I’m extremely saddened to see Nicola stand down as First Minister; she has been an incredible leader who has inspired so many to not just care about Scottish independence – but about Scottish politics more generally.
Nicola was the first female First Minister of Scotland and the longest serving incumbent. That speaks volumes to her tenacious nature, commitment and the ambition she has for Scotland.
She has devoted her adult life to politics so let’s be frank, her decision today is entirely understandable.
The pandemic was beyond tough – and followed by the harsh reality of a Brexit we didn’t vote for and the Tory-made cost of living crisis, it has been exhausting. That’s been felt even more acutely by our First Minister, so her decision is also one I hugely respect – despite being sad to see her step down.
Choosing to take a step back when you can’t give the role the commitment you once did is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength. She is putting Scotland and her party before herself.
It’ll be a huge job for whoever follows in Nicola’s footsteps, but the SNP now has a duty to make sure we find someone who is able to build upon her passionate leadership.
I’m delighted however that Nicola is not taking a step back from political life in its entirely, as she truly is an asset to Scottish politics. The independence movement is of course bigger than any one person, but Nicola has undoubtedly played a significant part in taking us to where we are now.
I hope she now finds time to reflect fully on her achievements, and I want to thank her for giving her all to the job of First Minister.
Her legacy will be a Scotland where more people from deprived backgrounds are getting into university, where we’re designing a social security system that takes a person-centred approach with tackling poverty at its heart, where we became the first country to provide period products to all who need them for free.
Her government has protected free prescriptions, free eye tests, and has fought against attempts to privatise our NHS.
We must now rally round and rather than mourn what will be known as the ‘Sturgeon-era’, we should fondly view this chapter in the SNP’s history and work together to steer a way forward to achieve the end goal of gaining our independence.
Thank you, Nicola. 
