Nicola Sturgeon 'disgusted' at Rangers fans' 'anti-Catholic prejudice [48], As Health Secretary, Sturgeon became more widely known internationally for her handling of the 2009 flu pandemic. Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon says resignation had nothing to do with We believe in the free flow of. [66] Sturgeon said the Scottish Government would "not wait" for Westminster to build a high-speed line to Scotland. 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. She became the youngest ever parliamentary candidate in Scotland in the 1992 general election. [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. [81], On 24 September 2014, Sturgeon officially launched her campaign bid to succeed Salmond as Leader of the Scottish National Party at the November leadership election. [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]. Newark Catholic boys basketball flourishing in second season, reaches [271] The Government of Spain criticised Sturgeon, claiming she had "totally misunderstood" the situation in Spain and Catalonia. [273][failed verification], Sturgeon is a constitutional monarchist, telling journalists that it is "a model that has many merits". She departs leaving both TERF Island and her successor holding two sweating sticks of constitutional dynamite. Furthermore, they concluded that the Scottish Government had awarded the contracts without normal financial safeguards and presided over a "multitude of failings". She also served as a member of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee and the Health and Community Care Committee. 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? Their sense of grievance, anti-imperialism and touchiness are traits that chime with plenty other Scots. As the new leader of Scottish Labour, Murphy will certainly hope to bring disaffected voters to their senses by challenging what he sees as the dangerous impracticality of nationalism. Sturgeon argued that the meetings were SNP party matters, and thus not covered. The move is prompting a new conversations about trans rights, independence and Jacinda Ardern. [327], Forbes magazine ranked Sturgeon as the 50th most powerful woman in the world in 2016 and 2nd in the United Kingdom. Nicola Sturgeon Boyfriend 2023: Dating History & Exes - CelebsCouples SNP Leadership battle to replace Nicola Sturgeon could have an impact "[54] The following day, she confirmed that these were cases of the swine influenza A (H1N1) virus. 1d ago Charlotte Observer Nicola Sturgeon is a Scottish politician. She led the Scottish Government's response, implementing a series of restrictions on social gatherings and rolling out the vaccine programme. [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. Sturgeon was branded as "ungracious" when she was filmed by Sky News celebrating Swinson's defeat. and Duran Duran, and enjoyed spending Saturday nights at Frostys Ice Disco in Irvine. [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. Sturgeon became a high-profile figure in Scottish politics and often clashed with First Minister Jack McConnell at First Minister's Questions. 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. ", "Rise of Nicola Sturgeon: from 'nippy sweetie' to SNP leader? 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. Fiona Hyslop and Richard Lochhead remained in their portfolios of culture secretary and rural affairs secretary, respectively. Perhaps Sturgeon knew her position lacked credibility so made up nonsense about 'anti-Catholic bigotry' without bothering to cite any evidence. The paper was sent to the central British Government to be read by Prime Minister Theresa May. [149] Among the election casualties was Liberal Democrats leader Jo Swinson, who lost her seat in East Dunbartonshire. [30], However, once Cunningham emerged as the favourite to win,[30] Salmond announced his intention to stand for the leadership; Sturgeon subsequently withdrew from the contest and declared her support for Salmond, standing instead as his running mate for the depute leadership. On Salmond's resignation, Sturgeon said: The personal debt of gratitude I owe Alex is immeasurable. [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. [211] She argued that her government had an "indisputable mandate" for a second Scottish independence referendum. This win resulted in Sturgeon becoming the first First Minister in the history of the Scottish Parliament to form a third government. [citation needed] During her time at the University of Glasgow she was active as a member of the Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association and the Glasgow University Students' Representative Council. Her second term was dominated by the result of the 2016 Brexit referendum, when the UK voted to leave the European Union, in spite of 62% of votes in Scotland backing remaining in the EU. [22][23], The 1997 general election saw Sturgeon selected to fight the Glasgow Govan seat for the SNP. [35] Sturgeon quickly grew a reputation in Holyrood as opposition leader, becoming known as "nippy sweetie" Scottish slang for the "sharp-tongued and strong-minded". Anthony Horan, director of the Catholic Parliamentary . This included rows over the House of Commons' decision to replace the Trident nuclear weapon system, and the SNP's plans to replace council tax in Scotland with a local income tax. Speaking at the annual Cardinal Winning Lecture at the University of . [246] Per head, Scotland's death rate among the homeless is the highest in Britain. 