[101] Roseanna Cunningham, who had difficult relationship with Sturgeon, was surprisingly promoted to cabinet as the fair work secretary. From her family background, we can say that Nicola is Christian. I hated everything she stood for. On Wednesday morning last week, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeonsometimes referred to as Scotland's "First Transactivist"resigned. The defeat of the Yes Scotland campaign in the referendum resulted in the resignation of Salmond as leader of the SNP and first minister. [309][310] This was the only occasion when he made a formal visit to Edinburgh as he declined future invites by the first minister. These are the heartlands of a community once defined by deep Catholic loyalties. [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". 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. The national mission is failing. [citation needed]. [128], Prior to the day the Prime Minister triggered Article 50, formally allowing the process of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union, the Scottish Parliament voted 69 to 59 in favour of another independence referendum. "We have seen a rapid increase in the number of confirmed cases in Scotland over the past 10 days," she told Parliament. [15] She developed a passion for books and reading which continued into adult life. [43][44] He appointed Sturgeon as Deputy First Minister and tasked her with the Cabinet position of Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing. [314][315], Sturgeon's attempts to request approval for a second referendum on Scottish independence were declined by the Johnson administration. [119][120] Sturgeon claimed that it was "clear that the people of Scotland see their future as part of the European Union" and that Scotland had "spoken decisively" with a "strong, unequivocal" vote to remain in the European Union. "[69], In November 2013, Sturgeon joined Salmond to launch Scotland's Future - the Scottish Government's prospectus for independence. [56][57], On 11 June, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the influenza virus a pandemic. [115][116][117], The UK Government held the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum to decide the future of the United Kingdom's European Union membership, in which all 32 council areas in Scotland voted by a majority for the United Kingdom to remain a member of the EU. Some will see this as the acquisition of belated self-confidence by a submerged community. [150][151][152][153] In the wake of the results, Sturgeon said that Prime Minister Boris Johnson had "no right" to stand in the way of another Scottish independence referendum after an "overwhelming" SNP election victory. Established in 1999, Catholic Truth is a lay-led apostolate, launched for the purpose of . [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. Alex Salmond, the departing leader, preached a rousing sermon and anointed his successor, Nicola Sturgeon, amid great fervour. [102], Sturgeon's cabinet was 50/50 gender balance, with five men and five women, including 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. [266] Sturgeon highlighted her disapproval of his language and views relating to sexism and misogyny, and stated upon Trump's victory that she hopes "Trump turns out to be a president different to the one he was during his campaign and reaches out to those who felt vilified by his campaign". [311][312][313] Sturgeon claimed Johnson's "fragile male ego" stopped him from meeting her. We feel we are being lied to. [121] Sturgeon said it was "democratically unacceptable" that Scotland could be taken out of the EU "against its will".[122]. She opposed the decision made and criticised Scottish Secretary Alister Jack for blocking the bill and said that the decision was an attack on the Scottish Parliament and Scottish democracy as a whole and said that the matter would be brought to the courts. Professor Emeritus of Politics, University of Bradford. [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. 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?' We have worked hard to make sure that supplies are there, weve worked hard overcoming challenges that we have faced along the way. [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. [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. [82][83] It quickly became apparent that no other candidate would be able to receive enough required nominations to run a credible leadership campaign. [105] Sturgeon had stated that the party's success in the election was not a mandate for another independence referendum, but primarily for a stronger voice for Scotland in London. "[275], Following the death of the Queen Elizabeth II, Sturgeon led tributes to the Queen. [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". "[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. Feb 15, 2023 Nicola Sturgeon being catholic has been a major turn-up on the internet, as the Scottish politician has condemned anti-catholic prejudice. [180] In the election, the SNP won 64 of the 129 seats contested. Within weeks of the referendum, Glasgow had a near five-fold rise in SNP membership and nearby Motherwell and Coatbridge had six-fold increases. [108][109], Sturgeon launched, in what she claimed, as the most bold, ambitious and reforming SNP manifesto for the 2016 Scottish Parliament election. Her grandmother married Robert Sturgeon, an Ayr gardener, at St Pauls Parish Church. The reception She has received today, demonstrates that that admiration and affection is certainly felt here in Scotland. Nicola Sturgeon condemns recent vandalism at St Simon's Partick at First Minister Questions today May 2nd. [104] The party received 50% of the vote share in Scotland and replaced the Liberal Democrats as the third largest party in the British House of Commons. If Scotland was outside Europe, they would lose the right to stay here."