Nicola Sturgeon has served as a member of the Scottish Parliament since 1999, first as an additional member for the Glasgow electoral region, and as the member for Glasgow Southside from 2007.
130 Facts About Nicola Sturgeon
2.
Nicola Sturgeon served successively as the SNP's shadow minister for education, health, and justice.
3.
In 2004, Nicola 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 leader on a joint ticket with Salmond.
4.
Nicola Sturgeon was elected unopposed as SNP leader in November 2014 and was appointed as first minister, becoming the first woman to hold either position.
5.
Nicola Sturgeon entered office amid a rapid surge in membership of the SNP, which was reflected in the party's performance in the 2015 general election, winning 56 of the 59 Scottish seats and replacing the Liberal Democrats as the third-largest party in the House of Commons.
6.
Nicola Sturgeon led the Scottish Government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, implementing a series of restrictions on social gatherings and the rollout of the vaccine programme.
7.
On 15 February 2023, Nicola Sturgeon announced her intention to resign the leadership of the SNP; she was succeeded by her health secretary, Humza Yousaf.
8.
Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon was born in Ayrshire Central Hospital in Irvine on 19 July 1970.
9.
Nicola Sturgeon's younger sister, Gillian Sturgeon, is an NHS worker.
10.
Nicola Sturgeon's family has some roots in North East England; her paternal grandmother, Margaret Sturgeon, was from Ryhope in what is the City of Sunderland.
11.
Nicola Sturgeon's grandmother married Robert Sturgeon, a gardener from Ayr, at St Paul's Parish Church in 1943, and they both eventually moved back to the south west of Scotland.
12.
Nicola 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.
13.
Nicola Sturgeon was a quiet child and has been described by her younger sister as "the sensible one" of the two.
14.
Nicola Sturgeon was shy and has said that she "much preferred to sit with my head in a book than talking to people".
15.
Nicola Sturgeon developed a passion for books and reading which continued into adult life.
16.
Nicola Sturgeon attended Dreghorn Primary School from 1975 to 1982 and Greenwood Academy from 1982 to 1988.
17.
Nicola Sturgeon later studied law at the University of Glasgow School of Law, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws in 1992 and a Diploma in Legal Practice the following year.
18.
Nicola Sturgeon joined the SNP following an assumption by her English teacher, who was a Labour councillor, she would be a Labour supporter.
19.
Nicola Sturgeon became the youngest ever parliamentary candidate in Scotland in the 1992 general election.
20.
Aged 21, Nicola Sturgeon was selected as the SNP candidate in the Glasgow Shettleston constituency.
21.
Nicola Sturgeon was unsuccessful, having been beaten by almost 15,000 votes by Labour.
22.
The 1997 general election saw Nicola Sturgeon selected to fight the Glasgow Govan seat for the SNP.
23.
Shortly after this, Nicola Sturgeon was appointed as the SNP's spokesperson for energy and education matters.
24.
Nicola Sturgeon stood for election to the Scottish Parliament in the first Scottish Parliament election in 1999 as the SNP candidate for Glasgow Govan.
25.
Nicola Sturgeon served as Shadow Minister for Health and Community Care from 2000 to 2003, and Shadow Minister for Justice from 2003 to 2004.
26.
Nicola Sturgeon served as a member of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee and the Health and Community Care Committee.
27.
On 24 June 2004, Nicola Sturgeon announced that she would be a candidate in the forthcoming election for the leadership, with Kenny MacAskill as her running mate.
28.
However, once Cunningham emerged as the favourite to win, Salmond announced his intention to stand for the leadership; Nicola Sturgeon subsequently withdrew from the contest and declared her support for Salmond, standing instead as his running mate for the depute leadership.
29.
The results of the leadership contest were announced on 3 September 2004, with Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon elected as Leader and Depute Leader respectively.
30.
Nicola Sturgeon became a high-profile figure in Scottish politics and often clashed with First Minister Jack McConnell at First Minister's Questions.
31.
Nicola 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.
32.
