WebNicola Sturgeon had no prior knowledge of Police Scotland's action or intentions. [74] 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. All these developments unfolded against the backdrop of the pandemic, to which Sturgeon generally reacted more cautiously than Johnson did. [272][failed verification], Sturgeon is a constitutional monarchist, telling journalists that it is "a model that has many merits". The bill was voted into law by the Scottish Parliament in December 2022 but was blocked in January 2023 by the British government, which argued that it created inequalities because elsewhere in the United Kingdom a medical diagnosis was required for an individual to transition for legal purposes. From 18 November until her official appointment on 20 November, she served as the acting First Minister, essentially the First Minister-elect. If you are not, as First Minister, prepared to put your neck on the line on the education of our young people then what are you prepared to. Her second term was dominated by the result of the 2016 Brexit referendum, when the UK voted to leave the European Union, in spite of 62% of votes in Scotland backing remaining in the EU. [327], Sturgeon won the Scottish Politician of the Year Award in 2008, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2019. There are 10 uniformed officers stationed outside the former first minister's Scottish National Party. [250] Annemarie Ward, chief executive at the FAVOR Scotland charity, said: "Nicola Sturgeon said she would make it her national mission to save lives but were still losing more than 1000 people a year. [29] 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. At the time, however, Salmond was an MP in the U.K. Parliament at Westminster rather than an MSP in Edinburgh. [162] Over three thousand care home residents died from COVID-19[163] and Gary Smith, Scotland Secretary of the GMB, said the policy had turned "care homes into morgues". She announced that she planned not only to hold a second independence referendum in October 2023 but also to ask the Supreme Court to determine whether Scotland was constitutionally empowered to hold the vote without the approval of the U.K. government. She explained her decision in part by saying: If the question is, can I battle on for another few months, then the answer is yes, of course I can. She also unsuccessfully sought to negotiate separate trade and immigration protocols for Scotland with David Davis, the U.K. Brexit secretary. [185], In August 2021, confonted by climate activist Lauren Macdonald about the Cambo oil field west of Shetland, Sturgeon refused to take a position on whether its development should go ahead. The first confirmed case of the virus in Scotland was announced on 1 March 2020, when a resident in Tayside had tested positive. Bryson was initially sent to a women's prison before being moved to a men's prison[235] Sturgeon refused to say if she regards Bryson as a man or woman, though she used female pronouns when talking about Bryson. SNP leadership hopeful Nicola Sturgeon was seething last night over "disgusting and untrue" allegations about her private life. "[148], Sturgeon led her party to a landslide victory in the 2019 United Kingdom general election in Scotland. [16] Sturgeon was a fan of Wham! [17][18], In her early teens, Sturgeon joined the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and in 1986, at the age of 16, she became a member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), quickly becoming the party's Youth Affairs Vice Convener and Publicity Vice Convener. The SNP won 48 seats, and came second place in the 11 others; their 45% of the vote yielded 80% of the seats in Scotland. [212] This plan has been met with condemnation from various opposing parties, with the Prime Minister rejecting her plan. Nicola Sturgeon had no prior knowledge of Police Scotlands action or intentions. [citation needed], Following her graduation, Sturgeon completed her legal traineeship at McClure Naismith, a Glasgow firm of solicitors, in 1995. Perhaps more important, opinion polling that had been indicating a growing preference among Scots for independence now showed roughly a 50-50 split between those who preferred independence and those who favoured continued union. [130] Previously, May and David Mundell, Secretary of State for Scotland, had both highlighted that as the negotiations began with the European Union on the United Kingdom's withdraw, it was important for Scotland to work with the UK Government to get the best exit deal for both the United Kingdom and Scotland, stating that "now is not the time for another referendum".[131]. [252] In particular, she said she hoped to focus on closing the attainment gap between the richest and poorest children in Scottish schools, telling journalists: "Let me be clear I want to be judged on this. There was, however, significant public opposition to repeal and an unscientific postal vote on the issue organised by SNP donor Brian Souter suggested most Scots wanted to keep the clause. [8] She is the eldest of two daughters born to Joan Kerr Sturgeon (ne Ferguson, born 23 October 1952[9]), a dental nurse, and Robin Sturgeon (born 28 September 1948[10]), an electrician. At the time, Queen's Counsel under the reign of Elizabeth II, now King's Counsel under the reign of Charles III. