Covid in Scotland LIVE as NHS in 'crisis' with cases remaining high across country 1d ago Charlotte Observer [3][4] She entered office amid a rapid surge in membership of the SNP and this was reflected in the party's performance in the 2015 general election, when it ended Labour's thirty year electoral dominance of Scottish Westminster seats, as it won 56 of the 59 seats and replaced the Liberal Democrats as the third-largest party in the British House of Commons. Sturgeon became a high-profile figure in Scottish politics and often clashed with First Minister Jack McConnell at First Minister's Questions. [71][72], During the campaign, the European Commission said that if Scots decided to leave the United Kingdom, it would also mean leaving the European Union. First Minister condemns anti-Catholic bigotry. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. On 24 June, Sturgeon said she would communicate to all EU member states that Scotland had voted to stay in the EU. [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". [1][2] She is the longest-serving first minister of Scotland. [243] In December 2020 figures were released revealing that 1,264 people in Scotland had died from drug overdoses in 2019 the highest number in Europe per head and more than double the number in 2014. Sturgeon apologised for being overexcited although expressed that she was celebrating Amy Callaghan's win. [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. She will stay in post only until the Scottish National Party selects a new leader. [211] She argued that her government had an "indisputable mandate" for a second Scottish independence referendum. Sturgeon kicked off her election campaign pledging that a strong result for the SNP would "reinforce" her mandate for a second independence referendum. Lori Lightfoot is not Jewish. The cosmopolitan outlook which membership of a vibrant world faith gave to Scots Catholics is fading. 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. Sturgeon oversaw the scrapping of prescription charges and was widely recognised for her handling of the 2009 swine flu pandemic. [338], In May 2022, Sturgeon tested positive for COVID-19. 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". [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. [182][183], Sturgeon was nominated for the post of First Minister by a vote of the Scottish Parliament on 18 May, defeating Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross and Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie by 64 votes to 31 and 4 respectively. RELATIONSHIP DETAILS BELOW Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon is a Scottish politician and the fifth and current First Minister of Scotland and the leader of the Scottish National Party, in office since 2014. [214] This plan has been met with condemnation from various opposing parties, with the Prime Minister rejecting her plan. [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 is the first woman to hold either position. [114] Sturgeon announced her intention to seek a second term in office as a minority government. [191], In the late 2010s, Scottish islanders began to complain that the ageing ferry fleet that connected them to the mainland had become increasingly unreliable. [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. She unveiled her new plan arguing that it would allow Scotland to set out "a different and better vision"[212][213] and claimed that there is a legally secure path to get a referendum without permission from the cabinet. 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 blasted Rangers revellers for their anti-Catholic rampage Credit: Reuters. 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. 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. [22][23], The 1997 general election saw Sturgeon selected to fight the Glasgow Govan seat for the SNP. Nicola Sturgeon is the current (2015) First Minister. Speaking at the annual Cardinal Winning Lecture at the University of . ", "Covid in Scotland: Inadequate preparations for Covid, says watchdog", "Scottish government inadequately prepared for Covid watchdog", "Covid in Scotland: Places of worship can open now after court win", "Church leaders pile pressure on Sturgeon to lift public worship ban", "Scotland's Covid death toll officially passes 10,000", "The full picture of Covid-linked deaths in Scotland's care homes", "Nicola Sturgeon leads calls for Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak to resign", "Nicola Sturgeon demands Boris Johnson resigns after Prime Minister fined", "Police speak to Nicola Sturgeon over mask breach", "Police Scotland takes 'no further action' on Nicola Sturgeon following face mask complaint", "Covid in Scotland: Nicola Sturgeon gets police warning but no fine after mask law break", "SNP to seek Scottish independence vote after election victory", "Scottish election 2021: Nicola Sturgeon celebrates 'historic' SNP election win", "SNP wins election, but just one seat short of overall majority", "John Swinney to be minister for Covid recovery", "SNP and Scottish Greens confirm power-sharing deal in historic moment for Greens", "Green co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater to serve as ministers in Nicola Sturgeon's Government", "Sturgeon urges UK government to reassess Cambo oil field plan", "Shetland oilfield is a drop in the ocean", "Nicola Sturgeon 'hiding behind PM' on Cambo oilfield, say climate groups", "Nicola Sturgeon: Cambo oil field should not get green light", "Scottish island ferry crossings cancelled as wind and rain batter West Coast", "Ferry service has racked up more than 4,500 cancelled sailings in the last three-and-half years", "Scots bride's wedding saved after ferry