Nicola Sturgeon appointed Sturgeon as Deputy First Minister and tasked her with the Cabinet position of Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing.
33.
Nicola Sturgeon served as Health Secretary in Salmond's first, and for a year, in his second cabinet.
34.
Nicola Sturgeon was supported in her role as Health Secretary by Shona Robison, the Minister for Public Health and Sport, and by Alex Neil, the Minister for Housing and Communities.
35.
Nicola Sturgeon launched her programme for government, the Better Health, Better Care: Action Plan, which settled a new vision for NHS Scotland.
36.
Nicola Sturgeon reversed the decision to close casualty units at University Hospital Ayr and University Hospital Monklands.
37.
Nicola Sturgeon oversaw the scrapping of prescription charges In Scotland, an election pledge by the SNP originally for the chronically ill and those with cancer.
38.
Nicola Sturgeon outlined a guaranteed maximum 18-week wait for patients after they had seen their GP and vowed to do away with deferred or "hidden" waiting lists.
39.
Nicola 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.
40.
Nicola Sturgeon was retained as Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing until a reshuffle one year later, when she was appointed as Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Capital Investment and Cities and an additional role overseeing the referendum on Scottish independence, essentially putting her in charge of the SNP's referendum campaign.
41.
Nicola Sturgeon said the Scottish Government would "not wait" for Westminster to build a high-speed line to Scotland.
42.
In December 2012, Nicola Sturgeon said that she believed that independence would allow Scotland to build a stronger and more competitive country, and would change spending priorities to address "the scandal of soaring poverty in a country as rich as Scotland".
43.
Nicola Sturgeon was one of the white paper's most high-profile media champions and frequently debated its contents with opposition politicians and sceptical Scots.
44.
Nicola Sturgeon immediately announced that she would be a candidate in the election to replace him, and received huge support from the SNP hierarchy.
45.
Nicola Sturgeon said that there would be "no greater privilege" than to lead the SNP.
46.
Nicola Sturgeon has been my friend, mentor and colleague for more than 20 years.
47.
Nicola Sturgeon opined that Scottish independence was a matter of "when, not if".
48.
On 24 September 2014, Nicola Sturgeon officially launched her campaign bid to succeed Salmond as Leader of the Scottish National Party at the November leadership election.
49.
Nicola Sturgeon 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.
50.
Nicola 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.
51.
On 20 November 2014, Nicola Sturgeon was sworn into office at the Court of Session in a ceremony presided by Lord Gill, after receiving the royal warrant of appointment by Queen Elizabeth II.
52.
Nicola Sturgeon began making appointments to her first cabinet on 21 November 2014, beginning with the appointment of finance secretary John Swinney to become her Deputy First Minister.
53.
Shona Robison, a close ally to Nicola 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.
54.
Roseanna Cunningham, who had difficult relationship with Nicola Sturgeon, was surprisingly promoted to cabinet as the fair work secretary.
55.
Nicola Sturgeon led the Scottish National Party through a landslide victory in the 2015 UK general election, winning 56 out of 59 Scottish seats at Westminster, the party's best ever performance.
56.
Nicola 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.
57.
Nicola Sturgeon set out the party's plans to increase income tax by freezing tax thresholds, reversing her previous policy of cutting taxes for higher earners.
58.
Nicola Sturgeon hinted if re-elected she would hold a second referendum on Scottish independence.
59.
Nicola Sturgeon announced her intention to seek a second term in office as a minority government.
60.
Nicola Sturgeon said it was "democratically unacceptable" that Scotland could be taken out of the EU "against its will".
61.
Nicola Sturgeon later said that while she believed in Scottish independence, her starting point in these discussions was to protect Scotland's relationship with the EU.
62.
Nicola Sturgeon confirmed in June 2016 that the Scottish government had formally agreed to draft legislation to allow a second independence referendum to take place.
63.
Nicola Sturgeon kicked off her election campaign pledging that a strong result for the SNP would "reinforce" her mandate for a second independence referendum.
64.
