Despite being a Roman Catholic, some of his roughest receptions were in places with deep Irish associations such as Motherwell. [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. "[148], Sturgeon led her party to a landslide victory in the 2019 United Kingdom general election in Scotland. [338], In May 2022, Sturgeon tested positive for COVID-19. [189], The announcement was welcomed by the Scottish Green party but Greenpeace criticised Sturgeon for not coming out more strongly against the oil field. We meant it", resonated in areas that had voted strongly for the Union in 2014. Within weeks of the referendum, Glasgow had a near five-fold rise in SNP membership and nearby Motherwell and Coatbridge had six-fold increases. She is the eldest child of her parents, Robin and Joanne Sturgeon. 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. This means that Catholic electoral areas can expect to see divisions in the UK and Scottish elections of 2015 and 2016. 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. [239] Sturgeon stated that she believed that her successor would lead Scotland to independence and that she would look on with pride whoever takes on the role. by Anthony Horan in News. Nicola Sturgeon . Sturgeon oversaw the scrapping of prescription charges and was widely recognised for her handling of the 2009 swine flu pandemic. [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". Immediately after the referendum he released an embarrassingly toadying statement praising Alex Salmond and then welcomed the new First Minister Nicola Sturgeon with unprecedented over-eagerness . Issuing apologies now is too late for thousands of people. [91], Although Salmond officially tendered his resignation as First Minister on 18 November 2014, Sturgeon was not sworn in until two days later. 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. Early life and political career 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. [41] Sturgeon led coalition negotiation talks between the Scottish Liberal Democrats and the Scottish Greens, but these talks failed to reach an agreement, with the Lib Dems backing out and the Greens instead supporting a 'confidence and supply' agreement. [309][310] This was the only occasion when he made a formal visit to Edinburgh as he declined future invites by the first minister. Is Nicola Sturgeon Catholic - What Is Her Religion? Sturgeon immediately announced that she would be a candidate in the election to replace him, and received huge support from the SNP hierarchy. It would indeed be ironic if this Hibernian invasion of the SNP proved the wake-up call that reinforced the determination of many other Scots to strain every sinew to hold the union together. 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?' "[165] Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament in July, "At no point within this crisis has Scotland run out of any aspect of PPE. "[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. [84] During the speech launching her campaign, Sturgeon announced that she would resign as Depute Leader, triggering a concurrent depute leadership election; the MSPs Angela Constance and Keith Brown and the MP Stewart Hosie all nominated themselves to succeed Sturgeon as Depute Leader. catholic Is Shakira a Roman Catholic? [161] Many had been infected with the virus and ended up passing it on to other care home residents. [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". [316], Speaking after Johnson had resigned in 2022, Sturgeon said that he was the only prime minister she had worked with who was a disgrace to the office". Let's explore the rumors of her being lesbian and learn about her sexuality, partner and children. It really matters. She was the Scottish National Party (SNP) Leader until her resignation on February 15 . First Minister Nicola Sturgeon hit out at anti-catholic bigotry in Scotland (Image: PA) Read More Related Articles. Pro-life, Same-sex Marriage, Politicians, Marriage, Morals, Catholic education, Ecumenism, Abortion, Transgenderism, LGBT+, Politics nicola sturgeon, first minister of scotland, cardinal winning lecture, university of glasgow 22 Comments 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. "[288][289][290] Commenting on the need for men to challenge their friends misogynistic behaviour, Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament in 2021: "I would say to all men in this chamber and all men across the country challenge it [misogyny] if its on the part of other men you may know, challenge your own behaviour and then lets collectively, as a society, turn the page and turn the corner so that women can live free of the fear of harassment, abuse, intimidation, violence and, in the worst cases, death. [142][143] Sturgeon's husband, Peter Murrell, was called to this inquiry to give evidence on 8 December 2020. [231][293] The Scottish Government said it had paused the legislation in order to find "maximum consensus" on the issue[231] and commentators described the issue as having divided the SNP like no other, with many dubbing the debate a "civil war". [95] She became the first woman to hold office. People with dormant grievances and minimal interest in politics suddenly became passionately intense in expressing a new faith and displaying impressive knowledge about English wickedness all the way back to 1745. [1][2] She is the longest-serving first minister of Scotland. There have been questions going around saying is Nicola Sturgeon lesbian. ", "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? [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] [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. Sturgeon