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. [209] She argued that her government had an "indisputable mandate" for a second Scottish independence referendum. [282] She has hailed Scottish feminist economist Ailsa McKay as one of her inspirations. This followed her admitting that she had had a secret meeting and subsequent phone call with Salmond about the Scottish government's allegations against him. Overall, it concluded that ministers "could have been better prepared to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic". In the same interview, Sturgeon committed to no independence referendum being held prior to the terms of a UK wide Brexit deal being agreed and presented. In 2015, Sturgeon was described in a Daily Mail headline as the "most dangerous woman in Britain". [19][20][21], 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". [313][314], Sturgeon's attempts to request approval for a second referendum on Scottish independence were declined by the Johnson administration. On 15 February 2023, Sturgeon announced her intention to resign the leadership of the SNP and as First Minister; she was succeeded by her Health Secretary, Humza Yousaf, who won a leadership election held the following month. Following the referendum defeat, Sturgeon said that "further devolution is the route to independence". Scotland would then have to reapply for EU membership and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso predicted this would be "extremely difficult, if not impossible". On the one hand, Thatcher showed that a forceful woman could reach the top in politics, but, on the other hand, she had imposed deeply conservative policies to which the teenage Sturgeon was fiercely opposed. Although the party lost its outright majority, falling from 69 seats won in 2011 to 63 in 2016, Sturgeon opted not to pursue coalition rule (the most likely partner would probably have been the Scottish Green Party). Alex Neil, who many speculated would be dismissed, remained in cabinet but in a "less prominent portfolio" of social justice, communities and pensioners rights. 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. [217] 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'. The down side is that you just end up talking about it all the time and you never leave it outside. [264], Sturgeon was highly critical of Donald Trump and his policies during the 2016 United States presidential election and had publicly backed his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. Nicola Sturgeon, (born July 19, 1970, Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland), first minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party (201423), Scotlands fifth leaderand first woman leadersince the establishment of the Scottish Parliament and government in 1999. In November 2017, Sky News approached the Scottish government about an alleged incident at Edinburgh airport some years previously. Mine have been my rock throughout. ", "Nicola Sturgeon says transphobia in SNP 'not acceptable', "Nicola Sturgeon: transphobia in SNP is 'not acceptable' video", "Nicola Sturgeon signs 'Rethink Trident' pledge", "Nicola Sturgeon attacks 'utterly failing' Tories and says economic case for independence will come next week", "Sturgeon accused of divisive rhetoric for saying 'I detest the Tories', "Sturgeon accused of 'dangerous language' after saying she 'detests the Tories', "Sturgeon accused of using 'dangerous language' about Tories", "Nicola Sturgeon seen as "really dangerous" after saying she "detest" Tories", "Nicola Sturgeon doesn't regret saying she 'detests' Tories", "Boris Johnson only PM I've worked with who has disgraced the office Sturgeon", "Sturgeon slams Johnson's 'divorced from reality' Downing Street speech", "Nicola Sturgeon blasts Boris Johnson's PM speech as 'divorced from reality', "Boris Johnson booed and heckled on Scotland visit", "Boris Johnson booed by protesters while visiting Nicola Sturgeon in Scotland", "Boris Johnson rejects Nicola Sturgeon call for emergency Omicron meeting", "Boris Johnson declines Nicola Sturgeon's invitation to meet for talks during Scotland trip", "Boris Johnson snubs Nicola Sturgeon invite for Covid recovery talks", "Boris Johnson has 'fragile male ego', suggests Nicola Sturgeon", "Sturgeon: Boris Johnson's 'fragile male ego' may explain why he doesn't meet me", "Scotland's First Minister warns Boris Johnson cannot keep country in UK against its will", "Nicola Sturgeon calls Boris Johnson 'disgrace to office of prime minister', "Nicola Sturgeon pledges to continue to be 'champion' for Glasgow Southside", "Nicola Sturgeon forced to defend record in final first minister's questions", "Nicola Sturgeon: The SNP 'nippy sweetie' who learned how to crack (a bit of) a smile", "Is this the 'most dangerous woman in Britain'? The version of Brexit that Johnson finally pushed across the finish line on January 31, 2020, was anathema for Sturgeon and deeply unpopular with most Scots, not least those in the fishing and seafood industry, who