nightmare left ceremony on the rocks", "Ferry disruption hits Arran hotels | Scottish Licensed Trade News", "Islanders hire fishing boats and RIBs after CalMac cancellations | Wetherspoon chief goes on attack over VAT | Hospitality group launches recruitment drive", "How are ferry problems affecting people on Barra? Sturgeon stood for election to the Scottish Parliament in the first Scottish Parliament election in 1999 as the SNP candidate for Glasgow Govan. She also served as Cabinet Secretary for Health, Infrastructure, and Parliament. Depute Leader of the Scottish National Party, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Capital Investment and Cities, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, longest-serving first minister of Scotland, elected unopposed as SNP leader in November 2014, Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association, Glasgow University Students' Representative Council, Shadow Minister for Children and Education, Shadow Minister for Health and Community Care, 2004 Scottish National Party leadership election, Nicola Sturgeon's tenure as Deputy First Minister, 2009 swine flu pandemic in the United Kingdom, Alcohol (Minimum Pricing) (Scotland) Act 2012, Scotland's poor relationship with alcohol, Scottish Independence Referendum Act 2013, social justice, communities and pensioners rights, 2015 United Kingdom general election in Scotland, second referendum on Scottish independence, 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, 2017 United Kingdom general election in Scotland, sexual harassment case concerning allegations against Salmond, Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints, 2019 United Kingdom general election in Scotland, Scottish National PartyScottish Greens agreement, power-sharing agreement between their parties, historically been a strong supporter of the oil and gas industry, Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, List of current heads of government in the United Kingdom and dependencies, "Nicola Sturgeon: Scotland's first minister to resign saying 'time is now' to go", "Nicola Sturgeon to resign as Scottish first minister", "Alex Salmond's resignation could give Nicola Sturgeon her day of destiny", "The transition from Alex Salmond to Nicola Sturgeon", Birth certificate of Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon, "Nicola Sturgeon: SNP leader in 60 seconds", "Heading to my home town to wish my mum a happy birthday!! Aged 21, Sturgeon was selected as the SNP candidate in the Glasgow Shettleston constituency. We can't bind our successors, but we've made very clear our belief that constitutional referenda are once-in-a-generation events. She is born into a family of four, including her . [45], Sturgeon served as Health Secretary in Salmond's first, and for a year, in his second cabinet. 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. On Salmond's resignation, Sturgeon said: The personal debt of gratitude I owe Alex is immeasurable. [134] It was the best result for the Scottish Conservatives since Margaret Thatcher and the party's campaign slogan, "We said No to independence. [248] Sturgeon tweeted that the figures were "unacceptable, each one a human tragedy",[249] while the Scottish Liberal Democrats said: "It was Nicola Sturgeon's choice to ignore this unfolding epidemic. [24] Shortly after this, Sturgeon was appointed as the SNP's spokesperson for energy and education matters. The worldwide pandemic of COVID-19 began during Sturgeon's second term as First Minister. [33] As Salmond was still an MP in the House of Commons, Sturgeon led the SNP at the Scottish Parliament until the 2007 election, when Salmond was elected as an MSP. "[288][289][290] Commenting on the need for men to challenge their friends misogynistic behaviour, Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament in 2021: "I would say to all men in this chamber and all men across the country challenge it [misogyny] if its on the part of other men you may know, challenge your own behaviour and then lets collectively, as a society, turn the page and turn the corner so that women can live free of the fear of harassment, abuse, intimidation, violence and, in the worst cases, death. Looking at her previous works, she has been doing great towards the catholic faith. I try (tho don't alway", "Nicola Sturgeon miscarriage: First minister reveals baby loss", President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, Proposed second Scottish independence referendum, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities, Heads of governments of British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies, Leaders of political parties in the United Kingdom, List of political parties in the United Kingdom, Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, Social Justice, Housing and Local Government, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nicola_Sturgeon&oldid=1142514123, Female heads of government in the United Kingdom, Women heads of government of non-sovereign entities, Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, Members of the Scottish Parliament 19992003, Members of the Scottish Parliament 20032007, Members of the Scottish Parliament 20072011, Members of the Scottish Parliament 20112016, Members of the Scottish Parliament 20162021, Members of the Scottish Parliament 20212026, Members of the Scottish Parliament for Glasgow constituencies, Articles with dead external links from August 2022, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles with dead external links from June 2022, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2023, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2017, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2019, Articles