argued that the meetings were SNP party matters, and thus not covered. ", "Scottish independence: referendum results live , "Nicola Sturgeon: 'Devo is route to independence', "Nicola Sturgeon launches campaign to succeed Alex Salmond", "Nicola Sturgeon predicts independence 'one day' as she launches bid to replace Alex Salmond", "BBC News Nicola Sturgeon backed by former SNP leader Gordon Wilson to replace Salmond", "Keith Brown and Stewart Hosie stand for SNP deputy leadership", "Angela Constance: 'I know why Yes campaign failed', "Nicola Sturgeon tops politician trust rating poll", "Sturgeon vows to be 'most accessible' first minister ever", "New SNP leadership team: Sturgeon and Hosie", "SNP conference: Nicola Sturgeon appointed party leader", "Resignation date of former First Minister and appointment date of current First Minister: FOI release", "Nicola Sturgeon is elected first minister of Scotland", "Nicola Sturgeon sworn in as First Minister", "Nicola Sturgeon hails her appointment as positive message to girls of Scotland", Nicola Sturgeon officially sworn in as Scotland's First Minister, "John Swinney set to become Deputy First Minister", "Nicola Sturgeon announces new Scottish cabinet", "Nicola Sturgeon announces Scottish cabinet with equal gender balance", "In constructing her first Cabinet, Nicola Sturgeon has shown a commitment to sending 'a strong, positive message to girls and young women', "BElection 2015: SNP wins 56 of 59 seats in Scots landslide", "How many Lib Dems have lost their seats in the 2015 general election? She has served as a member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) since 1999, first as an additional member for the Glasgow electoral region, and as the member for Glasgow Southside (formerly Glasgow Govan) from 2007. She joined the SNP following an assumption by her English teacher, who was a Labour councillor, she would be a Labour supporter. Sturgeon grew up in Prestwick and in the village of Dreghorn, in a terraced council house, which her parents bought through the right-to-buy scheme. 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. [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. [39][40] Although the SNP was recognised as the winners of the election, it failed to obtain a majority and Labour was not willing to allow the SNP to enter government. [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. [45], Sturgeon served as Health Secretary in Salmond's first, and for a year, in his second cabinet. [27], On 22 June 2004, John Swinney resigned as Leader of the SNP following poor results in the European Parliament election. I try (tho don't alway", "Nicola Sturgeon miscarriage: First minister reveals baby loss", President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, Proposed second Scottish independence referendum, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities, Heads of governments of British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies, Leaders of political parties in the United Kingdom, List of political parties in the United Kingdom, Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, Social Justice, Housing and Local Government, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nicola_Sturgeon&oldid=1142514123, Female heads of government in the United Kingdom, Women heads of government of non-sovereign entities, Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, Members of the Scottish Parliament 19992003, Members of the Scottish Parliament 20032007, Members of the Scottish Parliament 20072011, Members of the Scottish Parliament 20112016, Members of the Scottish Parliament 20162021, Members of the Scottish Parliament 20212026, Members of the Scottish Parliament for Glasgow constituencies, Articles with dead external links from August 2022, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles with dead external links from June 2022, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2023, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2017, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2019, Articles with failed verification from May 2021, Articles with failed verification from September 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 20:54. [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. Their sense of grievance, anti-imperialism and touchiness are traits that chime with plenty other Scots. "[54] The following day, she confirmed that these were cases of the swine influenza A (H1N1) virus. [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. "Based on this experience, Health Protection Scotland has expressed the view that sustained community transmission appears to be taking place. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. ", "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? 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!! 