[41] Sturgeon led coalition negotiation talks between the Scottish Liberal Democrats and the Scottish Greens, but these talks failed to reach an agreement, with the Lib Dems backing out and the Greens instead supporting a 'confidence and supply' agreement. [299], At the SNP's 2022 annual party conference in Aberdeen, Sturgeon stated "I detest the Tories and everything they stand for" in an interview on the BBC. [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". [229] However, the policy divided the party and it the bill was delayed during Sturgeon's second term in office because of opposition to the policy and the COVID-19 pandemic. [247], In August 2021 the Scottish Government announced there had been 1,339 drug deaths in the previous year a new record high. [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". Across Scotland, 62% of voters backed the UK remaining a member of the EU, with 38% voting for the UK to leave. [105] 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. [170] This followed an open letter two months earlier, written by 200 church leaders to Sturgeon, warning her that the prohibition could be unlawful. I hated everything she stood for. "[155], In April 2022 Sturgeon demanded that Prime Minister Boris Johnson resign after police fined him for breaking lockdown rules in 2020. [111] The manifesto also included a commitment to increase NHS funding by 500 million, "baby boxes" full of essentials to newborn parents, and an ambitious new target to cut emissions by 50% by 2020 as of the party's effort to tackle climate change. In 2004, Sturgeon announced she would stand as a candidate for the leadership of the SNP; however, she later withdrew from the contest in favour of Alex Salmond, standing instead as depute (deputy) leader on a joint ticket with Salmond. [241][242] At the time, Scottish Drugs Forum Chief Executive David Liddell said he was concerned that the cuts had "the potential to increase harm and drug-related deaths. Celtic Celtic and Rangers fans react as Nicola Sturgeon confirms Scottish football can return to capacity crowds from Monday Scots will now need to have had a Covid booster jag to use vaccine passports, including for entry to football grounds By Lewis Anderson 11th Jan 2022, 4:21pm [55] Authorities in both Scotland and England stated that there were no plans to trace the fellow airline passengers who may have travelled alongside the couple, since the authorities do not classify them as "close contacts". Sturgeon became a high-profile figure in Scottish politics and often clashed with First Minister Jack McConnell at First Minister's Questions. and Duran Duran, and enjoyed spending Saturday nights at Frostys Ice Disco in Irvine. [335][336], Her mother Joan was the SNP Provost of North Ayrshire council, where she was councillor for the Irvine East ward from 2007 until 2016. [276] She described the Queen as the "greatest constant in our national life" and added her death was a day for reflection and remembrance" and "a day for giving thanks to The Queen for her devotion to duty and the decades of public service she gave to the people of Scotland.[277][278], She has at times been a critic of austerity, saying that the UK government's "austerity economics" is "morally unjustifiable and economically unsustainable". [168][169], In March 2021, the Court of Session declared that the Scottish Government's prohibition on communal worship, imposed during the pandemic, was unlawful. In June 2017, Sturgeon criticised the approaches taken by both Theresa May and the British Government towards the Brexit approach, claiming that May "will struggle" as she is a "difficult person to build a rapport with". 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. [231][293] The Scottish Government said it had paused the legislation in order to find "maximum consensus" on the issue[231] and commentators described the issue as having divided the SNP like no other, with many dubbing the debate a "civil war". Issuing apologies now is too late for thousands of people. 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. [265] With London seeking to restrict immigration to the United Kingdom, she asserted that Scotland should be able to set its own immigration policy, as well as policies relating to employment and trade. [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". Theater of popular music. If Scotland was outside Europe, they would lose the right to stay here."[74][75]. "[207][208][209][210], In June 2022, Sturgeon officially announced her plan for Scottish independence once again. [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. In line with Government guidance, she completed a self-isolation period.[339]. "[148], Sturgeon led her party to a landslide victory in the 2019 United Kingdom general election in Scotland. In 2015, Sturgeon was questioned as, and in some cases branded as, the 'most dangerous woman in Britain'. "[254], In 2021, Audit Scotland concluded that, "Progress on closing the poverty-related attainment gap between the most and least deprived school pupils has been limited"[255] and fell short of the Government's aims. [256] In some local authorities the attainment gap between the richest and poorest students had widened. while other islanders said they had missed doctors appointments, funerals and even the chance to say goodbye to dying loved ones because of cancelled sailings. [272], An advocate for Scottish independence, Sturgeon has campaigned for independence from the United Kingdom since her late teens. [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". Sturgeon confirmed in June 2016 that the Scottish government had formally agreed to draft legislation to allow a second independence referendum to take place. Sturgeon oversaw the scrapping of prescription charges and was widely recognised for her handling of the 2009 swine flu pandemic. [328][329] She was recognized as one of the BBC's 100 women of 2014. | 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? On Salmond's resignation, Sturgeon said: The personal debt of gratitude I owe Alex is immeasurable. [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. [60][61] This marked the first death in Scotland and Europe. But the signing of the 32-year-old from Clyde has sparked a wave of criticism from across football with even the Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon speaking up in support of McDermid's and . Outdoor events . [27], On 22 June 2004, John Swinney resigned as Leader of the SNP following poor results in the European Parliament election. It's as simple as that', "Scots are not becoming more conservative: three factors behind the Tory 'revival' in North East Scotland", "Nicola Sturgeon puts Scottish independence referendum bill on hold", "Nicola Sturgeon refuses to abandon indy ref 2 and promises new timetable in 2018", "Sturgeon refers