[64], At the 2011 election, the SNP won a large overall majority. [18][19][20], In an interview with the BBC's Woman's Hour, Sturgeon revealed that it was Margaret Thatcher who inspired her to enter politics, because, due to rising unemployment in Scotland at the time, she developed "a strong feeling that it was wrong for Scotland to be governed by a Tory government that we hadn't elected". [322][323][324][325] It followed her party's unprecedented landslide victory in the 2015 general election, which questioned the future of the union. [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]. Nicola Sturgeon's Enthusiastic Talk on Catholic Schools Leaked To Catholic Truth! The victims of drugs and their families were failed. The first confirmed case of the virus in Scotland was announced on 1 March 2020, when a resident in Tayside had tested positive. [33] As Salmond was still an MP in the House of Commons, Sturgeon led the SNP at the Scottish Parliament until the 2007 election, when Salmond was elected as an MSP. ", "Polls "confirm Nicola Sturgeon TV debate success", "SNP could hold independence referendum if it wins in 2016", "Sturgeon: Second referendum 'if and when Scotland wants it', "Nicola Sturgeon launches 'ambitious and reforming' SNP manifesto", "Nicola Sturgeon plays down chance of snap second vote on independence", "SNP manifesto launch: Sturgeon makes personal plea to voters", "Nicola Sturgeon: 'When' rather than 'if' for second independence referendum", "Nicola Sturgeon claims 'historic victory' in Scottish vote", "VIDEO: Nicola Sturgeon ready to lead minority government after SNP election win", "New MSPs to arrive at Holyrood for first day", "Nicola Sturgeon wins Scottish first minister vote", "Scotland Seeks Independence Again After U.K. 'Brexit' Vote", "Scotland Says New Vote on Independence Is 'Highly Likely', "Scots' backing for Remain raises threat of union's demise", "Second Scotland Referendum 'Highly Likely', "Nicola Sturgeon says second Scottish referendum 'highly likely' as it happened", "Sturgeon to lobby EU members to support Scotland's bid to remain", "Sturgeon to seek EU talks to 'protect' Scotland's membership", "Nicola Sturgeon says independence vote would be proposed 'if best or only way to protect EU place', "EU referendum: The 'stark difference' between Wales and Scotland", "Scottish parliament votes for second independence referendum", "Nicola Sturgeon writes letter to Theresa May requesting second Scottish independence referendum", "Theresa May: 'Now is not the time' for indyref2", "Voters want a break, says Nicola Sturgeon as she postpones IndyRef2", "Nicola Sturgeon Says The General Election Could "Reinforce" Her Plans For IndyRef2", "Sturgeon: Indyref2 'factor' in SNP losses", "Is Scotland on the cusp of a Tory resurgence? John Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon "wrestled" with the idea of leaving at the same time, the Deputy First Minister has said. What religion are the Bee Gees? The reception She has received today, demonstrates that that admiration and affection is certainly felt here in Scotland. [281][282], Sturgeon has also campaigned on women's rights and gender equality, and is a self-described feminist; she has argued that Scotland's feminist movement is not simply symbolic, but "sends a powerful signal about equality". [135] Observers also concluded that opposition to the EU's Common Fisheries Policy in coastal communities was a factor behind large swings to the Tories in North East seats previously held by nationalists for decades. The first minister was answering a question from Labour MSP Pauline O'Neill about "anti-Irish and anti-Catholic prejudice" in Scotland after arrests were made in the wake of . [129] By the end of that week, on 30 March 2017, Sturgeon wrote to the Prime Minister requesting a Section 30 order, formally devolving the responsibility and power to the Scottish Government to plan for and hold another referendum on Scottish independence. [34], As leader of the SNP in the Scottish Parliament, she served as the Leader of the Opposition in Holyrood. Alex Salmond, the departing leader, preached a rousing sermon and anointed his successor, Nicola Sturgeon, amid great fervour. But the stridency of folk shedding their religious skins and looking for a substitute faith is unlikely to reconcile them to the rest of the Scottish nation. Fiona Hyslop and Richard Lochhead remained in their portfolios of culture secretary and rural affairs secretary, respectively. Nicola Sturgeon condemns recent vandalism at St Simon's Partick at First Minister Questions today May 2nd. Absolutely not, there's no man I know who is less sexist. "[241] That year 867 Scots lost their lives to drugs an increase of 23% on the previous year's figure and the SNP insisted it was part of a trend seen across much of Europe. [92], On 20 November 2014, Sturgeon was sworn into office at the Court of Session in a ceremony presided by Lord Gill,[93][94] after receiving the royal warrant of appointment by Queen Elizabeth II. [56][57], On 11 June, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the influenza virus a pandemic. [335][336], Her mother Joan was the SNP Provost of North Ayrshire council, where she was councillor for the Irvine East ward from 2007 until 2016. If you are talking about the singer Shakira, yes she is Roman. [202][203][204], Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament of her "deep regret" that islanders were enduring such chaos and said that the Government was "learning lessons from this experience". Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has said her government is an "unequivocal supporter" of Catholic schools. [1][2] She is the longest-serving first minister of Scotland. One example would be the decision of the NHS in Scotland to end the right of Catholic staff, such as mid-wives, not to participate in abortions it is currently the subject of legal action; Sturgeon never saw fit to intervene during her time as health minister. 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. We have worked hard to make sure that supplies are there, weve worked hard overcoming challenges that we have faced along the way. "[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. Tom Gallagher does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. [89], Sturgeon was formally acclaimed as the first female Leader of the SNP on 14 November 2014 at the Autumn Conference in Perth, with Hosie as her depute. [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}. 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. In 2015, Sturgeon was questioned as, and in some cases branded as, the 'most dangerous woman in Britain'. [12] Her family has some roots in North East England; her paternal grandmother, Margaret Sturgeon (ne Mill), was from Ryhope in what is now the City of Sunderland. Aged 21, Sturgeon was selected as the SNP candidate in the Glasgow Shettleston constituency. [251] Annemarie Ward, chief executive at the FAVOR Scotland charity, said: "Nicola Sturgeon said she would make it her national mission to save lives - but were still losing more than 1000 people a year. There is no concrete proof that Lori is actually Jewish and she hasn't shared any information regarding her religious beliefs. However, that decision is not for today. "[291][292], Ahead of the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, Sturgeon pledged to review and reform the way that trans people change their legal gender. [230][231][232] In the 2021 SNP manifesto, Sturgeon committed the party once again to reform the Gender Recognition Act 2004 of the UK Parliament and in August that year included the commitment in her agreement with the Scottish Greens on power-sharing. In 1979 most of them voted No or abstained in the first referendum on devolution. She also promised to hold a monthly Facebook question and answer session with members of the public, regular town hall meetings and that the Scottish Cabinet would meet outside Edinburgh once every two months. [65], In 2012 she pledged to build a high-speed railway line between Glasgow and Edinburgh by 2024, cutting journey times between the two cities to under 30 minutes. Some will see this as the acquisition of belated self-confidence by a submerged community. Recently, Nicola Sturgeon caught the headlines after being accused of treating the north of England with contempt. [110] She set out the party's plans to increase income tax by freezing tax thresholds, reversing her previous policy of cutting taxes for higher earners. [16][17], In her early teens, Sturgeon joined the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and in 1986, at the age of 16, she became a member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), quickly becoming the party's Youth Affairs Vice Convener and Publicity Vice Convener. The couple have been in a relationship since 2003. It is a scar on the conscience of this Scottish Government. [311][312][313] Sturgeon claimed Johnson's "fragile male ego" stopped him from meeting her. The previous leader, Alex Salmond, announced at the time that he would not stand. His then-depute, Roseanna Cunningham, immediately announced her intention to stand for the leadership. ", "IFS: Independent Scotland 'would face continued austerity' under Growth Commission proposals", "Is post-referendum Scotland a feminist paradise? [192][193][194][195] During the winter of 2022 only one in three sailings to the island of Coll went ahead;[196] Hebridean shopkeepers kept receiving deliveries of rotten food;[197][198] [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. The Catholic church has long ceased to be an effective opinion former a charge that could equally be levelled at most denominations, of course. Sturgeon immediately announced that she would be a candidate in the election to replace him, and received huge support from the SNP hierarchy. On 15 February 2023, Sturgeon announced that she would resign as first minister and SNP leader once a new leader is elected. [58] Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament that containment of the virus had failed and that the Scottish Government was taking steps to mitigate the spread of the virus. By Democrat reporter A fundamentalist representative of the Catholic Church in Scotland has called out the Scottish National Party's (SNP) "open and vicious hostility" towards pro-life Christians. Likewise, she also holds the leader of the Scottish National Party position. ", "Nicola Sturgeon's sister urges the critics to 'cut SNP leader some slack' on Covid", "Sunderland roots of SNP's Nicola Sturgeon", "Gary Elliot: Nicola Sturgeon and I come from the same working class stock - trying to paint her as the 'new establishment' is laughable", "Nicola Sturgeon on taking Scotland to the world", "Profile: Nicola Sturgeon spoke to Mandy Rhodes about her miscarriage", "Sturgeon: "Now or never" to banish Trident", "Sturgeon on Charles Kennedy 'a most talented politician', "Nicola Sturgeon reveals how she and Charles Kennedy watched Trainspotting together as she pays tribute to former Lib Dem leader", "BBC News | SCOTLAND | Poll 'backs' Section 28", "Edinburgh News, "Salmond in shock bid for leader", "Scotsman.com, "Salmond's arch-rival buries hatchet with declaration of support", "Why does Nicola Sturgeon not have a seat in Westminster? Feb 15, 2023 Nicola Sturgeon appears like her religion is Christianity. The SNP emerged as the largest party following the 2007 election and Salmond headed the first SNP minority government, with Sturgeon as his Deputy First Minster. In response to the UK-wide vote for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union, the Scottish Government, headed by Sturgeon, launched the Scotland's Place in Europe document, a white paper setting out the Scottish Government's aims and wishes of Scotland's role in Europe post-Brexit. [271] Sturgeon highlighted that Spain should follow "the shining example" that was created as part of the Edinburgh Agreement between the Scottish and British Governments that allowed Scotland to hold a legally binding referendum. You would need to be wired to the moon to think Nicola Sturgeon and her Government give two hoots about the teachings of the Catholic Church or the sensibilities of genuine Catholics. [229] However, the policy divided the party and it the bill was delayed during Sturgeon's second term in office because of opposition to the policy and the COVID-19 pandemic. [45], Sturgeon served as Health Secretary in Salmond's first, and for a year, in his second cabinet. She is born into a family of four, including her . The favourite to replace Nicola Sturgeon has said Isla Bryson should have the right to self-identify as female despite arguing that the transgender rapist is "at it". [217][218], In October 2022, Sturgeon launched her government's third independence paper, which outlines the currency in an independent Scotland and joining the EU. [211] She argued that her government had an "indisputable mandate" for a second Scottish independence referendum. ", "Covid in Scotland: Inadequate preparations for Covid, says watchdog", "Scottish government inadequately prepared for Covid watchdog", "Covid in Scotland: Places of worship can open now after court win", "Church leaders pile pressure on Sturgeon to lift public worship ban", "Scotland's Covid death toll officially passes 10,000", "The full picture of Covid-linked deaths in Scotland's care homes", "Nicola Sturgeon leads calls for Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak to resign", "Nicola Sturgeon demands Boris Johnson resigns after Prime Minister fined", "Police speak to Nicola Sturgeon over mask breach", "Police Scotland takes 'no further action' on Nicola Sturgeon following face mask complaint", "Covid in Scotland: Nicola Sturgeon gets police warning but no fine after mask law break", "SNP to seek Scottish independence vote after election victory", "Scottish election 2021: Nicola Sturgeon celebrates 'historic' SNP election win", "SNP wins election, but just one seat short of overall majority", "John Swinney to be minister for Covid recovery", "SNP and Scottish Greens confirm power-sharing deal in historic moment for Greens", "Green co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater to serve as ministers in Nicola Sturgeon's Government", "Sturgeon urges UK government to reassess Cambo oil field plan", "Shetland oilfield is a drop in the ocean", "Nicola Sturgeon 'hiding behind PM' on Cambo oilfield, say climate groups", "Nicola Sturgeon: Cambo oil field should not get green light", "Scottish island ferry crossings cancelled as wind and rain batter West Coast", "Ferry service has racked up more than 4,500 cancelled sailings in the last three-and-half years", "Scots bride's wedding saved after ferry nightmare left ceremony on the rocks", "Ferry disruption hits Arran hotels | Scottish Licensed Trade News", "Islanders hire fishing boats and RIBs after CalMac cancellations | Wetherspoon chief goes on attack over VAT | Hospitality group launches recruitment drive", "How are ferry problems affecting people on Barra? 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. And many in Sturgeons party have rather different views from Archbishops Tartaglia in Glasgow and Cushley in Edinburgh about when the sacredness of human life begins and ends and how far the state should micro-manage the individual. Perhaps Sturgeon knew her position lacked credibility so made up nonsense about 'anti-Catholic bigotry' without bothering to cite any evidence. [224][225] Unionist parties have rejected this characterisation. [186], In August 2021, confonted by climate activist Lauren Macdonald about the Cambo oil field west of Shetland, Sturgeon refused to take a position on whether its development should go ahead. This means that Catholic electoral areas can expect to see divisions in the UK and Scottish elections of 2015 and 2016. Professor Emeritus of Politics, University of Bradford. "[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. [216] She sought the Prime Minister to consent to the vote by signing a section 30 order, a move that Downing Street has refused to comply. "[254], In 2021, Audit Scotland concluded that, "Progress on closing the poverty-related attainment gap between the most and least deprived school pupils has been limited"[255] and fell short of the Government's aims. 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. In a letter to Nicola Sturgeon, he said . The nascent leadership contest to replace Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister of Scotland turn nasty: the flashpoint is the beliefs of finance minister and evangelical Christian Kate Forbes .