[74][75]. [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. ", "IFS: Independent Scotland 'would face continued austerity' under Growth Commission proposals", "Is post-referendum Scotland a feminist paradise? [167], In February 2021 Audit Scotland published a report that concluded the Scottish Government had not prepared adequately for a pandemic. [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. [253] In particular, she said she hoped to focus on closing the attainment gap between the richest and poorest children in Scottish schools, telling journalists: "Let me be clear I want to be judged on this. [264], With a view towards Brexit, Sturgeon demanded greater powers for the Scottish Parliament, arguing that Brexit is threatening Scotland's devolution settlement. [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. RELATIONSHIP DETAILS BELOW Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon is a Scottish politician and the fifth and current First Minister of Scotland and the leader of the Scottish National Party, in office since 2014. [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. The up side is that Peter understands what's going on and why I am late home all the time. 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. [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. Recently, Nicola Sturgeon caught the headlines after being accused of treating the north of England with contempt. The Catholic church has long ceased to be an effective opinion former a charge that could equally be levelled at most denominations, of course. [237], On 15 February 2023, Sturgeon announced her intention to resign as first minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party until a successor was chosen. [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]. During the referendum campaign, cult-like Yes rallies in Glasgow housing estates were conventions of zealotry (I attended my fair share, but the Scottish media mainly overlooked them). Alex Neil, who many speculated would be dismissed, remained in cabinet but in a "less prominent portfolio" of social justice, communities and pensioners rights. Both were subsequently elected, and as Salmond was still an MP in the British House of Commons, Sturgeon led the SNP in the Scottish Parliament as Leader of the Opposition from 2004 to 2007. Sarwar did, however, win the seat with a majority of 2,914 votes. [53] Sturgeon stated that there was "no immediate threat to public health in Scotland", but added, "monitoring of those who have been in close contact with the two people is also being carried out as an additional precaution. A video of the interaction went viral[187] and a few days later, Sturgeon wrote to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, asking that the development of Cambo should be "reassessed in light of the severity of the climate emergency". [67], Salmond put Sturgeon in charge of the Scottish Government's legislative process for a referendum on Scottish Independence and she was essentially in charge of the SNP's referendum campaign. We meant it", resonated in areas that had voted strongly for the Union in 2014. Aged 21, Sturgeon was selected as the SNP candidate in the Glasgow Shettleston constituency. She will stay in post only until the Scottish National Party selects a new leader. This win resulted in Sturgeon becoming the first First Minister in the history of the Scottish Parliament to form a third government. This also made her First Minister-Designate, given the SNP's absolute majority in the Scottish Parliament. 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. [214] This plan has been met with condemnation from various opposing parties, with the Prime Minister rejecting her plan. [337], In 2016, Sturgeon disclosed that she had miscarried five years previously. If you are not, as First Minister, prepared to put your neck on the line on the education of our young people then what are you prepared to. More election successes are sure to follow. Nicola Sturgeon has: Played herself in "Question Time" in 1979. [3][4] She entered office amid a rapid surge in membership of the SNP and this was reflected in the party's performance in the 2015 general election, when it ended Labour's thirty year electoral dominance of Scottish Westminster seats, as it won 56 of the 59 seats and replaced the Liberal Democrats as the third-largest party in the British House of Commons. Net Worth February 15, 2023. [256] In some local authorities the attainment gap between the richest and poorest students had widened. [34], As leader of the SNP in the Scottish Parliament, she served as the Leader of the Opposition in Holyrood. [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. She departs leaving both TERF Island and her successor holding two sweating sticks of constitutional dynamite. [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". [297][298], In the 2021 SNP manifesto, Sturgeon committed the party once again to reform the Gender Recognition Act[233] and in August that year included the commitment in her agreement with the Scottish Greens on power-sharing. [333] Reflecting on her marriage in 2012, Sturgeon told the Daily Record: "Being in the same kind of line of work has its up sides and its down sides. 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. Thatcher was the motivation for my entire political career. 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. They are more likely to be within a splintered and increasingly post-religious community rather than between Orange and Green factions. Their poverty had been alleviated by post-1945 British reforms. The investigating panel consisted of Dame Elish Angiolini, a former Solicitor General for Scotland and lord advocate, and James Hamilton, a former director of public prosecutions in the Republic of Ireland. [126] May's comments confirmed that the PM wanted the Scottish government to be "fully engaged" in the process. [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. 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. [90] In her first speech as leader, Sturgeon said that it was "the privilege of her life" to lead the party she joined as a teenager. [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] As of 2023, Nicola Sturgeon is possibly single. [319][320][321] The term was used to describe Sturgeon's "fierce" attitude. [63] In June 2012, the Alcohol (Minimum Pricing) (Scotland) Act 2012 was passed after receiving support from the Liberal Democrats, Conservatives and Greens. 