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. ", "Moray: 'We are fed up with the SNP. [232], In January 2021, a former trans officer in the SNP's LGBT wing, Teddy Hope, quit the party, claiming it was one of the "core hubs of transphobia in Scotland". [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. 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. [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. [234] In September 2021, Sturgeon was accused of shutting down debate about gender reforms after she described concerns about gender recognition reform as "not valid" and campaign groups and analysts complained that their concerns were being ignored. It has been supplanted by left-wing agitators, celebrities, mocking comedians and restless academics and journalists. The calls from Sturgeon's government and the wider independence movement for a second referendum were unsuccessful, as the UK government refused to grant a Section 30 order and in November 2022 the UK Supreme Court ruled that the Scottish Parliament does not have the power to hold a referendum on the question of Scottish independence. List of current heads of government in the United Kingdom, Deputy First Minister of Scotland (20072014), Leadership of the Scottish National Party, Criticism of Boris Johnson administration. Nicola Sturgeon slams anti-Catholic bigotry as parades commission [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}. . [330] In 2015, BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour assessed Sturgeon to be the most powerful and influential woman in the United Kingdom. [142][143] Sturgeon's husband, Peter Murrell, was called to this inquiry to give evidence on 8 December 2020. [112] Sturgeon also hinted if re-elected she would hold a second referendum on Scottish independence. There was, however, significant public opposition to repeal and an unscientific postal vote on the issue organised by SNP donor Brian Souter suggested most Scots wanted to keep the clause. Initially, the Scottish Government resisted banning public events and on 12 March allowed 47,000 fans to attend a Rangers match at Ibrox, insisting that, "stopping mass gatherings [is] not the best way to contain this virus. "[245], The crisis has particularly impacted the homeless in Scotland: 216 homeless people died in Scotland in 2019 an increase of 11% on the previous year; over half (54%) of these deaths were drug-related. ", "Donald Trump is 'misogyny at its worst' says Sturgeon", "Scottish independence: Sexist envoy Tony Abbott is boost for second referendum, says Nicola Sturgeon", "Sturgeon slams 'sexist' tweet by Labour MSP Neil Findlay", "Sturgeon Insists Salmond is the 'Least Sexist Man' She Knows", "Sturgeon rejects sexist jibe about Salmond", "Challenge friends over sexist conduct, Nicola Sturgeon urges men", "Men must challenge misogynistic behaviour, says Nicola Sturgeon", "Several women 'close to quitting SNP over gender recognition plans', "Joanna Cherry accuses SNP colleagues of 'performative histrionics' over transgender issue", "Anger over trans woman on all-female SNP shortlist", "Why has the SNP been accused of 'transphobic views' and who is Teddy Hope? After Salmond had told Tory MP Anna Soubry, "Behave yourself, woman" in 2015, Sturgeon said: "The fundamental question, 'does that language indicate that Alex Salmond is sexist?' 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. "[275], Following the death of the Queen Elizabeth II, Sturgeon led tributes to the Queen. We can't bind our successors, but we've made very clear our belief that constitutional referenda are once-in-a-generation events. The Catholicism of the Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy has attracted some attention this week against a backdrop of fascinating political developments in Scotland. "[164], In April 2020 whistle-blowers in the NHS came forward to reveal that staff were being made to reuse dirty personal protective equipment (PPE) while at work. [45], Sturgeon served as Health Secretary in Salmond's first, and for a year, in his second cabinet. [citation needed] She later studied law at the University of Glasgow School of Law, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) in 1992 and a