Nicola Sturgeon admitted that these results were "bitterly disappointing" and acknowledged that her party's plans for a second referendum were 'undoubtedly' a factor in the election results.
65.
Several weeks later Nicola 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".
66.
Nicola Sturgeon raised these with the Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government, Leslie Evans, two months later, rather than reporting them immediately, as she should have done if they constitute government matters.
67.
Nicola Sturgeon argued that the meetings were SNP party matters, and thus not covered.
68.
On 4 March 2021, Nicola Sturgeon answered questions over a period of eight hours from members of the committee.
69.
Nicola Sturgeon led her party to a landslide victory in the 2019 United Kingdom general election in Scotland.
70.
Nicola Sturgeon was branded as "ungracious" when she was filmed by Sky News celebrating Swinson's defeat.
71.
Nicola Sturgeon apologised for being overexcited although expressed that she was celebrating Amy Callaghan's win.
72.
Nicola Sturgeon said that the result "renews, reinforces and strengthens" the mandate for Indyref2.
73.
In July 2020, Nicola Sturgeon advocated that the leaders of the four UK nations adopt a coordinated Zero-COVID strategy.
74.
Nicola Sturgeon led the SNP into the 2021 Scottish Parliament election on a manifesto promise to hold a second independence referendum after the COVID-19 pandemic was over.
75.
Shortly after being elected, Nicola Sturgeon appointed John Swinney to the newly created position of Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery.
76.
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 Nicola Sturgeon had predicted in the run-up to the referendum that, "We're on the verge of another North Sea bonanza".
77.
Nicola 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".
78.
In June 2022, Nicola Sturgeon officially announced her plan for Scottish independence .
79.
Nicola Sturgeon argued that her government had an "indisputable mandate" for a second Scottish independence referendum.
80.
Nicola Sturgeon unveiled her new plan arguing that it would allow Scotland to set out "a different and better vision" and claimed that there is a legally secure path to get a referendum without permission from the cabinet.
81.
Nicola Sturgeon officially announced that the referendum would be held on 19 October 2023.
82.
Nicola Sturgeon sought the Prime Minister to consent to the vote by signing a section 30 order, a move that Downing Street has refused to comply.
83.
Nicola Sturgeon asked Scotland's Lord Advocate to consider referring the matter to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom to rule if the Scottish Government has the power to host a referendum without the Government of the United Kingdom's approval, this request has since been granted.
84.
In October 2022, Nicola Sturgeon launched her government's third independence paper, which outlines the currency in an independent Scotland and joining the EU.
85.
Nicola Sturgeon proposed the Scottish Government would use the pound sterling for a brief period before transitioning to a new currency known as the 'Scottish Pound'.
86.
Nicola Sturgeon argued independence would be "essential" for economic prosperity for Scotland as she claimed the economic climate throughout the UK does not offer strength, stability or security.
87.
Some SNP members have urged Nicola Sturgeon to call an early election at Holyrood to speed up the process for a de facto referendum.
88.
In September 2021, Nicola 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.
89.
Nicola Sturgeon 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.
90.
Bryson was initially sent to a women's prison before being moved to a men's prison Nicola Sturgeon refused to say if she regards Bryson as a man or woman, though she used female pronouns when talking about Bryson.
91.
On 15 February 2023, Nicola Sturgeon announced her intention to resign as first minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party until a successor was chosen.
92.
At a press conference in Bute House, Nicola Sturgeon insisted that her resignation was not due to "short term pressures" and stated that the job "takes its toll on you".
93.
Nicola 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.
94.
In 2015, Nicola Sturgeon said that she planned to make education her "defining priority" while in office.
95.
Nicola Sturgeon has committed to strengthening links between Scotland and Africa.
96.
In June 2017, Nicola Sturgeon criticised the approaches taken by both Theresa May and the British Government towards the Brexit approach, claiming that May "will struggle" as she is a "difficult person to build a rapport with".
97.
Nicola 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.
98.
Nicola Sturgeon had previously stripped Trump of his ambassadorial role for Scottish businesses with the Scottish Government in the aftermath of Trump's views of an outright ban of Muslims from entering the United States.
