 women of 2014. Nicola Sturgeon has rejected an accusation she lied to the Scottish people about the country's currency after independence. The victims of drugs and their families were failed. Their sense of grievance, anti-imperialism and touchiness are traits that chime with plenty other Scots. | Jess Phillips", "Election 2019: the result in Scotland in numbers", "Nicola Sturgeon filmed celebrating Jo Swinson's defeat to SNP's Amy Callaghan video", "Nicola Sturgeon: 'I got overexcited' in reaction to Jo Swinson loss", "Nicola Sturgeon branded 'ungracious' after celebrating Jo Swinson losing her seat", "Nicola Sturgeon tips East Dunbartonshire's Amy Callaghan to be one of the stars of the Commons", "Sturgeon: PM has 'no right' to block Indyref2", "Nicola Sturgeon admits Scotland would have been in lockdown earlier if she 'could turn the clock back', "Coronavirus: Schools in Scotland and Wales to close from Friday BBC News", "Prime Minister's statement on coronavirus (COVID-19): 23 March 2020", "UK coronavirus: Boris Johnson announces strict lockdown across country as it happened", "Coronavirus: Nicola Sturgeon says new rules amount to 'lockdown' BBC News", "Timeline of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Scotland", "Covid in Scotland: Government 'failed' social care sector during pandemic", "SNP Health Minister admits covid mistake in transferring patients to care homes", "Ministers' Covid error 'turned care homes into morgues', "Covid in Scotland: 'Mistake' to discharge Covid patients says Sturgeon", "Whistleblower: Nurses forced to reuse and share single-use PPE", "Coronavirus: Nicola Sturgeon defends PPE record after we revealed pre-pandemic warnings", "Covid-19: Should the UK be aiming for elimination? 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. [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. "[69], In November 2013, Sturgeon joined Salmond to launch Scotland's Future - the Scottish Government's prospectus for independence. [68], While campaigning for a Yes vote in August 2013, she told The Guardian that if Scots voted for the Union: "Will there be another referendum round the corner? Johnson went ahead with the policy despite England's Chief Medical Officer saying there were "no very strong reasons" to do so. Can Sturgeon's bid to narrow the 'educational gap' survive austerity Kevin McKenna The first minister has praised the contribution of Catholic schools to 'modern Scotland' Nicola Sturgeon. [citation needed], In the mid-1990s Sturgeon and Charles Kennedy went together on a political study visit to Australia. One particular problem it highlighted was that not enough had been done to ensure Scottish hospitals and care homes had enough personal protective equipment. Let's explore the rumors of her being lesbian and learn about her sexuality, partner and children. Recently, Nicola Sturgeon caught the headlines after being accused of treating the north of England with contempt. Nicola was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, on July 9, 1970. Leading bishops have drawn close to the SNP in the hope that they can influence it in matters crucial to church life, in what must be painful for Labour. ", "Nicola Sturgeon's sister urges the critics to 'cut SNP leader some slack' on Covid", "Sunderland roots of SNP's Nicola Sturgeon", "Gary Elliot: Nicola Sturgeon and I come from the same working class stock - trying to paint her as the 'new establishment' is laughable", "Nicola Sturgeon on taking Scotland to the world", "Profile: Nicola Sturgeon spoke to Mandy Rhodes about her miscarriage", "Sturgeon: "Now or never" to banish Trident", "Sturgeon on Charles Kennedy 'a most talented politician', "Nicola Sturgeon reveals how she and Charles Kennedy watched Trainspotting together as she pays tribute to former Lib Dem leader", "BBC News | SCOTLAND | Poll 'backs' Section 28", "Edinburgh News, "Salmond in shock bid for leader", "Scotsman.com, "Salmond's arch-rival buries hatchet with declaration of support", "Why does Nicola Sturgeon not have a seat in Westminster? [238] At a press conference in Bute House, Sturgeon insisted that her resignation was not due to "short term pressures" and stated that the job "takes its toll on you". She insisted her resignation was not as result of "short term pressures", such as the ferry fiasco, the gender recognition reform bill, transgender prisoners, or the police fraud inquiry into SNP finances, but stated that the job "takes its toll on you". [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. This is what arguably the only figure prepared to take on the cult of Yesism at the climax of the referendum discovered. [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. [138][139], In January 2019, Sturgeon referred herself to an independent ministerial ethics body, which led to an investigation into her actions with respect to a sexual harassment case concerning allegations against Salmond.