Diploma in Legal Practice the following year. [6][7] She is the eldest of two daughters born to Joan Kerr Sturgeon (ne Ferguson, born 23 October 1952[8]), a dental nurse, and Robin Sturgeon (born 28 September 1948[9]), an electrician. It really matters. [43][44] He appointed Sturgeon as Deputy First Minister and tasked her with the Cabinet position of Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing. Overall, it concluded that ministers "could have been better prepared to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic". Nicola Sturgeon Resigns as Scotland's First Minister, Citing Toll of Mr Swinney announced on Thursday his plans to step down when a new first minister is appointed, bringing to an end his near-16 year career at the top of the Scottish Government. Some will see this as the acquisition of belated self-confidence by a submerged community. [130] Previously, May and David Mundell, Secretary of State for Scotland, had both highlighted that as the negotiations began with the European Union on the United Kingdom's withdraw, it was important for Scotland to work with the UK Government to get the best exit deal for both the United Kingdom and Scotland, stating that "now is not the time for another referendum".[131]. [99] Shona Robison, a close ally to Sturgeon, became the health secretary, while Keith Brown and Angela Constance, who were both unsuccessful in their bids for the deputy leadership of the SNP, were appointed infrastructure secretary and education secretary, respectively. Thatcher was the motivation for my entire political career. "[207][208][209][210], In June 2022, Sturgeon officially announced her plan for Scottish independence once again. "[166], In July 2020, Sturgeon advocated that the leaders of the four UK nations adopt a coordinated Zero-COVID strategy. At the time, Queen's Counsel under the reign of Elizabeth II, now King's Counsel under the reign of Charles III. [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. The SNP emerged as the second largest party and sat in opposition to the Labour-Lib Dem coalition. She also served as Cabinet Secretary for Health, Infrastructure, and Parliament. LONDON Nicola Sturgeon, a fiery campaigner for Scotland's independence who led its government for more than eight years, resigned on Wednesday, declaring that she was exhausted and had . There is no concrete proof that Lori is actually Jewish and she hasn't shared any information regarding her religious beliefs. These are the heartlands of a community once defined by deep Catholic loyalties. [219] She proposed the Scottish Government would use the pound sterling for a brief period before transitioning to a new currency known as the 'Scottish Pound'. Nicola Sturgeon: Top 10 Facts You Need to Know - FamousDetails They are more likely to be within a splintered and increasingly post-religious community rather than between Orange and Green factions. "[177][178][179], Sturgeon led the SNP into the 2021 Scottish Parliament election on a manifesto promise to hold a second independence referendum after the COVID-19 pandemic was over. [284] She has at various points commented on the behaviour or attitudes of men towards women; publicly condemning Donald Trump,[285] Tony Abbott[286] and former Labour MSP Neil Findlay. Let's explore the rumors of her being lesbian and learn about her sexuality, partner and children. "[250], In July 2022 the figures for 2021 were released, revealing that 1,330 had died - nine fewer than in 2020. She joined the SNP following an assumption by her English teacher, who was a Labour councillor, she would be a Labour supporter. [180] In the election, the SNP won 64 of the 129 seats contested. If Scotland was outside Europe, they would lose the right to stay here."[74][75]. [77][78][79] Sturgeon said that there would be "no greater privilege" than to lead the SNP. [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". [56][57], On 11 June, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the influenza virus a pandemic. [226][227] Some SNP members have urged Sturgeon to call an early election at Holyrood to speed up the process for a de facto referendum. ", "Election 2015: SNP wins 56 of 59 seats in Scots landslide", "Nicola Sturgeon crowned 'Politician of the Year', "Nicola Sturgeon ranked second most powerful woman in UK", "Nicola Sturgeon tops Woman's Hour power list", "Nicola Sturgeon announces wedding plans", "Nicola Sturgeon ties the knot but she won't be calling herself Mrs Murrell", "Nicola Sturgeon spills the beans on her home life as she reveals she's a disaster in the kitchen - Daily Record", "Nicola Sturgeon discusses favourite books with author Maggie O'Farrell | The Scotsman", " I love reading - it gives me a lot of joy and helps with the stresses and strains of work. For there is plenty of evidence that people of Irish descent have been to the fore in the