99.
Nicola Sturgeon claimed following comments made by Trump in relation to Muslims entering the United States that he was "not fit" for the ambassadorial role with the Scottish Government.
100.
In May 2022, Nicola Sturgeon made a trip to the United States and met with controversial Republican member of Congress Robert Aderholt, a prominent anti-abortion supporter.
101.
The Government of Spain criticised Nicola Sturgeon, claiming she had "totally misunderstood" the situation in Spain and Catalonia.
102.
Nicola 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.
103.
An advocate for Scottish independence, Nicola Sturgeon has campaigned for independence from the United Kingdom since her late teens.
104.
Nicola Sturgeon was categorised in 2015 as part of the SNP's gradualist wing, which believed in achieving independence through accumulating the Scottish Parliament's powers from the UK Parliament over time.
105.
Nicola Sturgeon is a constitutional monarchist, telling journalists that it is "a model that has many merits".
106.
Nicola Sturgeon has at times been a critic of austerity, saying that the UK government's "austerity economics" is "morally unjustifiable and economically unsustainable".
107.
Nicola Sturgeon has 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".
108.
Nicola Sturgeon has hailed Scottish feminist economist Ailsa McKay as one of her inspirations.
109.
Nicola Sturgeon has at various points commented on the behaviour or attitudes of men towards women; publicly condemning Donald Trump, Tony Abbott and former Labour MSP Neil Findlay.
110.
Ahead of the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, Nicola Sturgeon pledged to review and reform the way that trans people change their legal gender.
111.
Critics of the changes within the SNP had accused Nicola Sturgeon of being "out of step" on the issue, and expressed concerns that the reforms would be open to abuse and allow predatory men into women's spaces.
112.
Large numbers of LGBT activists followed suit and Nicola Sturgeon released a video message in which she said that transphobia is "not acceptable" and said she hoped they would re-join the party.
113.
In September 2021, Nicola 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.
114.
Nicola Sturgeon refused to say if she regards Bryson as a man or woman, though she used female pronouns when talking about Bryson.
115.
Nicola Sturgeon has campaigned against replacing the Trident nuclear weapons system.
116.
At the SNP's 2022 annual party conference in Aberdeen, Nicola Sturgeon stated "I detest the Tories and everything they stand for" in an interview on the BBC.
117.
Nicola Sturgeon was accused of using "dangerous language" and when asked if she regretted the comments, Sturgeon simply replied "No" and emphasised the point she detested Tory policies and not supporters or voters.
118.
Nicola Sturgeon has been highly critical towards the leadership of Boris Johnson's government.
119.
Nicola Sturgeon claimed Johnson's "fragile male ego" stopped him from meeting her.
120.
Nicola Sturgeon sits as a backbencher, where she continues to represent her Glasgow Southside constituency.
121.
Nicola Sturgeon dismissed claims the investigation was a result of her resignation as party leader and first minister.
122.
Murrell was later released without charge and Nicola Sturgeon pulled out of a UN climate event.
123.
On 16 April, a meeting of the party's ruling body in March 2021 was leaked by a member to the Daily Mail, which showed Nicola Sturgeon warn members to be "very careful" about suggesting claims there was financial problems within the SNP.
124.
Nicola Sturgeon was elected leader of the SNP at a time the party enjoyed a surge in membership.
125.
In 2015, Nicola Sturgeon was described in a Daily Mail headline as the "most dangerous woman in Britain".
126.
Nicola Sturgeon won the Scottish Politician of the Year Award in 2008,2012,2014,2015 and 2019.
127.
Nicola Sturgeon was recognized as one of the BBC's 100 women of 2014.
128.
In 2015, BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour assessed Nicola Sturgeon to be the most powerful and influential woman in the United Kingdom.
129.
Nicola Sturgeon is known for her love of fiction and says reading, "gives me a lot of joy and helps with the stresses and strains of work".
130.
In 2016, Nicola Sturgeon disclosed that she had miscarried five years previously.