Nicola Sturgeon abruptly quits as Scotland’s first minister amid a maelstrom of political decline.
Wed February 15, 2023 Nicola Sturgeon, the figurehead of the faltering Scottish independence movement, dramatically announced on Wednesday that she would resign after eight years as Scotland’s first minister. At a news conference in Edinburgh, the leader of the Scottish National Party made the declaration. She will continue to serve as SNP leader until a replacement is named. It is “right for me, for my party, and for the country,” Sturgeon said, adding that she realizes the “time is now” for her to resign. Sturgeon, who has been at odds with the UK government in London over Scottish independence and Westminster’s decision to block a Scottish law intended to allow trans people in Scotland to change their legal gender without a medical diagnosis, said, “First, though I know it will be tempting to see it as such, this decision is not a reaction to short-term pressures.” “This choice is the result of a more thorough and extensive evaluation.” She continued