herself to ethics body over actions in Salmond case", "Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints", "Alex Salmond says there is 'no doubt' Nicola Sturgeon broke ministerial code", "Alex Salmond inquiry likely to recall SNP chief exec and Nicola Sturgeon's husband Peter Murrell", "MSPs bid to recall SNP chief Peter Murrell to Salmond inquiry", "Team Sturgeon breathes a sigh of relief", "Alex Salmond complainers claim government 'dropped' them", "The SNP mess has left me flabbergasted what kind of message does it send? We stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine, today and always, as they fight for freedom and democracy. [307][308] In July 2019, the prime minister met Sturgeon at her official residence, Bute House, where Johnson was "booed and heckled" by protesters. [149] Among the election casualties was Liberal Democrats leader Jo Swinson, who lost her seat in East Dunbartonshire. [236], 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. Nicola Sturgeon once again appears to have hit out at Rangers supporters following their Scottish Premiership title parties on the streets and squares of Glasgow. [231] Critics of the changes within the SNP had accused Sturgeon of being "out of step" on the issue, and expressed concerns that the reforms would be open to abuse and allow predatory men into women's spaces. 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. 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. [261], In response to the Brexit vote, to discuss Scotland's interests, Sturgeon travelled to Brussels to meet with both Jean-Claude Juncker, the President of the European Commission as well as Martin Schulz, the President of the European Parliament.[262][263]. [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. 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. [306] Following Johnson's appointment as British prime minister, she claimed he "rambled" in his first speech outside 10 Downing Street and suggested he was "blame shifting". We can't bind our successors, but we've made very clear our belief that constitutional referenda are once-in-a-generation events. "The First Minister must stop hiding behind Boris Johnson," a spokesperson for the organisation said. [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. NICOLA STURGEON has confirmed most of Scotland's lower league clubs will finally be able to play competitive football again. One nurse told STV, "[When we hear the government say supplies are fine] it's not frustrating, it's crushing. Scotland's Deputy First Minister, John Swinney, also hit out at Rangers on Monday, saying that the club's "silence was deafening" with regard to their stance on the raucous celebrations.However, the Rangers hierarchy made clear in a letter to Sturgeon that they don't accept her version of events in which the club did little to dissuade fans from gathering in the streets. [92], On 20 November 2014, Sturgeon was sworn into office at the Court of Session in a ceremony presided by Lord Gill,[93][94] after receiving the royal warrant of appointment by Queen Elizabeth II. Kate Forbes . [102], Sturgeon's cabinet was 50/50 gender balance, with five men and five women, including herself. The couple have been in a relationship since 2003. ", "BBC NEWS | Election 2007 | Scottish Parliament | Election Result: Glasgow Govan", "Salmond prepares for SNP minority government", "Better Health, Better Care: Action Plan", "Sturgeon to reverse A&E closure decision", "Scottish government confirms plans to scrap prescription charges", "Prescription charges abolished in Scotland", "Swine influenza Health Protection Agency update", "WHO | World now at the start of 2009 influenza pandemic", "UK plays down swine flu pandemic implications", "Scottish death marks Europe's first H1N1 fatality", "Scottish minimum alcohol pricing passed by parliament", "Scottish cabinet reshuffle: Nicola Sturgeon given new independence role", "High-speed rail plan for Glasgow to Edinburgh line", "High speed Glasgow-Edinburgh rail link plans 'shelved', "Scottish independence would allow economy to grow, says Sturgeon", "Nicola Sturgeon interview: 'I do believe Scotland can be better off', "Scottish independence: Referendum White Paper unveiled", "Independence referendum: Nicola Sturgeon accuses Westminister of bullying over currency", "Scottish minister Nicola Sturgeon hits back over sterling threat", "Scottish independence: Barroso says joining EU would be 'difficult', "Sturgeon warns Europeans could lose right to stay", "UK minister: Sturgeon used EU nationals as bargaining chips", "Scottish independence referendum: final results in full", "Scottish referendum results: As Alex Salmond steps down, Nicola Sturgeon waits for her chance to lead", "Alex Salmond Resigns: Will SNP Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon Replace Him? [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? [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? [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. [21].mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}. [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. [15] Sturgeon was a fan of Wham! [266] Sturgeon highlighted her disapproval of his language and views relating to sexism and misogyny, and stated upon Trump's victory that she hopes "Trump turns out to be a president different to the one he was during his campaign and reaches out to those who felt vilified by his campaign". [106], In the run-up to the elections, Sturgeon took part in several Scottish and UK-wide TV election debates and according to opinion polls was regarded to have had a successful performance. [25] Although she failed to win the seat, she was placed first in the SNP's regional list for the Glasgow region, and was thus elected as a Member of the Scottish Parliament. [45], Sturgeon served as Health Secretary in Salmond's first, and for a year, in his second cabinet. Gill Sturgeon took aim at critics of the First Minister and Scottish Government who claim they . NICOLA Sturgeon would be humiliated if she forced another divisive referendum on Scotland - as support for independence has plummeted and Scots would vote to stay in. [211] She argued that her government had an "indisputable mandate" for a second Scottish independence referendum. [26], Sturgeon served as Shadow Minister for Health and Community Care from 2000 to 2003, and Shadow Minister for Justice from 2003 to 2004. They announced their engagement on 29 January 2010,[332] and were married on 16 July 2010 at ran Mr in Glasgow. Polling for Scotland bre [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. Ms Sturgeon had already announced the compulsory wearing of face masks in corridors and communal areas in Scottish secondary schools and in August 2020 Mr Johnson asked for advice on whether they . 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