[224][225] Unionist parties have rejected this characterisation. [205][206][204] Key documentation, which might have explained why ministers signed the contracts without appropriate safeguards to protect taxpayers' money, was lost and Sturgeon later said this too was "regrettable" and that "the Government will learn lessons. Absolutely not, there's no man I know who is less sexist. Some will see this as the acquisition of belated self-confidence by a submerged community. ", "IFS: Independent Scotland 'would face continued austerity' under Growth Commission proposals", "Is post-referendum Scotland a feminist paradise? [240], In 2016 the Scottish Government cut direct funding to drug and alcohol rehabilitation programmes from 69.2 million to 53.8 million a drop of 22%. [88], At a speech in Dundee's Caird Hall on 7 November, Sturgeon pledged to be "the most accessible First Minister ever" when she took over. We can't bind our successors, but we've made very clear our belief that constitutional referenda are once-in-a-generation events. [228], As part of the SNP's 2016 manifesto policy, the SNP pledged to voters review and reform the way that trans people change their legal gender. [192][193][194][195] During the winter of 2022 only one in three sailings to the island of Coll went ahead;[196] Hebridean shopkeepers kept receiving deliveries of rotten food;[197][198] It is absolutely crushing. [331], Sturgeon lives in Glasgow with her husband, Peter Murrell, who is the chief executive officer of the SNP. This followed her admitting that she had had a secret meeting and subsequent phone call with Salmond about the Scottish government's allegations against him. The SNP emerged as the largest party following the 2007 election and Salmond headed the first SNP minority government, with Sturgeon as his Deputy First Minster. If Scotland was outside Europe, they would lose the right to stay here."[74][75]. [129] By the end of that week, on 30 March 2017, Sturgeon wrote to the Prime Minister requesting a Section 30 order, formally devolving the responsibility and power to the Scottish Government to plan for and hold another referendum on Scottish independence. [130] Previously, May and David Mundell, Secretary of State for Scotland, had both highlighted that as the negotiations began with the European Union on the United Kingdom's withdraw, it was important for Scotland to work with the UK Government to get the best exit deal for both the United Kingdom and Scotland, stating that "now is not the time for another referendum".[131]. Kate Forbes and the place of Christians in public life [284] She has at various points commented on the behaviour or attitudes of men towards women; publicly condemning Donald Trump,[285] Tony Abbott[286] and former Labour MSP Neil Findlay. One nurse told STV, "[When we hear the government say supplies are fine] it's not frustrating, it's crushing. I hated everything she stood for. ", "Covid in Scotland: Inadequate preparations for Covid, says watchdog", "Scottish government inadequately prepared for Covid watchdog", "Covid in Scotland: Places of worship can open now after court win", "Church leaders pile pressure on Sturgeon to lift public worship ban", "Scotland's Covid death toll officially passes 10,000", "The full picture of Covid-linked deaths in Scotland's care homes", "Nicola Sturgeon leads calls for Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak to resign", "Nicola Sturgeon demands Boris Johnson resigns after Prime Minister fined", "Police speak to Nicola Sturgeon over mask breach", "Police Scotland takes 'no further action' on Nicola Sturgeon following face mask complaint", "Covid in Scotland: Nicola Sturgeon gets police warning but no fine after mask law break", "SNP to seek Scottish independence vote after election victory", "Scottish election 2021: Nicola Sturgeon celebrates 'historic' SNP election win", "SNP wins election, but just one seat short of overall majority", "John Swinney to be minister for Covid recovery", "SNP and Scottish Greens confirm power-sharing deal in historic moment for Greens", "Green co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater to serve as ministers in Nicola Sturgeon's Government", "Sturgeon urges UK government to reassess Cambo oil field plan", "Shetland oilfield is a drop in the ocean", "Nicola Sturgeon 'hiding behind PM' on Cambo oilfield, say climate groups", "Nicola Sturgeon: Cambo oil field should not get green light", "Scottish island ferry crossings cancelled as wind and rain batter West Coast", "Ferry service has racked up more than 4,500 cancelled sailings in the last three-and-half years", "Scots bride's wedding saved after ferry nightmare left ceremony on the rocks", "Ferry disruption hits Arran hotels | Scottish Licensed Trade News", "Islanders hire fishing boats and RIBs after CalMac cancellations | Wetherspoon chief goes on attack over VAT | Hospitality group launches recruitment drive", "How are ferry problems affecting people on Barra? It's interesting what Dan Wootton said about her reaction to Omicron - that is the very first thing I said when I heard about it, that Nicola would jump on it and use it to bring in more restrictions. "The First Minister must stop hiding behind Boris Johnson," a spokesperson for the organisation said. Image: Belfast Telegraph First Minister condemns anti-Catholic bigotry First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has publicly condemned anti-Catholic bigotry during First Minister's Questions in the Scottish Parliament. Nicola Sturgeon Resigns: What to Know, and What's Next for Scotland From her family background, we can say that Nicola is Christian. You would need to be wired to the moon to think Nicola Sturgeon and her Government give two hoots about the teachings of the Catholic Church or the sensibilities of genuine Catholics. [216] She sought the Prime Minister to consent to the vote by signing a section 30 order, a move that Downing Street has refused to comply. They are more likely to be within a splintered and increasingly post-religious