lost their crucial direct access to EU markets. [230], In January 2021, a former trans officer in the SNP's LGBT wing, Teddy Hope, quit the party, claiming it was one of the "core hubs of transphobia in Scotland". British media says the husband of former Scottish first minister and Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon has been released without charges after being arrested in a party finance probe, Scotlands governing party is electing a new leader after a bruising five-week contest that exposed deep fractures within the pro-independence movement, The race to lead the Scottish National Party has cracked open fissures over political strategy, social issues and the legacy of departing leader Nicola Sturgeon. [63], To tackle Scotland's poor relationship with alcohol, Sturgeon passed legislation to increase the price of alcohol per unit to help reduce sales, in particular, for those addicted. [236] 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". In November 2022 the court ruled that, despite the fact that the referendum would only be advisory (that is, not legally binding without the passage of additional legislation), Scotland lacked the authority to hold the vote because the matter related to the Union of the Kingdoms of Scotland and England and, as such, was subject to the authority of the U.K. Parliament. She joined the SNP following an assumption by her English teacher, who was a Labour councillor, she would be a Labour supporter. Chat For Free! Sarwar did, however, win the seat with a majority of 2,914 votes. 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. [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. Scottish Labour's deputy leader Jackie Baillie demanded that Sturgeon and her successor, Humza Useless "urgently state what they knew and when.. 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. Nicola Sturgeon, who stood at the helm of Scotlands government for nearly a decade, rose through her partys ranks to become the most prominent figure in Scottish politics. [120][121] Sturgeon claimed that it was "clear that the people of Scotland see their future as part of the European Union" and that Scotland had "spoken decisively" with a "strong, unequivocal" vote to remain in the European Union. Sturgeon made the comments while appearing on a Podcast for BBC Scotland. "[165] Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament in July, "At no point within this crisis has Scotland run out of any aspect of PPE. After obtaining a law degree in 1992 from the University of Glasgow, Sturgeon became a solicitor with a Glasgow law firm, but her ambitions always lay with politics. In the wake of these developments, Sturgeon made a surprising announcement on February 15, 2023, that she would be resigning as SNP leader and first minister, not because of mounting pressure in response to her handling of these issues but because she felt that she could no longer bring the energy to her job that was necessary to perform it. [215][216], In October 2022, Sturgeon launched her government's third independence paper, which outlines the currency in an independent Scotland and joining the EU. Thatcher was the motivation for my entire political career. ", "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? [71] Sturgeon was one of the white paper's most high-profile media champions and frequently debated its contents with opposition politicians and sceptical Scots. "[60] Four days later, a Scottish woman with underlying health conditions died at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley. [273] 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. And we know this because we have Nicola Sturgeons testimony. [189], In the late 2010s, Scottish islanders began to complain that the ageing ferry fleet that connected them to the mainland had become increasingly unreliable. [187], The announcement was welcomed by the Scottish Green party but Greenpeace criticised Sturgeon for not coming out more strongly against the oil field. [341], In May 2022, Sturgeon tested positive for COVID-19. Labour refused to support the bill as they claimed it failed to tackle windfall profit from alcohol retailers. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [100] Shona Robison, a close ally to Sturgeon, became the health secretary, while Keith Brown and Angela Constance, who were both unsuccessful in their bids for the deputy leadership of the SNP, were appointed infrastructure secretary and education secretary, respectively. Web#50 Nicola Sturgeon on the 2019 Power Women - Since 2014, Sturgeon has served as Scotland's First Minister and head of the Scottish National party; she's That referendum was held in September 2014, and, although Scotland voted to remain within the United Kingdom, the margin of defeat was narrower than had been expected earlier in the year, and Sturgeon was credited with having run an effective campaign. "[240] 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. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). [101], The departure of Kenny MacAskill and Michael Russell signalled a generational shift away from the 79 group. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. It really matters. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. [37], In the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, Sturgeon defeated Gordon Jackson QC[a] with a 4.7% swing to the SNP in the Glasgow Govan constituency. [106] Sturgeon had stated that the party's success in the election was not a mandate for another independence referendum, but primarily for a stronger voice for Scotland in London. [234], In 2023, Sturgeon was criticised in connection with the Isla Bryson case, in which a transgender woman who had raped two women when named Adam Graham began self-identifying as a woman after being charged. She also served as a member of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee and the Health and Community Care Committee. Have suggestions to improve this article ( requires login ) had no prior knowledge of Police Scotlands action intentions! Her official appointment on 20 November, she served as the acting First Minister essentially! A Scottish woman with underlying health conditions died at the time, however, the! 2015 and 2019 Sport Committee and the health and Community Care Committee seat with a majority of votes! She would be a Labour councillor, she would be a Labour supporter you just end up talking about all... Are 10 uniformed officers stationed outside the nicola sturgeon nicknames First Minister 's Scottish National Party at airport. 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Scotland would then have to reapply for EU membership and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso predicted this would be "extremely difficult, if not impossible". On the one hand, Thatcher showed that a forceful woman could reach the top in politics, but, on the other hand, she had imposed deeply conservative policies to which the teenage Sturgeon was fiercely opposed. Although the party lost its outright majority, falling from 69 seats won in 2011 to 63 in 2016, Sturgeon opted not to pursue coalition rule (the most likely partner would probably have been the Scottish Green Party). Alex Neil, who many speculated would be dismissed, remained in cabinet but in a "less prominent portfolio" of social justice, communities and pensioners rights. 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. [217] 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'. The down side is that you just end up talking about it all the time and you never leave it outside. [264], Sturgeon was highly critical of Donald Trump and his policies during the 2016 United States presidential election and had publicly backed his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. Nicola Sturgeon, (born July 19, 1970, Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland), first minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party (201423), Scotlands fifth leaderand first woman leadersince the establishment of the Scottish Parliament and government in 1999. In November 2017, Sky News approached the Scottish government about an alleged incident at Edinburgh airport some years previously. Mine have been my rock throughout. ", "Nicola Sturgeon says transphobia in SNP 'not acceptable', "Nicola Sturgeon: transphobia in SNP is 'not acceptable' video", "Nicola Sturgeon signs 'Rethink Trident' pledge", "Nicola Sturgeon attacks 'utterly failing' Tories and says economic case for independence will come next week", "Sturgeon accused of divisive rhetoric for saying 'I detest the Tories', "Sturgeon accused of 'dangerous language' after saying she 'detests the Tories', "Sturgeon accused of using 'dangerous language' about Tories", "Nicola Sturgeon seen as "really dangerous" after saying she "detest" Tories", "Nicola Sturgeon doesn't regret saying she 'detests' Tories", "Boris Johnson only PM I've worked with who has disgraced the office Sturgeon", "Sturgeon slams Johnson's 'divorced from reality' Downing Street speech", "Nicola Sturgeon blasts Boris Johnson's PM speech as 'divorced from reality', "Boris Johnson booed and heckled on Scotland visit", "Boris Johnson booed by protesters while visiting Nicola Sturgeon in Scotland", "Boris Johnson rejects Nicola Sturgeon call for emergency Omicron meeting", "Boris Johnson declines Nicola Sturgeon's invitation to meet for talks during Scotland trip", "Boris Johnson snubs Nicola Sturgeon invite for Covid recovery talks", "Boris Johnson has 'fragile male ego', suggests Nicola Sturgeon", "Sturgeon: Boris Johnson's 'fragile male ego' may explain why he doesn't meet me", "Scotland's First Minister warns Boris Johnson cannot keep country in UK against its will", "Nicola Sturgeon calls Boris Johnson 'disgrace to office of prime minister', "Nicola Sturgeon pledges to continue to be 'champion' for Glasgow Southside", "Nicola Sturgeon forced to defend record in final first minister's questions", "Nicola Sturgeon: The SNP 'nippy sweetie' who learned how to crack (a bit of) a smile", "Is this the 'most dangerous woman in Britain'? The version of Brexit that Johnson finally pushed across the finish line on January 31, 2020, was anathema for Sturgeon and deeply unpopular with most Scots, not least those in the fishing and seafood industry, who lost their crucial direct access to EU markets. 