near-quadrupling of SNP membership to 92,000 since the referendum, which threatens to undo Labour at the 2015 UK general election. Scotlands Catholic community, to which I belong, has often felt itself to be a perennial underdog at the hands of a frosty establishment. [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. [145], On 4 March 2021, Sturgeon answered questions over a period of eight hours from members of the committee. [140], On 15 January 2019, the Scottish Parliament agreed to hold its own inquiry into the matter, the Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints,[141] to investigate how the Government breached its own guidelines in its original investigation into the harassment claims against Salmond, and then lost a judicial review into their actions and had to pay over 500,000 to Salmond for legal expenses. Sturgeon apologised for being overexcited although expressed that she was celebrating Amy Callaghan's win. Nicola Sturgeon - Wikipedia Is Nicola Sturgeon A Lesbian? Everything About Her - Halla News [134] It was the best result for the Scottish Conservatives since Margaret Thatcher and the party's campaign slogan, "We said No to independence. [157][158][159] Subsequently the restrictions were repeatedly tightened, loosened and adapted in parts or all of Scotland in response to developments in the situation. [163] When asked by the BBC if the policy had been a mistake, Sturgeon said: "Looking back on that now, with the knowledge we have now and with the benefit of hindsight, yes. This means that Catholic electoral areas can expect to see divisions in the UK and Scottish elections of 2015 and 2016. Overall 52% of voters in the United Kingdom voted for Brexit (leaving the EU), with 48% voting to remain. But now these Scots are mainstream. Nicola Sturgeon Catholic Archives - Wealthy Peeps ", "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? It is absolutely crushing. She served successively as the SNP's shadow minister for education, health, and justice. [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". "[155] However, on 18 March Sturgeon announced to the Scottish Parliament that all schools and nurseries in Scotland would close on 20 March to try to limit the spread of the virus. Parents And Ethnicity Revealed By Manish Chitrakar February 15, 2023 Nicola Sturgeon being catholic has been a major turn-up on the internet, as the Scottish politician Read More Shortly after being elected, Sturgeon appointed John Swinney to the newly created position of Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery. [189], The announcement was welcomed by the Scottish Green party but Greenpeace criticised Sturgeon for not coming out more strongly against the oil field. [144] Opposition parties criticised Sturgeon on disparity and contradictions between the narratives of Murrell and herself. [233][234], In September 2021, Sturgeon was accused of shutting down debate about gender reforms after she described concerns about gender recognition reform as "not valid" and campaign groups and analysts complained that their concerns were being ignored. 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!! [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. [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. [338], In May 2022, Sturgeon tested positive for COVID-19. It's interesting what Dan Wootton said about her reaction to Omicron - that is the very first thing I said when I heard about it, that Nicola would jump on it and use it to bring in more restrictions. [95] She became the first woman to hold office. [82][83] It quickly became apparent that no other candidate would be able to receive enough required nominations to run a credible leadership campaign. She also said that the result "renews, reinforces and strengthens" the mandate for Indyref2.[154]. While it commended the authorities for preventing hospitals from becoming overwhelmed during the crisis, the watchdog also noted that recommendations from pandemic planning exercises in 2015, 2016 and 2018 had not been fully implemented. [309][310] This was the only occasion when he made a formal visit to Edinburgh as he declined future invites by the first minister. Sturgeon said there were "lots of lessons to learn". [28] On 24 June 2004, Sturgeon announced that she would also be a candidate in the forthcoming election for the leadership, with Kenny MacAskill as her running mate. We have worked hard to make sure that supplies are there, weve worked hard overcoming challenges that we have faced along the way. The down side is that you just end up talking about it all the time and you never leave it outside. [215], Sturgeon officially announced that the referendum would be held on 19 October 2023. Sturgeon used Brexit at her advantage as a case for a second referendum on independence but plans came to a halt amid the COVID-19 pandemic.