Nicola Sturgeon resigns – live: Tearful Scottish first minister says ‘politics is brutal’ as she quits

SNP leader has announced she will stand down as first minister of Scotland after eight years

‘My time is now’: Nicola Sturgeon resigns as Scotland’s first minister

Nicola Sturgeon lamented the “brutal” nature of politics as she announced her resignation as first minister after more than eight years in the job.

The outgoing FM insisted that recent “pressures” on trans rights issues had no role to play in her decision to resign.

The SNP leader said she was “confident” of leading her party to further electoral success but that the time was “right” for her to step aside.

Speaking at a news conference in Edinburgh earlier, Ms Sturgeon said: “In my head and in my heart I know that the time is now, that it’s right for me, for my party and my country.”

She had been heavily criticsed by some in her own party over her stance on transgender issues and her handling of the Isla Bryson case.

Ms Sturgeon had also come under fire for saying that her party would fight the next general election as a de-facto referendum on Scottish independence, an issue she said the SNP was now “free” to decide following her exit.

Key Points

• Sturgeon laments ‘brutal’ politics as she quits
• Corbyn banned from standing for Labour at election
• No 10 ethics adviser to take over probe into claims of Islamophobia in Tory Party

[15 February 2023 10:11 · Matt Mathers]

Good morning and welcome to the Independent’s live politics coverage.

So much for the quiet recess: Nicola Sturgeon is expected to resign later today and Jeremy Corbyn has been banned from standing as a Labour candidate at the next general election.

Stay tuned for all the latest updates.

[15 February 2023 10:14 · Matt Mathers]

Nicola Sturgeon set to resign as Scottish first minister

Our policy correspondent Jon Stone has more on the Sturgeon resignation:

[15 February 2023 10:16 · Matt Mathers]

Corbyn will not stand as Labour candidate at next election, Keir Starmer says

As we mentioned earlier, Jeremy Corbyn has been effectively sacked by Keir Starmer.

Mr Corbyn, who had the whip suspended over his handling of anti-semitism while leader, has been told he will not stand as a Labour candidate at the next election.

Jon Stone has more on that one too:

[15 February 2023 10:23 · Matt Mathers]

No 10 ethics adviser to investigate claims of Islamophobia in Tory Party

Rishi Sunak’s ethics adviser will take over an investigation into alleged Islamophobia following claims by an MP that she was sacked as a minister because of her faith, it is reported.

It comes after The Independent revealed that Anneliese Dodds, the Labour Party chairwoman, wrote to her opposite number Greg Hands calling on him to reopen an investigation into claims made by Nusrat Ghani, who said she was told by party whip she was sacked because her “Muslimness” had been “making colleagues uncomfortable”.

Mark Spencer, chief whip at the time, rejected the claims and described them as “completely false” and “defamatory”.

The BBC said when asked about the probe, head of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission Marcial Boo said he would be following up on it with Sir Laurie.

[15 February 2023 10:32 · Matt Mathers]

‘She just had enough'

More coming in on the Sturgeon story now.

An SNP source has told Sky News that the party leader had “just had enough”.

Ms Sturgeon’s popularity has taken a tumble of late and support for independence has dropped in recent weeks, after a bounce in the immediate aftermath of a Supreme Court ruling that said Scotland could not hold a second poll without consent from Westminster.

Sturgeon has also been criticised over trans issues, with her government having recently passed the Gender Recognition Reform Bill.

[15 February 2023 10:45 · Matt Mathers]

‘There’s plenty left in the tank at the moment'

A video has resurfaced showing Sturgeon saying “there’s plenty left in the tank at the moment” when asked if she would be the SNP leader who takes Scotland out of the UK.

The clip was posted by BBC journalist Laura Kuenssberg on Wednesday morning after it was reported Sturgeon would announce her resignation.

Kuenssberg interviewed Sturgeon last month on her Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show. Watch the exchange below:

[15 February 2023 10:46 · Matt Mathers]

‘Gutted'

Alison Thewliss, the SNP MP for Glasgow Central and the party’s home affairs spokesperson, said she was “gutted” at news of Nicola Sturgeon’s impending resignation.

She tweeted: “Absolutely gutted about this. Nicola has been an incredible leader.”

[15 February 2023 10:48 · Matt Mathers]

SNP MP pays tribute to Sturgeon

SNP MP Stewart McDonald described Nicola Sturgeon as “the finest public servant of the devolution age” amid reports of her expected departure as Scottish first minister.

“Nicola Sturgeon is the finest public servant of the devolution age,” the MP for Glasgow South tweeted, sharing a photograph of himself with Ms Sturgeon.

“Her public service, personal resilience and commitment to Scotland is unmatched, and she has served our party unlike anyone else. She will be an enormous loss as First Minister and SNP leader. Thank you!”

[15 February 2023 10:53 · Matt Mathers]

‘Bad news for Tories'

Sturgeon’s resignation could be “bad news” for the Conservatives, ITV’s Paul Brand has suggested.

He says if Labour performs well north of the border then Rishi Sunak’s party could be in trouble, having “benefited from political polarisation” at recent polls.

[15 February 2023 10:56 · Matt Mathers]

‘Completely dumbfounded'

Many in the SNP are “dumbfounded” by today’s news, says Lewis Goodall, host of the popular Newsagents podcast.

“General feeling among SNP sources right now is one of being completely dumbfounded,” he writes on Twitter.

“ They knew she was under real political pressure but didn’t expect this- certainly not now.”