community rather than between Orange and Green factions. [311][312][313] Sturgeon claimed Johnson's "fragile male ego" stopped him from meeting her. [226][227] Some SNP members have urged Sturgeon to call an early election at Holyrood to speed up the process for a de facto referendum. [105] 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. [317][318], At the beginning of Sturgeon's political career, she was often regarded as a "nippy sweetie", Scottish slang for the "sharp-tongued and strong-minded". She 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. She also served as a member of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee and the Health and Community Care Committee. "[98], 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. Yet many Scots Catholics were for a long time at ease with Britishness. [73] In July 2014 Sturgeon said this would put at risk the right of EU citizens to continue living in Scotland: "There are 160,000 EU nationals from other states living in Scotland, including some in the Commonwealth Games city of Glasgow. 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 November 2022 the UK Supreme Court ruled that the Scottish Parliament does not have the power to hold a referendum on the question of Scottish independence. Nicola Sturgeon is a Scottish politician. [236], In 2023, Sturgeon was criticised in connection with the Isla Bryson case, in which a transgender woman who had raped two women when named Adam Graham began self-identifying as a woman after being charged. [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. [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. Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon says resignation had nothing to do with criticism of her transgender agenda The first minister thought that championing the transgender cause would make her a. Can Sturgeon's bid to narrow the 'educational gap' survive austerity [29] The political columnist Iain Macwhirter declared that while she "didn't inspire great warmth", she was "quick on her feet, lacks any ideological baggage and has real determination unlike Roseanna Cunningham". [31] The majority of the SNP hierarchy lent their support to the SalmondSturgeon bid for the leadership, although MSP Alex Neil backed Salmond as leader, but refused to endorse Sturgeon as depute. [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. [108][109], Sturgeon launched, in what she claimed, as the most bold, ambitious and reforming SNP manifesto for the 2016 Scottish Parliament election. It really matters. But the stridency of folk shedding their religious skins and looking for a substitute faith is unlikely to reconcile them to the rest of the Scottish nation. Face masks were introduced in schools for the first time after Boris Johnson was told it was "not worth an argument" with Nicola Sturgeon over the issue, leaked files suggest. [118], In response to the result, on 24 June 2016, Sturgeon said that Scottish Government officials would begin planning for a second independence referendum. ", "BBC NEWS | Election 2007 | Scottish Parliament | Election Result: Glasgow Govan", "Salmond prepares for SNP minority government", "Better Health, Better Care: Action Plan", "Sturgeon to reverse A&E closure decision", "Scottish government confirms plans to scrap prescription charges", "Prescription charges abolished in Scotland", "Swine influenza Health Protection Agency update", "WHO | World now at the start of 2009 influenza pandemic", "UK plays down swine flu pandemic implications", "Scottish death marks Europe's first H1N1 fatality", "Scottish minimum alcohol pricing passed by parliament", "Scottish cabinet reshuffle: Nicola Sturgeon given new independence role", "High-speed rail plan for Glasgow to Edinburgh line", "High speed Glasgow-Edinburgh rail link plans 'shelved', "Scottish independence would allow economy to grow, says Sturgeon", "Nicola Sturgeon interview: 'I do believe Scotland can be better off', "Scottish independence: Referendum White Paper unveiled", "Independence referendum: Nicola Sturgeon accuses Westminister of bullying over currency", "Scottish minister Nicola Sturgeon hits back over sterling threat", "Scottish independence: Barroso says joining EU would be 'difficult', "Sturgeon warns Europeans could lose right to stay", "UK minister: Sturgeon used EU nationals as bargaining chips", "Scottish independence referendum: final results in full", "Scottish referendum results: As Alex Salmond steps down, Nicola Sturgeon waits for her chance to lead", "Alex Salmond Resigns: Will SNP Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon Replace Him? What Religion Is Nicola Sturgeon | Amarta Karya [46] She 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. [338], In May 2022, Sturgeon tested positive for COVID-19. Early life and political career Is Nicola Sturgeon A Catholic Answers | Amarta Karya and Duran Duran, and enjoyed spending Saturday nights at Frostys Ice Disco in Irvine. She also served as Cabinet Secretary for Health, Infrastructure, and Parliament. [233][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. While it commended the authorities for preventing hospitals from becoming overwhelmed during the crisis, the watchdog also noted that recommendations from pandemic planning exercises in 2015, 2016 and 2018 had not been fully implemented. [235], On 22 December 2022, the Scottish Parliament voted 86 to 39 to pass the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill which was introduced by Sturgeon's government, but the bill was vetoed by the UK Government. [136][137], Several weeks later 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". [314][315], Sturgeon's attempts to request approval for a second referendum on Scottish independence were declined by the Johnson administration. The event has been described as being like the birth of a megachurch rather than a conventional political rally, in which new members were inducted into the political faith. Nicola Sturgeon Denounces "Vile Anti-Catholic Prejudice" But