Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish premier who resigned without being able to advance Scottish independence

Nicola Sturgeon chose her traditional tailor Colorado to bid farewell to his position as First Minister of Scotland. A secret that only her husband and her chief of staff knew.

The news was applauded by two former prime ministers, the Labor Gordon Brown and the conservative Teresa May, the thanks of another, Rushi Sunak and the surprise of the political class, one of the most pro-European leaders in the kingdom and who sought Scottish independence after Brexit.

Nicola said she knew with “her head and her heart” that “it was time to go.” The Scottish National Party leader appeared to be holding back tears during a hastily convened press conference at Bute House, the seat of government in Edinburgh. He said he would step down once a successor was named at the next party conference.

Sturgeon, 52, said since taking office, he believed it “part of serving well” is “knowing when to step back”. “In my head and in my heart I know that the moment is now, that it is the right one for me, for my party and for the country,” he said at a press conference.

Although he “didn’t expect violins”, the job had cost him “a significant personal price”. He had “basically no privacy” and had not begun to address the impact Scotland had had on his mental and emotional health during the pandemic.

Sturgeon will leave as the longest serving and first female Prime Minister since the creation of the Scottish Parliament. But his greatest ambition has not achieved: the independence of Scotland. His plan to turn the upcoming general election into an eventual referendum has failed among his peers. His ambitions for independence were confused with his internal problems in government.

She has come under increasing pressure in recent weeks over her attempt to reform the gender recognition bill.

He got involved in a dispute gender self-declaration policywhich erupted after a convicted rapist, Isla Bryson, was incarcerated in a women’s prison.

A sad day

The manner of his departure was in line with eight years of leadership, which preceded Nicola Sturgeon’s valedictory address.

He made a joke about his predecessor and he concluded his script on notes of emotion: that sad smile as he undertook the declaration of resignation, and when he finished it, a few tears, as he described the honor of serving .

In between, he was the politician so many admire: calm and measured, articulate and dignified, completely above his mandate. Effective, executive and devastating arguments.

But while his departure will surprise and upset some fans, at the heart of his self-assessment was the admission that, for all his apparent competence, he has become a bitterly polarizing figure.

“Too often,” Sturgeon said. “I see the problems presented and, consequently, seen not on their merits, but through the prism of what I think and what people think of me.”

She denied that this had anything to do with the biggest issue of the day, the gender recognition bill, which she has furiously backed by her opponents, who say it will undermine women’s safe spaces.

An unprecedented rebellion among his own lawmakers and declining support for independence coincide with his period of reflection, which he admitted began in recent weeks.

Depolarize?

Nicola Sturgeon left with one wish. That his departure could “depolarize the public debate” and also “it can be good for our politics. I certainly live in hope.

Outside Bute House, news of his resignation drew a crowd of about 50, not all of them fans. “Nicola Sturgeon – Destroyer of Women’s Rights,” read a placard. “Adult human female,” said another. “We told you,” said a third. All legacy.

The longest-serving prime minister transformed his party’s fortunes with Alex Salmond e He made his mark on public life across the country.

Those lining up to take Nicola Sturgeon’s place may wish to challenge her approach to independence, and the SNP’s position on gender recognition may prove crucial.

AS, Who will get the highest position? Angus Robertson, Mairi McAllan, Kate Forbes, Humza Yousaf and John Swinney are the ones who can replace her.

Kate Forbes, the 32-year-old finance secretary, is an early candidate and the most popular choice to succeed prime minister. The finance secretary was elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2016 and has since been tipped as Sturgeon’s likely successor.

Forbes has been described as lacking ambition, which has further increased its charm. But sources suggest she may be willing to reconsider staging a leadership campaign when the time comes.

He was instrumental in reaching an agreement with the UK government on the creation of a pair of freeports in Scotland. He has established a cordial relationship with Michael Gove, the secretary of state responsible for the British government’s “levelling” policy.

The latest Panelbase survey of 1,415 voters in Scotland also found that Forbes is, by a narrow margin, the most favored option to succeed Sturgeon. She is preparing to return from maternity leave and is apparently “refreshed and ready for the challenges ahead.”

John Swinney was the long-term deputy prime minister. Appointed deputy prime minister in 2014, Swinney, 58, is the most experienced of potential candidates. He led the party between 2000 and 2004, after the first resignation of Alex Salmond.

During Forbes’ absence from daily politics, Swinney angered business leaders by raising income tax on top earners.

Angus Robertson is the Secretary of the Constitution, Foreign Affairs & Culture and Edinburgh Central MSP Despite recent disappointment with the High Court’s referendum ruling, Robertson appears to remain committed to holding another referendum on Scottish independence. He said there was “no benefit” to leaving the European Union for the UK.

First elected to the House of Commons as an MP in 2001, Robertson spent nearly a decade as Westminster SNP leader from 2007 until he lost his seat at the 2017 general election. his interest in foreign affairs and some will see him as the favorite for the top post.

Humza Yousaf, 37, was appointed health secretary in May 2021 and is the only Muslim in the cabinet. He has held numerous positions and in 2018 he was appointed Secretary of the Cabinet of Justice, it is another of those that he has possibilities.

Unite the separatists

Nicola Sturgeon’s leadership and scandals have buried Alex Salmond, former First Minister of Scotland, as leader. But he says a new SNP leader could rally the independence movement.

Asked on BBC Radio 4’s World At One show whether he saw an opportunity for his rival Alba party, Salmond said: “I see what I see as an opportunity to reset independence.” He noted that it depended “largely on who happens” to Sturgeon.

But he added: ‘If you find someone who is trying to rally the movement, perhaps through the vehicle of an independence convention, whereby you take a variety of parties, and indeed run through movements, and bring them together under the same tent, then that would be a great opportunity,” he said.

Nicola Sturgeon leaves but independence in Scotland does not die and she will continue to promote it. Sturgeon’s personality, dominant and controlling, has not favored the cause, tainted by the daily problems of his government.