Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon is a Scottish politician who served as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party from 2014 to 2023. She has served as a member of the Scottish Parliament since 1999, first as an additional member for the Glasgow electoral region, and as the member for Glasgow Southside from 2007.
Born in Ayrshire, Sturgeon is a law graduate of the University of Glasgow, having worked as a solicitor in Glasgow before her election to the Scottish Parliament in 1999. She served successively as the SNP's shadow minister for education, health, and justice. Sturgeon entered the leadership of the SNP but later withdrew from the contest in favour of Alex Salmond, standing instead as depute leader on a joint ticket with Salmond. Both were subsequently elected; as Salmond was still an MP, Sturgeon led the SNP in the Scottish Parliament as Leader of the Opposition from 2004 to 2007. The SNP emerged as the largest party following the 2007 election and Salmond headed the first SNP minority government, with Sturgeon as his deputy. From 2007 to 2012, she served as the health secretary, overseeing the scrapping of prescription charges and the 2009 swine flu pandemic. Following the SNP's landslide majority in 2011, she was appointed as the Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Capital Investment and Cities, which saw her in charge of the legislative process for the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. The defeat of the Yes Scotland campaign resulted in Salmond's resignation as SNP leader.
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. She entered office amid a rapid surge in membership of the SNP, which was reflected in the party's performance in the 2015 general election, winning 56 of the 59 Scottish seats and replacing the Liberal Democrats as the third-largest party in the House of Commons. The SNP continued to enjoy electoral successes throughout Sturgeon's nine years in office, but lost 21 seats in the 2017 general election. Despite losing her majority, Sturgeon secured a second term in office in 2016, forming a minority government.
Sturgeon led the Scottish Government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, implementing a series of restrictions on social gatherings and the rollout of the vaccine programme. A seat short of a majority in 2021, Sturgeon became the only first minister to serve a third term, and she subsequently entered a power-sharing agreement with the Scottish Greens. The calls from Sturgeon's government and the wider independence movement for a second referendum were unsuccessful, as successive prime ministers refused to grant a Section 30 order. On 15 February 2023, Sturgeon resigned the leadership of the SNP; she was succeeded by her health secretary, Humza Yousaf, the following month.
Wikipedia
“Today will go down in history as a dark one indeed for UK democracy.”
Said after Boris Johnson announced he would ask the Queen to suspend Parliament in order to prevent MPs voting on or debating Brexit. Government asks Queen to suspend Parliament https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49493632 (28 August 2019)
2019
Brexit: MPs ask Scottish court to block Westminster shutdown https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-49496517 BBC News (28 August 2019)
2019
About Boris Johnson after his election as leader of the Conservative Party in 2019. Boris Johnson: Nicola Sturgeon has 'profound concerns' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-49083023 (23 July 2019) on the BBC website. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
2019
Said in a statement https://news.gov.scot/speeches-and-briefings/first-minister-statement-brexit-and-scotlands-future to the Scottish Parliament on 24 April. Here are the five best quotes from Nicola Sturgeon's indyref2 update https://www.thenational.scot/news/17595363.here-are-the-five-best-quotes-from-nicola-sturgeons-indyref2-update/ (24 April 2019) on the National website. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
2019
Said after Scotland voted strongly to 'remain' in the 2016 EU referendum while England and Wales voted to 'leave'. Quoted by the Guardian. Ruth Davidson pokes fun at Andrea Leadsom and Boris Johnson https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jul/12/ruth-davidson-pokes-fun-at-andrea-leadsom-and-boris-johnson (13 July 2016)
2016
Scottish Lib Dem conference: Leader Tim Farron in staunch defence of EU https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-35674306 BBC News (27 February 2016)
2016
Said after she signed a Rethink Trident pledge in 2015. Nicola Sturgeon signs ‘Rethink Trident’ pledge https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/nicola-sturgeon-signs-rethink-trident-pledge-1-3865803 (22 August 2015) on the Scotsman website. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
2015
“If I am elected, there may be an opportunity to change the tone for the better.”
Said while campaigning for the SNP leadership in 2014. Khaleeli, Homa (30 September 2014) Is post-referendum Scotland a feminist paradise? https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/sep/30/post-referendum-scotland-feminist-paradise on the Guardian website. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
2014
