THE GUARDIAN
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced her resignation Wednesday after more than eight years leading its devolved government, in a shock move jolting UK politics on both sides of the border.
The Scottish National Party (SNP) leader said in “my head and in my heart” she knew the time was right to quit, after approaching a decade in power pushing for Scottish independence.
The 52-year-old confirmed she would remain, the first minister, until the SNP elects a new leader, and also stay on as a member of the Scottish Parliament until at least the next election, due in 2026.
She departs after facing mounting pressure over her tactics for independence and over transgender rights.
But in a hastily arranged news conference, Sturgeon insisted that her decision to step down was “not a reaction to short-term pressures” and “comes from a deeper and longer-term assessment”.
“I know it may seem sudden, but I have been wrestling with it — albeit with oscillating levels of intensity — for some weeks,” she said.
“I am a human being as well as a politician,” she added.
“Giving absolutely everything of yourself to this job is the only way to do it. The country deserves nothing less. But in truth that can only be done by anyone for so long…
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