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. [citation needed]. [160], During the early stages of the pandemic 1,300 elderly hospital patients were transferred into care homes without receiving a negative coronavirus test result. In line with Government guidance, she completed a self-isolation period.[339]. Celtic Celtic and Rangers fans react as Nicola Sturgeon confirms Scottish football can return to capacity crowds from Monday Scots will now need to have had a Covid booster jag to use vaccine passports, including for entry to football grounds By Lewis Anderson 11th Jan 2022, 4:21pm Despite Ullrich failing to win the seat, Sturgeon ploughed her political energy into the Young Scottish Nationalists (now the Young Scots For Independence), joining its national executive when she was 17. The up side is that Peter understands what's going on and why I am late home all the time. 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. The first week of the SNP leadership campaign has been like the Titanic . ", "Rise of Nicola Sturgeon: from 'nippy sweetie' to SNP leader? Jim Justice said as he signed the bill, surrounded by more than two dozen state lawmakers, members of the National Rifle Association, and the West Virginia Citizens Defense League. His then-depute, Roseanna Cunningham, immediately announced her intention to stand for the leadership. "[59] Four days later, a Scottish woman with underlying health conditions died at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley. After qualifying as a solicitor, she worked for Bell & Craig, a firm of solicitors in Stirling, and later at the Drumchapel Law Centre and a Money Advice Centre in Glasgow from 1997 until her election to the Scottish Parliament in 1999. She launched her programme for government, the Better Health, Better Care: Action Plan, which settled a new vision for NHS Scotland. It is absolutely crushing. In 2015, Sturgeon was questioned as, and in some cases branded as, the 'most dangerous woman in Britain'. The first confirmed case of the virus in Scotland was announced on 1 March 2020, when a resident in Tayside had tested positive. Sturgeon outlined some details for business support, including 32m to hospitality and leisure, but sport was absent from the funding list as the situation is monitored. [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. [55] Authorities in both Scotland and England stated that there were no plans to trace the fellow airline passengers who may have travelled alongside the couple, since the authorities do not classify them as "close contacts". [100], The departure of Kenny MacAskill and Michael Russell signalled a generational shift away from the 79 group. [25] Although she failed to win the seat, she was placed first in the SNP's regional list for the Glasgow region, and was thus elected as a Member of the Scottish Parliament. [118], In response to the result, on 24 June 2016, Sturgeon said that Scottish Government officials would begin planning for a second independence referendum. [264], With a view towards Brexit, Sturgeon demanded greater powers for the Scottish Parliament, arguing that Brexit is threatening Scotland's devolution settlement. When the British Government turned down the Scottish Government's idea of a formal currency union - on the grounds that the rationale for sharing a currency with a foreign country was "not clear" - Sturgeon accused Westminster of trying to "bully Scotland" and said it would "cost their own businesses hundreds of millions in transaction costs". "[190] In November 2021, although no assessment had taken place, Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament she believed the oilfield "should not get the green light". [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}. On 15 February 2023, Sturgeon announced that she would resign as first minister and SNP leader once a new leader is elected. Despite losing her majority, Sturgeon secured a second term in office, forming a minority government. [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. 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 2023 the UK Supreme Court ruled that the Scottish Parliament does not have the power to hold a referendum on the question of Scottish independence. Polling for Scotland bre McCoist's views clashed again with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in December. [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". Michael Matheson was promoted asjustice secretary. 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. [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. Yes, I think that is true. Read More "[250], In July 2022 the figures for 2021 were released, revealing that 1,330 had died - nine fewer than in 2020. Some fans . [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. "[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. [199][200][201], The Scottish Government had commissioned two new ferries for 97m from Ferguson's shipyard in 2015, but the construction of the two vessels was beset by delays and complications. [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. ", "Nicola Sturgeon says transphobia in SNP 'not acceptable', "Nicola Sturgeon: transphobia in SNP is 'not acceptable' video", "Nicola Sturgeon signs 'Rethink Trident' pledge", "Nicola Sturgeon attacks 'utterly failing' Tories and says economic case for independence will come next week", "Sturgeon accused of divisive rhetoric for saying 'I detest the Tories', "Sturgeon accused of 'dangerous language' after saying she 'detests the Tories', "Sturgeon accused of using 'dangerous language' about Tories", "Nicola Sturgeon seen as "really dangerous" after saying she "detest" Tories", "Nicola Sturgeon doesn't regret saying she 'detests' Tories", "Boris Johnson only PM I've worked with who has disgraced the office Sturgeon", "Sturgeon slams Johnson's 'divorced from reality' Downing Street speech", "Nicola Sturgeon blasts Boris Johnson's PM speech as 'divorced from reality', "Boris Johnson booed and heckled on Scotland visit", "Boris Johnson booed by protesters while visiting Nicola Sturgeon in Scotland", "Boris Johnson rejects Nicola Sturgeon call for emergency Omicron meeting", "Boris Johnson declines Nicola Sturgeon's invitation to meet for talks during Scotland trip", "Boris Johnson snubs Nicola Sturgeon invite for Covid recovery talks", "Boris Johnson has 'fragile male ego', suggests Nicola Sturgeon", "Sturgeon: Boris Johnson's 'fragile male ego' may explain why he doesn't meet me", "Scotland's First