with failed verification from May 2021, Articles with failed verification from September 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 20:54. [172][173], At a session of First Minister's Questions in June 2021, Sturgeon was asked about mistakes made early on in the pandemic and she replied: "If I could turn the clock back, would we go into lockdown earlier than we did? She led the Scottish Government's response, implementing a series of restrictions on social gatherings and rolling out the vaccine programme. [273] In recent years, following the defeat of the Yes Scotland campaign in 2014 Scottish Independence referendum, Sturgeon has aligned herself with the new gradualist wing, who believe in only holding a second referendum if there is clear public support, such as polling being over 60%, or if there is a material change in circumstances. On 15 February 2023, Sturgeon announced that she would resign as first minister and SNP leader once a new leader is elected. [224][225] Unionist parties have rejected this characterisation. His then-depute, Roseanna Cunningham, immediately announced her intention to stand for the leadership. The previous leader, Alex Salmond, announced at the time that he would not stand. Published: December 12, 2014 10.48am EST Professor Emeritus of Politics, University of Bradford provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation UK. [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. [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". On 17 January 2023, the UK Government decided to implement a section 35 order of the Scottish Act 1998 which prevented the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill from gaining Royal Assent. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon hit out at anti-catholic bigotry in Scotland (Image: PA) Read More Related Articles. Net Worth February 15, 2023. [36], 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. [43][44] He appointed Sturgeon as Deputy First Minister and tasked her with the Cabinet position of Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing. Despite Ullrich failing to win the seat, Sturgeon ploughed her political energy into the Young Scottish Nationalists (now the Young Scots For Independence), joining its national executive when she was 17. [199][200][201], The Scottish Government had commissioned two new ferries for 97m from Ferguson's shipyard in 2015, but the construction of the two vessels was beset by delays and complications. The investigating panel consisted of Dame Elish Angiolini, a former Solicitor General for Scotland and lord advocate, and James Hamilton, a former director of public prosecutions in the Republic of Ireland. [309][310] This was the only occasion when he made a formal visit to Edinburgh as he declined future invites by the first minister. [322][323][324][325] It followed her party's unprecedented landslide victory in the 2015 general election, which questioned the future of the union. More election successes are sure to follow. It is absolutely crushing. What religion are the Bee Gees? [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. It really matters. A seat short of a majority in 2021, Sturgeon became the first first minister to serve a third term, and she subsequently entered a power-sharing agreement with the Scottish Greens. He spelled out the risks of partitioning Britain with so little elementary homework having been done. [317][318], At the beginning of Sturgeon's political career, she was often regarded as a "nippy sweetie", Scottish slang for the "sharp-tongued and strong-minded". [170] This followed an open letter two months earlier, written by 200 church leaders to Sturgeon, warning her that the prohibition could be unlawful. [129] By the end of that week, on 30 March 2017, Sturgeon wrote to the Prime Minister requesting a Section 30 order, formally devolving the responsibility and power to the Scottish Government to plan for and hold another referendum on Scottish independence. In a letter to Nicola Sturgeon, he said . As of 2023, Nicola Sturgeon is possibly single. [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. Both were subsequently elected, and as Salmond was still an MP in the British House of Commons, Sturgeon led the SNP in the Scottish Parliament as Leader of the Opposition from 2004 to 2007. 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. [150][151][152][153] In the wake of the results, Sturgeon said that Prime Minister Boris Johnson had "no right" to stand in the way of another Scottish independence referendum after an "overwhelming" SNP election victory. 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 . She joined the SNP following an assumption by her English teacher, who was a Labour councillor, she would be a Labour supporter. If he was engaged in a contest for the hearts and minds of Scots with a Catholic upbringing and some Irish roots, he failed: Glasgow and its environs voted decisively Yes. [319][320][321] The term was used to describe Sturgeon's "fierce" attitude. [184], In August 2021, Sturgeon and Scottish Green Party co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater announced a power-sharing agreement between their parties. Professor Emeritus of Politics, University of Bradford. This also made her First Minister-Designate, given the SNP's absolute majority in the Scottish Parliament. "[155], In April 2022 Sturgeon demanded that Prime Minister Boris Johnson resign after police fined him for breaking lockdown rules in 2020. From 18 November until her official appointment on 20 November, she served as the acting First Minister, essentially the First Minister-elect. The reception She has received today, demonstrates that that admiration and affection