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. If you are talking about the singer Shakira, yes she is Roman. They urged the Catholic community to spurn caution and embrace risk-taking without explaining how a largely low-income group would fare in the face of depleting oil reserves, the retreat of British state jobs, and an ageing population relying on a tax base over 12 times smaller than the present UK one. She is the first woman to hold either position. [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, but the bill was vetoed by the UK Government. [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. [156] On 23 March, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Sturgeon ordered Scotland into "lockdown", limiting the reasons why people may leave their homes in an attempt to limit the spread of the virus, to protect the health of the population, and to ease the pressure the virus placed on NHS Scotland services and workforce. Speaking at the annual Cardinal Winning Lecture at the University of . Private Eye has described the police investigation into SNP finances as the "game-changer" in Nicola Sturgeon's abrupt decision to resign last month.. A column in the magazine also questioned whether Ms Sturgeon and her husband, the SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, have a joint bank account and, if so, whether his loan of 107,620 was made from it. Across Scotland, 62% of voters backed the UK remaining a member of the EU, with 38% voting for the UK to leave. "[59] Four days later, a Scottish woman with underlying health conditions died at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley. In 1979 most of them voted No or abstained in the first referendum on devolution. [146] Two of the civil servants who made complaints about Salmond later said they felt they had been "dropped" by the Scottish Government after it lost the judicial review against him, adding they feared their experiences would make it less likely people would make complaints in the future. 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. The impending departure of Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's longest-serving first minister, who said on Wednesday that she would step down, has roiled the nation's political establishment. Jim Murphy took his soapbox all over Scotland, holding 100 meetings in the campaigns last 100 days. [133] However, the SNP lost 21 seats in the 2017 United Kingdom general election in Scotland and the party's vote dropped by 13%, although they remained the biggest party in Scotland. [127] As the constitution is a reserved matter under the Scotland Act 1998, for a future referendum on Scottish independence to be legal under UK law, it would need to receive the consent of the British Parliament to take place. On 17 January 2023, the UK Government decided to implement a section 35 order of the Scottish Act 1998 which prevented the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill from gaining Royal Assent. In a letter to Nicola Sturgeon, he said . [238] At a press conference in Bute House, Sturgeon insisted that her resignation was not due to "short term pressures" and stated that the job "takes its toll on you". Nicola was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, on July 9, 1970. [306] Following Johnson's appointment as British prime minister, she claimed he "rambled" in his first speech outside 10 Downing Street and suggested he was "blame shifting". In 2004, Sturgeon announced she would stand as a candidate for the leadership of the SNP; however, she later withdrew from the contest in favour of Alex Salmond, standing instead as depute (deputy) leader on a joint ticket with Salmond. The paper was sent to the central British Government to be read by Prime Minister Theresa May. [68], While campaigning for a Yes vote in August 2013, she told The Guardian that if Scots voted for the Union: "Will there be another referendum round the corner? Let's explore the rumors of her being lesbian and learn about her sexuality, partner and children. There is no concrete proof that Lori is actually Jewish and she hasn't shared any information regarding her religious beliefs. [106], In the run-up to the elections, Sturgeon took part in several Scottish and UK-wide TV election debates and according to opinion polls was regarded to have had a successful performance. [279] However, in 2018 she endorsed her party's Growth Commission report that pledged to reduce an independent Scotland's budget deficit as a percentage of GDP[280] something the Institute for Fiscal Studies concluded meant "continued austerity". [276] She described the Queen as the "greatest constant in our national life" and added her death was a day for reflection and remembrance" and "a day for giving thanks to The Queen for her devotion to duty and the decades of public service she gave to the people of Scotland.[277][278], She has at times been a critic of austerity, saying that the UK government's "austerity economics" is "morally unjustifiable and economically unsustainable". [96][97] During her first First Minister's Questions after being sworn in, Sturgeon tried to strike a conciliatory tone, saying that she came into her new post "with an open mind and a willingness to hear proposals from all sides of the chamber. catholic Is Shakira a Roman Catholic? [113], Despite losing her majority, Sturgeon claimed a "historic victory" after the SNP won a third consecutive term in government. "[165] Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament in July, "At no point within this crisis has Scotland run out of any aspect of PPE. [228], As part of the SNP's 2016 manifesto policy, the SNP pledged to voters review and reform the way that trans people change their legal gender. 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. [111] The manifesto also included a commitment to increase NHS funding by 500 million, "baby boxes" full of essentials to newborn parents, and an ambitious new target to cut emissions by 50% by 2020 as of the party's effort to tackle climate change.