Will She Nicola Sturgeon has rejected an accusation she lied to the Scottish people about the country's currency after independence. [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. Others, myself included, glimpse the triumph of a new form of passivity skilfully managed by the ruling centre. [186], In August 2021, confonted by climate activist Lauren Macdonald about the Cambo oil field west of Shetland, Sturgeon refused to take a position on whether its development should go ahead. From 2007 to 2012, she served as the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing. The Catholicism of the Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy has attracted some attention this week against a backdrop of fascinating political developments in Scotland. [35] Sturgeon quickly grew a reputation in Holyrood as opposition leader, becoming known as "nippy sweetie" Scottish slang for the "sharp-tongued and strong-minded". She led the Scottish Government's response, implementing a series of restrictions on social gatherings and rolling out the vaccine programme. Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon (born 19 July 1970) is a Scottish politician serving as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) since 2014. ", "Moray: 'We are fed up with the SNP. "[245], The crisis has particularly impacted the homeless in Scotland: 216 homeless people died in Scotland in 2019 an increase of 11% on the previous year; over half (54%) of these deaths were drug-related. Nicola Sturgeon: Scottish government 'unequivocal supporter' of [157][158][159] Subsequently the restrictions were repeatedly tightened, loosened and adapted in parts or all of Scotland in response to developments in the situation. [229] However, the policy divided the party and it the bill was delayed during Sturgeon's second term in office because of opposition to the policy and the COVID-19 pandemic. [138][139], In January 2019, Sturgeon referred herself to an independent ministerial ethics body, which led to an investigation into her actions with respect to a sexual harassment case concerning allegations against Salmond. [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. [14], Sturgeon was a quiet child and has been described by her younger sister as "the sensible one" of the two. Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has said her government is an "unequivocal supporter" of Catholic schools. "[59] Four days later, a Scottish woman with underlying health conditions died at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley. "[148], Sturgeon led her party to a landslide victory in the 2019 United Kingdom general election in Scotland. [115][116][117], The UK Government held the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum to decide the future of the United Kingdom's European Union membership, in which all 32 council areas in Scotland voted by a majority for the United Kingdom to remain a member of the EU. [220][221] She 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. [106], In the run-up to the elections, Sturgeon took part in several Scottish and UK-wide TV election debates and according to opinion polls was regarded to have had a successful performance. "[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. [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". John Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon "wrestled" with the idea of leaving at the same time, the Deputy First Minister has said. [3][4] She entered office amid a rapid surge in membership of the SNP and this was reflected in the party's performance in the 2015 general election, when it ended Labour's thirty year electoral dominance of Scottish Westminster seats, as it won 56 of the 59 seats and replaced the Liberal Democrats as the third-largest party in the British House of Commons. [80] She also opined that Scottish independence was a matter of "when, not if". Sturgeon was elected unopposed as SNP leader in November 2014 and was subsequently appointed as first minister, becoming the first woman to hold either position. Within weeks of the referendum, Glasgow had a near five-fold rise in SNP membership and nearby Motherwell and Coatbridge had six-fold increases. Fiona Hyslop and Richard Lochhead remained in their portfolios of culture secretary and rural affairs secretary, respectively. According to one poll, just 31% of non Catholics backed independence compared with no less than 57% of Catholics. No. Nicola Sturgeon - Wikipedia By the looks of it, Nicola Sturgeon religion is Catholic. "[254], In 2021, Audit Scotland concluded that, "Progress on closing the poverty-related attainment gap between the most and least deprived school pupils has been limited"[255] and fell short of the Government's aims. [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? [215], Sturgeon officially announced that the referendum would be held on 19 October 2023. [citation needed]. [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. Sturgeon apologised for being overexcited although expressed that she was celebrating Amy Callaghan's win. [287] However, she defended her party's leader Alex Salmond from accusations of sexism. They announced their engagement on 29 January 2010,[332] and were married on 16 July 2010 at ran Mr in Glasgow. In a letter to Nicola Sturgeon, he said . Alex Neil, who many speculated would be dismissed, remained in cabinet but in a "less prominent portfolio" of social justice, communities and pensioners rights. Looking at her previous works, she has been doing great towards the catholic faith. [189], The announcement was welcomed by the Scottish Green party but Greenpeace criticised Sturgeon for not coming out more strongly against the oil field. [273] In recent years, following the defeat of the Yes Scotland campaign in 2014 Scottish Independence referendum, Sturgeon has aligned herself with the new gradualist wing, who believe in only holding a second referendum if there is clear public support, such as polling being over 60%, or if there is a material change in