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. [317][318], At the beginning of Sturgeon's political career, she was often regarded as a "nippy sweetie", Scottish slang for the "sharp-tongued and strong-minded". [citation needed], Following her graduation, Sturgeon completed her legal traineeship at McClure Naismith, a Glasgow firm of solicitors, in 1995. As of 2023, Nicola Sturgeon is possibly single. She will stay in post only until the Scottish National Party selects a new leader. Scotlands Catholic community, to which I belong, has often felt itself to be a perennial underdog at the hands of a frosty establishment. [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. On Wednesday morning last week, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeonsometimes referred to as Scotland's "First Transactivist"resigned. They are more likely to be within a splintered and increasingly post-religious community rather than between Orange and Green factions. She insisted her resignation was not as result of "short term pressures", such as the ferry fiasco, the gender recognition reform bill, transgender prisoners, or the police fraud inquiry into SNP finances, but stated that the job "takes its toll on you". Covid in Scotland LIVE as NHS in 'crisis' with cases remaining high across country The defeat of the Yes Scotland campaign in the referendum resulted in the resignation of Salmond as leader of the SNP and first minister. [102], Sturgeon's cabinet was 50/50 gender balance, with five men and five women, including herself. [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. If he was engaged in a contest for the hearts and minds of Scots with a Catholic upbringing and some Irish roots, he failed: Glasgow and its environs voted decisively Yes. Sturgeon stood for election to the Scottish Parliament in the first Scottish Parliament election in 1999 as the SNP candidate for Glasgow Govan. [126] May's comments confirmed that the PM wanted the Scottish government to be "fully engaged" in the process. From 2007 to 2012, she served as the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing. [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. 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. [136][137], Several weeks later Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament that she would "reset" and delay her plans for a second independence referendum; the SNP losses in that month's election had led her to conclude that many Scots "just want a break from making big political decisions". 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. The recent controversy, however, involving Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's deputy first minister, the BBC and Ireland's Europea minister Lucinda Creighton should be a warning to the SNP government at . [273] In recent years, following the defeat of the Yes Scotland campaign in 2014 Scottish Independence referendum, Sturgeon has aligned herself with the new gradualist wing, who believe in only holding a second referendum if there is clear public support, such as polling being over 60%, or if there is a material change in circumstances. [256] In some local authorities the attainment gap between the richest and poorest students had widened. [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. [29] The political columnist Iain Macwhirter declared that while she "didn't inspire great warmth", she was "quick on her feet, lacks any ideological baggage and has real determination unlike Roseanna Cunningham". She was unsuccessful, having been beaten by almost 15,000 votes by Labour. [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. [26], Sturgeon served as Shadow Minister for Health and Community Care from 2000 to 2003, and Shadow Minister for Justice from 2003 to 2004. [330] In 2015, BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour assessed Sturgeon to be the most powerful and influential woman in the United Kingdom. [215], Sturgeon officially announced that the referendum would be held on 19 October 2023. Absolutely not, there's no man I know who is less sexist. 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. I owe the Daily Mail big time for that', "Most dangerous woman in Britain or Queen of Scotland? As Shadow Education minister, Sturgeon backed Labour's efforts to repeal Section 28 a Westminster law that banned the promotion of homosexuality in schools. Published: December 12, 2014 10.48am EST Professor Emeritus of Politics, University of Bradford provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation UK. [327], Forbes magazine ranked Sturgeon as the 50th most powerful woman in the world in 2016 and 2nd in the United Kingdom. ", "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? "[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. [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. Overall, it concluded that ministers "could have been better prepared to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic". [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. [188] The letter represented a significant shift in policy for the SNP, which had historically been a strong supporter of the oil and gas industry; the party's blueprint for an independent Scotland in 2013 was predicated on tax revenue earned from domestic oil production, while Sturgeon had predicted in the run-up to the referendum that, "Were on the verge of another North Sea bonanza". [265], Sturgeon was highly critical of Donald Trump and his policies during the 2016 United States presidential election and had publicly backed his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. Sturgeon was branded as "ungracious" when she was filmed by Sky News celebrating Swinson's defeat. John Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon "wrestled" with the idea of leaving at the same time, the Deputy First Minister has said. 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. Quite A Scoop! [82][83] It quickly became apparent that no other candidate would be able to receive enough required nominations to run a credible leadership campaign. The previous leader, Alex Salmond, announced at the time that he would not stand. Bryson was sent to a women's prison before being moved to a men's prison. [48], As Health Secretary, Sturgeon became more widely known internationally for her handling of the 2009 flu pandemic.

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