Minister warns Boris Johnson cannot keep country in UK against its will", "Nicola Sturgeon calls Boris Johnson 'disgrace to office of prime minister', "Nicola Sturgeon: The SNP 'nippy sweetie' who learned how to crack (a bit of) a smile", "Is this the 'most dangerous woman in Britain'? [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. [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. [101] Roseanna Cunningham, who had difficult relationship with Sturgeon, was surprisingly promoted to cabinet as the fair work secretary. [172][173], At a session of First Minister's Questions in June 2021, Sturgeon was asked about mistakes made early on in the pandemic and she replied: "If I could turn the clock back, would we go into lockdown earlier than we did? Sturgeon oversaw the scrapping of prescription charges and was widely recognised for her handling of the 2009 swine flu pandemic. "[69], In November 2013, Sturgeon joined Salmond to launch Scotland's Future - the Scottish Government's prospectus for independence. Ms Sturgeon had already announced the compulsory wearing of face masks in corridors and communal areas in Scottish secondary schools and in August 2020 Mr Johnson asked for advice on whether they . At the time, Celtic had just been knocked out of the Betfred Cup after a 2-0 defeat at home to Ross County. "[155], In April 2022 Sturgeon demanded that Prime Minister Boris Johnson resign after police fined him for breaking lockdown rules in 2020. NICOLA Sturgeon's sister has launched a passionate defence of her handling of the coronavirus crisis. As Shadow Education minister, Sturgeon backed Labour's efforts to repeal Section 28 a Westminster law that banned the promotion of homosexuality in schools. The reception She has received today, demonstrates that that admiration and affection is certainly felt here in Scotland. NICOLA STURGEON has confirmed most of Scotland's lower league clubs will finally be able to play competitive football again. [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. [219] She proposed the Scottish Government would use the pound sterling for a brief period before transitioning to a new currency known as the 'Scottish Pound'. She was unsuccessful, having been beaten by almost 15,000 votes by Labour. There was no agreement on oil and gas exploration, but the government now argued that it had a stronger case for a national independence referendum. She has described herself as being an austere teen whose style tended towards goth, adding that if you see pictures of me back then, you would struggle to know whether I was a boy or a girl. ", "Moray: 'We are fed up with the SNP. [322][323][324][325] It followed her party's unprecedented landslide victory in the 2015 general election, which questioned the future of the union. [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. [182][183], Sturgeon was nominated for the post of First Minister by a vote of the Scottish Parliament on 18 May, defeating Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross and Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie by 64 votes to 31 and 4 respectively. Nicola Sturgeon: the moments that marked her leadership - video Sturgeon's departure triggers a leadership contest between contenders who possess only a fraction of her name and brand recognition. From 18 November until her official appointment on 20 November, she served as the acting First Minister, essentially the First Minister-elect. [147] Labour MP Jess Phillips, a former employee of Women's Aid, accused Sturgeon of being "unprofessional with those women's lives" and said there had been a "litany of failures in professionalism and decency. [319][320][321] The term was used to describe Sturgeon's "fierce" attitude. [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. [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. Kids in England had to wear masks at school because No10 'didn't want an argument' with Nicola Sturgeon - who bounced Boris Johnson into an humiliating Covid U-turn by adopting hated policy in . [268], In May 2022, Sturgeon made a trip to the United States and met with controversial Republican member of Congress Robert Aderholt, a prominent anti-abortion supporter. [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. However, infighting between the two rival candidates for the Labour nomination, Mohammed Sarwar and Mike Watson, along with an energetic local campaign,[citation needed] resulted in Glasgow Govan being the only Scottish seat to see a swing away from Labour in the midst of a Labour landslide nationwide. West Virginia's governor signed a bill Wednesday allowing people with concealed carry permits to take firearms onto public college and university campuses. [174][175] The following week Sturgeon received an official reprimand from Police Scotland after a video emerged of her campaigning in a barber shop without a mask. She joined the SNP following an assumption by her English teacher, who was a Labour councillor, she would be a Labour supporter. Scotland's Deputy First Minister, John Swinney, also hit out at Rangers on Monday, saying that the club's "silence was deafening" with regard to their stance on the raucous celebrations.However, the Rangers hierarchy made clear in a letter to Sturgeon that they don't accept her version of events in which the club did little to dissuade fans from gathering in the streets. He hasn't committed his support to one team and. [271] The Government of Spain criticised Sturgeon, claiming she had "totally misunderstood" the situation in Spain and Catalonia. [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. 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. Kim Jong-un (North Korean Supreme Leader) 21 Manchester United Supporter 15. [126] May's comments confirmed that the PM wanted the Scottish government to be "fully engaged" in the process. [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. [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. [231] Critics of the changes within the SNP had accused 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. [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. Now, with Sturgeon insisting she wasn't leaving politics and would serve out the rest of the parliamentary term on the back benches, she . Sturgeon stood for election to the Scottish Parliament in the first Scottish Parliament election in 1999 as the SNP candidate for Glasgow Govan. ", "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? 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