circumstances. Nicola Sturgeon denied taking a different approach to Scotland fans last week travelling to London to Rangers fans when they celebrated their league win. [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'. [258][259][260] Sturgeon has committed to strengthening links between Scotland and Africa. [181] The SNP won a fourth consecutive election, albeit short of an overall majority, with a record number of votes on both the constituency and regional vote[failed verification] as well as increasing their share of the constituency vote and making a net gain of one seat. She 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 (as per the ministerial code). Sarwar did, however, win the seat with a majority of 2,914 votes. [327], Forbes magazine ranked Sturgeon as the 50th most powerful woman in the world in 2016 and 2nd in the United Kingdom. [30], However, once Cunningham emerged as the favourite to win,[30] Salmond announced his intention to stand for the leadership; Sturgeon subsequently withdrew from the contest and declared her support for Salmond, standing instead as his running mate for the depute leadership. Nicola Sturgeon blasted Rangers revellers for their anti-Catholic rampage Credit: Reuters. [229] However, proposed changes to Scotland's Gender Recognition Act that would have allowed people to change their identity through self-identification, rather than a medical process, were paused in June 2019. This included rows over the House of Commons' decision to replace the Trident nuclear weapon system, and the SNP's plans to replace council tax in Scotland with a local income tax. [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. [150][151][152][153] In the wake of the results, Sturgeon said that Prime Minister Boris Johnson had "no right" to stand in the way of another Scottish independence referendum after an "overwhelming" SNP election victory. .mw-parser-output .sidebar{width:22em;float:right;clear:right;margin:0.5em 0 1em 1em;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #aaa;padding:0.2em;text-align:center;line-height:1.4em;font-size:88%;border-collapse:collapse;display:table}body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .sidebar{display:table!important;float:right!important;margin:0.5em 0 1em 1em!important}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-subgroup{width:100%;margin:0;border-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-left{float:left;clear:left;margin:0.5em 1em 1em 0}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-none{float:none;clear:both;margin:0.5em 1em 1em 0}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-outer-title{padding:0 0.4em 0.2em;font-size:125%;line-height:1.2em;font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-top-image{padding:0.4em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-top-caption,.mw-parser-output .sidebar-pretitle-with-top-image,.mw-parser-output .sidebar-caption{padding:0.2em 0.4em 0;line-height:1.2em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-pretitle{padding:0.4em 0.4em 0;line-height:1.2em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-title,.mw-parser-output .sidebar-title-with-pretitle{padding:0.2em 0.8em;font-size:145%;line-height:1.2em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-title-with-pretitle{padding:0.1em 0.4em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-image{padding:0.2em 0.4em 0.4em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-heading{padding:0.1em 0.4em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-content{padding:0 0.5em 0.4em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-content-with-subgroup{padding:0.1em 0.4em 0.2em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-above,.mw-parser-output .sidebar-below{padding:0.3em 0.8em;font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-collapse .sidebar-above,.mw-parser-output .sidebar-collapse .sidebar-below{border-top:1px solid #aaa;border-bottom:1px solid #aaa}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-navbar{text-align:right;font-size:115%;padding:0 0.4em 0.4em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-list-title{padding:0 0.4em;text-align:left;font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6em;font-size:105%}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-list-title-c{padding:0 0.4em;text-align:center;margin:0 3.3em}@media(max-width:720px){body.mediawiki .mw-parser-output .sidebar{width:100%!important;clear:both;float:none!important;margin-left:0!important;margin-right:0!important}}.mw-parser-output .hidden-begin{box-sizing:border-box;width:100%;padding:5px;border:none;font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .hidden-title{font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .hidden-content{text-align:left}, Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon[5] was born in Ayrshire Central Hospital in Irvine on 19 July 1970. She became the youngest ever parliamentary candidate in Scotland in the 1992 general election. Many of these Catholic SNP converts were likely to have been among the 12,000 people who packed the Hydro arena in Glasgow on November 22. 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. [214] This plan has been met with condemnation from various opposing parties, with the Prime Minister rejecting her plan. [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. During the referendum campaign, cult-like Yes rallies in Glasgow housing estates were conventions of zealotry (I attended my fair share, but the Scottish media mainly overlooked them). nicola sturgeon - Catholic Parliamentary Office [276] She described the Queen as the "greatest constant in our national life" and added her death was a day for reflection and remembrance" and "a day for giving thanks to The Queen for her devotion to duty and the decades of public service she gave to the people of Scotland.[277][278], She has at times been a critic of austerity, saying that the UK government's "austerity economics" is "morally unjustifiable and economically unsustainable".