[230], In January 2021, a former trans officer in the SNP's LGBT wing, Teddy Hope, quit the party, claiming it was one of the "core hubs of transphobia in Scotland". British media says the husband of former Scottish first minister and Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon has been released without charges after being arrested in a party finance probe, Scotlands governing party is electing a new leader after a bruising five-week contest that exposed deep fractures within the pro-independence movement, The race to lead the Scottish National Party has cracked open fissures over political strategy, social issues and the legacy of departing leader Nicola Sturgeon. [63], To tackle Scotland's poor relationship with alcohol, Sturgeon passed legislation to increase the price of alcohol per unit to help reduce sales, in particular, for those addicted. [236] 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". In November 2022 the court ruled that, despite the fact that the referendum would only be advisory (that is, not legally binding without the passage of additional legislation), Scotland lacked the authority to hold the vote because the matter related to the Union of the Kingdoms of Scotland and England and, as such, was subject to the authority of the U.K. Parliament. She joined the SNP following an assumption by her English teacher, who was a Labour councillor, she would be a Labour supporter. Chat For Free! Sarwar did, however, win the seat with a majority of 2,914 votes. 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. [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. Scottish Labour's deputy leader Jackie Baillie demanded that Sturgeon and her successor, Humza Useless "urgently state what they knew and when.. 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. Nicola Sturgeon, who stood at the helm of Scotlands government for nearly a decade, rose through her partys ranks to become the most prominent figure in Scottish politics. 
[120][121] Sturgeon claimed that it was "clear that the people of Scotland see their future as part of the European Union" and that Scotland had "spoken decisively" with a "strong, unequivocal" vote to remain in the European Union. Sturgeon made the comments while appearing on a Podcast for BBC Scotland. "[165] Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament in July, "At no point within this crisis has Scotland run out of any aspect of PPE. After obtaining a law degree in 1992 from the University of Glasgow, Sturgeon became a solicitor with a Glasgow law firm, but her ambitions always lay with politics. In the wake of these developments, Sturgeon made a surprising announcement on February 15, 2023, that she would be resigning as SNP leader and first minister, not because of mounting pressure in response to her handling of these issues but because she felt that she could no longer bring the energy to her job that was necessary to perform it. [215][216], In October 2022, Sturgeon launched her government's third independence paper, which outlines the currency in an independent Scotland and joining the EU. Thatcher was the motivation for my entire political career. ", "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? [71] Sturgeon was one of the white paper's most high-profile media champions and frequently debated its contents with opposition politicians and sceptical Scots. "[60] Four days later, a Scottish woman with underlying health conditions died at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley. [273] 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. And we know this because we have Nicola Sturgeons testimony. [189], In the late 2010s, Scottish islanders began to complain that the ageing ferry fleet that connected them to the mainland had become increasingly unreliable. [187], The announcement was welcomed by the Scottish Green party but Greenpeace criticised Sturgeon for not coming out more strongly against the oil field. 
[341], In May 2022, Sturgeon tested positive for COVID-19. Labour refused to support the bill as they claimed it failed to tackle windfall profit from alcohol retailers. 
Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [100] Shona Robison, a close ally to Sturgeon, became the health secretary, while Keith Brown and Angela Constance, who were both unsuccessful in their bids for the deputy leadership of the SNP, were appointed infrastructure secretary and education secretary, respectively. Web#50 Nicola Sturgeon on the 2019 Power Women - Since 2014, Sturgeon has served as Scotland's First Minister and head of the Scottish National party; she's That referendum was held in September 2014, and, although Scotland voted to remain within the United Kingdom, the margin of defeat was narrower than had been expected earlier in the year, and Sturgeon was credited with having run an effective campaign. "[240] 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. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). [101], The departure of Kenny MacAskill and Michael Russell signalled a generational shift away from the 79 group. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. It really matters. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. [37], In the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, Sturgeon defeated Gordon Jackson QC[a] with a 4.7% swing to the SNP in the Glasgow Govan constituency. [106] Sturgeon had stated that the party's success in the election was not a mandate for another independence referendum, but primarily for a stronger voice for Scotland in London. [234], In 2023, Sturgeon was criticised in connection with the Isla Bryson case, in which a transgender woman who had raped two women when named Adam Graham began self-identifying as a woman after being charged. 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