Nicola Sturgeon announces her resignation as Scotland's Chief Minister

He will remain at the head of the Government and the SNP until the party chooses a replacement

Scotland's Chief Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has announced her resignation from the position she has held for more than eight years, after a term marked by the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union and repeated demands for a second independence referendum and, in the last few weeks, due to the controversies around the 'trans law'.

Sturgeon, who replaced Alex Salmond in November 2014 after the failure of the first consultation and is the head of government who has been in power the longest, has appeared before the media in Edinburgh to confirm what hours before had already been announced. the main British media.

"Today I announce my intention to resign as the main minister and leader of my party," said Sturgeon, who, however, has clarified that it is not an immediate departure, but that he will remain in both positions until the Scottish National Party (SNP) chooses a successor.

The Scottish leader has appealed to a "sense of duty" and "love" for the party and the "country" to justify a decision that, as she has pointed out on several occasions, is not as sudden as it might seem. Thus, she has recognized the wear and tear of her long period in her power and, more recently, facing challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic - "by far, it is the hardest thing I have ever done", she has admitted her -.

Sturgeon has clarified that it is not due to "short-term pressures", despite the fact that there have been "difficult issues" in the most recent phase. The Government has been the object of criticism in recent weeks, among other reasons, for the law that favors gender reassignment, blocked from London and criticized by conservative groups.

"I could continue for a few more months, a year perhaps, but I know from the time that has passed that I would have less and less energy to continue in the position," he argued, without attributing the news known this Wednesday to any specific cause or circumstance.

"Achieving independence (of Scotland) is the cause to which I have dedicated my life," stressed Sturgeon, who leaves it to the SNP as a whole to decide key issues on this cause at the March congress. Sturgeon has advocated, for example, turning the upcoming midterm elections into a 'de facto' referendum on secession.

In his opinion, London's insistent "blocking" of a second referendum, which he considers justified by the United Kingdom leaving the EU, is "a democratic affront."

The outgoing leader is not throwing in the towel on independence and has in fact passed the baton to the person who will replace her. "I believe without a doubt that my successor will lead Scotland to independence," she said.

Sturgeon did want to make it clear that he will not take sides in the succession race, apparently open and without a clear favourite. Possible replacements include the current 'number two' in the Scottish Executive, John Swinney, and the ministers Kate Forbes, Angus Robertson and Humza Yousaf, according to the BBC.

A LIFE IN POLITICS

"I am also a human being," he told the media in an emotional speech with personal allusions and family thanks in which he reviewed the side effects of the position, regardless of whether he could consider it a "privilege."

The responsibility of the position is "immense" and implies, according to Sturgeon, a "physical and mental impact" that requires "energy" on the part of the person in charge. However, she has clarified that she will not completely withdraw from political life, to which she has promised to remain linked in the defense of causes that she considers important and within which, "obviously", the independence of Scotland appears. .

Born in the city of Irvine in 1970, Sturgeon has been a member of the Scottish National Party (SNP) since she was a teenager and has devoted herself full-time to politics since before her 30th birthday, after a brief stint as a lawyer. In recent years, the SNP has gained weight in both the Scottish and Central Parliaments.

Among his achievements, Sturgeon has cited that "Scotland is fairer now than it was in 2015." "There's a lot to be proud of, but there's always so much more to do," she said.