London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Oct 06, 2025

Nicola Sturgeon says time is right to resign as Scotland's first minister

Nicola Sturgeon says time is right to resign as Scotland's first minister

Nicola Sturgeon has announced she is resigning as Scotland's first minister after more than eight years in the role.

The Scottish National Party leader said she knew "in my head and in my heart" this was the right time to step down.

Ms Sturgeon said she would remain in office until her successor was elected.

She is the longest-serving first minister and the first woman to hold the position.

Ms Sturgeon insisted her resignation was not in response to the "latest period of pressure", which has included controversies over gender reforms, trans prisoners and the strategy on independence.

She acknowledged there had been "choppy waters", but said her decision had come from "a deeper and longer-term assessment".

"Since the very first moment 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," she said.

"And when that time came, to have the courage to do so, even if many across the country, and in my party, might feel it too soon.

"In my head and in 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."

Nicola Sturgeon leaving the news conference in Bute House

The first minister said she had been struggling with conflicting emotions since around the turn of the year.

"I get up in the morning and I tell myself, and usually I convince myself, that I've got what it takes to keep going and keep going and keep going," she said.

"But then I realise that that's maybe not as true."

She said there were two questions - whether carrying on was right for her, and whether it was right for country, her party and the cause of independence.

Ms Sturgeon said the answer to both questions was no.

"We are at a critical moment," she said. "The blocking of a referendum as the accepted, constitutional route to independence is a democratic outrage.

"But it puts the onus on us to decide how Scottish democracy will be protected and to ensure that the will of the Scottish people prevails."

She said that support for independence needed to be "solidified" and to grow further.

"To achieve that we need to reach across the divide in Scottish politics, and my judgement now is that this needs a new leader," she said.

Nominations to elect her successor have now opened. Names to have been suggested as potential candidates include John Swinney, Kate Forbes and Angus Robertson.

The SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn told the BBC he would not be standing.

Ms Sturgeon said she was "not leaving politics" and would continue to fight for Scottish independence.

She added that the intensity and "brutality" of life as a politician had taken its toll on her, and those around her.

The first minister said leading the country through the Covid pandemic had been "by far the toughest thing I've done" and that she had only recently started to comprehend its physical and mental impact.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said the first minister had led Scotland through some of the most "challenging times" in recent history.

He said: "It is right that today we pay tribute to those achievements, particularly during the pandemic.

"Regardless of our differences, she is an able politician who has stood at the forefront of Scottish politics for more than 20 years."
Nicola Sturgeon in Bute House after the press conference


Prime Minister Rishi Sunak paid tribute to Ms Sturgeon "for her long-standing public service".

He said they "didn't agree on everything" but had successfully worked together on freeports.

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross MSP said: "Whatever our differences, it is right we recognise that political leadership is always demanding and takes its toll on a person and their family."

But he added that Ms Sturgeon had "presided over a decade of division and decay in Scotland".

Former first minister and SNP leader Alex Salmond, who now leads the Alba party, said he felt for Ms Sturgeon personally - but that there was no obvious successor and no clear strategy for independence.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said he was "very sorry" at the first minister's decision but "completely understands" her reasons.

"It's obviously been a shock to all of us, a shock to the SNP family and shock to the country as well," he said.

The SNP's Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said Ms Sturgeon had been an "outstanding political leader".

"She has taken support for independence to record levels and won every national election, by margins other parties could only wish for," he said.

Ms Sturgeon has been a member of the Scottish Parliament since 1999, and became the deputy leader of the SNP in 2004.

She has been first minister since November 2014, when she took over from Alex Salmond after the defeat in the independence referendum.

Ms Sturgeon has led the SNP to a series of election victories at UK, Scottish and local level.

Last year the UK Supreme Court ruled that Holyrood did not have the power to stage another independence referendum - a move which has been blocked by the UK government.

Ms Sturgeon wants the SNP to fight the next general election as a de facto referendum, but there has been some opposition to the plan within the SNP.

In addition, recent months have seen controversies over gender reforms, which have been blocked by the UK government; a teachers' strike; and rows over the management of transgender prisoners.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
×