is certainly felt here in Scotland. The paper was sent to the central British Government to be read by Prime Minister Theresa May. She has described herself as being an austere teen whose style tended towards goth, adding that if you see pictures of me back then, you would struggle to know whether I was a boy or a girl. These are the heartlands of a community once defined by deep Catholic loyalties. [76] Following the defeat of the Yes Scotland campaign, Salmond announced his resignation as First Minister and Leader of the SNP. Despite being a Roman Catholic, some of his roughest receptions were in places with deep Irish associations such as Motherwell. The First Minister responded to questions from Douglas Ross, following a report in the Times that Scotland would have to join the euro if it wished to be a member of the European Union. The couple have been in a relationship since 2003. Michael Matheson was promoted asjustice secretary. [136][137], Several weeks later Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament that she would "reset" and delay her plans for a second independence referendum; the SNP losses in that month's election had led her to conclude that many Scots "just want a break from making big political decisions". Nicola Sturgeon condemns recent vandalism at St Simon's Partick at First Minister Questions today May 2nd. [297][298], In the 2021 SNP manifesto, Sturgeon committed the party once again to reform the Gender Recognition Act[233] and in August that year included the commitment in her agreement with the Scottish Greens on power-sharing. Lori Lightfoot with Holocaust survivors (Source: Facebook) Lori and her wife Amy were seen at a vaccination program held for Holocaust survivors and this rumor started. If Scotland was outside Europe, they would lose the right to stay here."[74][75]. [271] The Government of Spain criticised Sturgeon, claiming she had "totally misunderstood" the situation in Spain and Catalonia. [174][175] The following week Sturgeon received an official reprimand from Police Scotland after a video emerged of her campaigning in a barber shop without a mask. Face masks were introduced in schools for the first time after Boris Johnson was told it was "not worth an argument" with Nicola Sturgeon over the issue, leaked files suggest. The SNP emerged as the largest party following the 2007 election and Salmond headed the first SNP minority government, with Sturgeon as his Deputy First Minster. [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. Likewise, she also holds the leader of the Scottish National Party position. [62], 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. 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. [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. One example would be the decision of the NHS in Scotland to end the right of Catholic staff, such as mid-wives, not to participate in abortions it is currently the subject of legal action; Sturgeon never saw fit to intervene during her time as health minister. Nicola Sturgeon denied taking a different approach to Scotland fans last week travelling to London to Rangers fans when they celebrated their league win. [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. Nicola Sturgeon's Enthusiastic Talk on Catholic Schools Leaked To Catholic Truth! One particular problem it highlighted was that not enough had been done to ensure Scottish hospitals and care homes had enough personal protective equipment. Jobs became less scarce as the state became a major employer. She is the eldest child of her parents, Robin and Joanne Sturgeon. "[250], In July 2022 the figures for 2021 were released, revealing that 1,330 had died - nine fewer than in 2020. She was categorised in 2015 as part of the SNP's gradualist wing, which believed in achieving independence through accumulating the Scottish Parliament's powers from the UK Parliament over time. [311][312][313] Sturgeon claimed Johnson's "fragile male ego" stopped him from meeting her. She said that there were different reasons for much of the criticism of Rangers fans in George Square citing "anti-catholic abuse". [89], Sturgeon was formally acclaimed as the first female Leader of the SNP on 14 November 2014 at the Autumn Conference in Perth, with Hosie as her depute. On 15 February 2023, Sturgeon announced that she would resign as first minister and SNP leader once a new leader is elected. Acknowledging this, Sturgeon suggested: "That is why the SNP have urged a policy for many months that we believe can provide people with the necessary reassurance, by providing a statutory underpinning to the guidelines, and resolve this difficult debate. Within weeks of the referendum, Glasgow had a near five-fold rise in SNP membership and nearby Motherwell and Coatbridge had six-fold increases. 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. [citation needed], In the mid-1990s Sturgeon and Charles Kennedy went together on a political study visit to Australia. But the stridency of folk shedding their religious skins and looking for a substitute faith is unlikely to reconcile them to the rest of the Scottish nation. Copyright 20102023, The Conversation Media Group Ltd, Committee Member - MNF Research Advisory Committee, PhD Scholarship - Uncle Isaac Brown Indigenous Scholarship. [189], The announcement was welcomed by the Scottish Green party but Greenpeace criticised Sturgeon for not coming out more strongly against the oil field. 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. Nicola Sturgeon is to stand down as Scotland 's First Minister after eight years in the role, according to reports.N The Scottish National Party leader is expected to make the announcement at a hastily-arranged news conference in Edinburgh.