Nicola Sturgeon took Scotland, and the rest of the UK, by surprise with her resignation. In her speech on Wednesday morning, she blamed two factors: her waning energy levels and the way in which Scottish politics had become polarised around her as a leader. The first minister and SNP leader acknowledged the difficulty of keeping the party together on the sensitive question of whether the next election should be treated as a de facto independence vote. She also spoke of how important it was for the next leader to reach across the political divide to supporters of other parties. Here is what she said. ‘In my head and my heart, I know that time is now’ “Since my very first moments in the job, I have believed that part of serving well would be to know – almost instinctively – when the time is right to make way for someone else. And when that time came, to have the courage to do so – even if, to many across the country and in my party, it might feel too soon. “In my head and my heart, I know that time is now. That it is right for me, for my party and for the country. And so today I am announcing my intention to step down as first minister and leader of my party.” The toll of the job … and the ‘brutality’ of modern politics “Giving absolutely everything of yourself to this job is the only way to do it. The country deserves nothing less. But, in truth, that can only be done, by anyone, for so long. For me, it is now in danger of becoming too long. “A first minister is never off duty. Particularly in this day and age, there is virtually no privacy. Ordinary stuff that most people take for granted, like going for a coffee with friends or for a walk on your own, becomes very difficult. And the nature and form of modern political discourse means there is a much greater intensity – dare I say it, brutality – to life as a politician than in years gone by “All in all – and for a long time, without it being apparent – it takes its toll on you and on those around you. And if that is true in the best of times, it has been more so in recent years. Leading this country through the Covid pandemic is by far the toughest thing I’ve done. It may well be the toughest thing I ever do. I certainly hope so. “Now, by no stretch of the imagination was my job the hardest in the country during that time. But the weight of responsibility was immense. And it’s only very recently, I think, that I’ve started to comprehend, let alone process, the physical and mental impact of it on me. “So, what I am saying is this. If the only question was can I battle on for another few months, then the answer is yes. Of course I can. But if the question is can I give this job everything it demands and deserves for another year, let alone for the remainder of this parliamentary term – give it every ounce of energy that it needs, in the way that I have strived to do every day for the past eight years – the answer, honestly, is different.”
The referendum question “My preference of using the next Westminster election as a de facto referendum is well known. I’ve never pretended it is perfect – no second-best option ever is – nor that there are no alternatives. That is why I have always been clear that the decision must be taken by the SNP collectively, not by me alone. “But I know my party well enough to understand that my view as leader would carry enormous, probably decisive, weight when our conference meets next month. And I cannot in good conscience ask the party to choose an option based on my judgment, whilst not being convinced that I would be there as leader to see it through. “By making my decision clear now, I free the SNP to choose the path it believes to be the right one, without worrying about the perceived implications for my leadership – and in the knowledge that a new leader will steer us on that path.” … and the future of the independence movement “And, obviously, there is independence. Winning independence is the cause I have dedicated a lifetime to. It is a cause I believe in with every fibre of my being. And it is a cause I am convinced is being won. I intend to be there as it is won, every step of the way.” On Scottish politics needing a new voice “The longer any leader is in office, the more opinions about them become fixed and very hard to change. And that matters. Individual polls come and go, but I am firmly of the view that there is now majority support for independence. But that support needs to be solidified – and it needs to grow further if our independent Scotland is to have the best possible foundation. “To achieve that, we must reach across the divide in Scottish politics. And my judgment now is that a new leader will be better able to do this. Someone about whom the mind of almost everyone in the country is not already made up, for better or worse. Someone who is not subject to quite the same polarised opinions, fair or unfair, as I now am. “I feel more and more each day that the fixed opinions people increasingly have about me – as I say, some fair, others little more than caricature – are being used as barriers to reasoned debate in our country. Statements and decisions that should not be controversial at all quickly become so. Issues that are controversial end up almost irrationally so. “Too often I see issues presented, and as a result viewed, not on their own merits but through the prism of what I think and what people think about me.” On her own future “While I am stepping down from leadership, I am not leaving politics. There are many issues I care deeply about and hope to champion in future. One of these is the promise, the national mission, so close to my heart, to improve the life chances of care-experienced young people and ensure that they grow up nurtured and loved.”