He has been my friend, mentor and colleague for more than 20 years. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has stated that she feels the Church is still influential in Scottish life. [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. [246] Per head, Scotland's death rate among the homeless is the highest in Britain. "[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". Nicola was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, on July 9, 1970. The previous leader, Alex Salmond, announced at the time that he would not stand. They announced their engagement on 29 January 2010,[332] and were married on 16 July 2010 at ran Mr in Glasgow. "[275], Following the death of the Queen Elizabeth II, Sturgeon led tributes to the Queen. [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. Absolutely not, there's no man I know who is less sexist. [274] On the day Queen Elizabeth II became Britain's longest reigning monarch, Sturgeon travelled with her to open the Borders Railway and told a crowd of well-wishers: "She [The Queen] has carried out Her duties with dedication, wisdom and an exemplary sense of public service. And many in Sturgeons party have rather different views from Archbishops Tartaglia in Glasgow and Cushley in Edinburgh about when the sacredness of human life begins and ends and how far the state should micro-manage the individual. "[148], Sturgeon led her party to a landslide victory in the 2019 United Kingdom general election in Scotland. 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. A dispersal order had to be issued as officers in riot gear battled with boozed-up fans refusing to leave . "The basic values of integrity and decency - essential to the proper working of any parliamentary democracy - demand that he go," she tweeted. The First Minister stated:"Anti-Catholic discrimin. The down side is that you just end up talking about it all the time and you never leave it outside. [283] She has hailed Scottish feminist economist Ailsa McKay as one of her inspirations. [33] As Salmond was still an MP in the House of Commons, Sturgeon led the SNP at the Scottish Parliament until the 2007 election, when Salmond was elected as an MSP. [60][61] This marked the first death in Scotland and Europe. [168][169], In March 2021, the Court of Session declared that the Scottish Government's prohibition on communal worship, imposed during the pandemic, was unlawful. The first confirmed case of the virus in Scotland was announced on 1 March 2020, when a resident in Tayside had tested positive. [65], In December 2012, Sturgeon said that she believed that independence would allow Scotland to build a stronger and more competitive country, and would change spending priorities to address "the scandal of soaring poverty in a country as rich as Scotland". The worldwide pandemic of COVID-19 began during Sturgeon's second term as First Minister. A video of the interaction went viral[187] and a few days later, Sturgeon wrote to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, asking that the development of Cambo should be "reassessed in light of the severity of the climate emergency". [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. In Alex Salmond's shadow cabinet, she served as Shadow Minister for Children and Education from 1999 to 2000. She has served as a member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) since 1999, first as an additional member for the Glasgow electoral region, and as the member for Glasgow Southside (formerly Glasgow Govan) from 2007. Quite simply, I would not have been able to do what I have in politics without his constant advice, guidance and support through all these years. Recently, Nicola Sturgeon caught the headlines after being accused of treating the north of England with contempt. "[59] Four days later, a Scottish woman with underlying health conditions died at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley. 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. [247], In August 2021 the Scottish Government announced there had been 1,339 drug deaths in the previous year a new record high. [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. At the time, Queen's Counsel under the reign of Elizabeth II, now King's Counsel under the reign of Charles III. This means that Catholic electoral areas can expect to see divisions in the UK and Scottish elections of 2015 and 2016. People with dormant grievances and minimal interest in politics suddenly became passionately intense in expressing a new faith and displaying impressive knowledge about English wickedness all the way back to 1745. [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. [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. [76] Following the defeat of the Yes Scotland campaign, Salmond announced his resignation as First Minister and Leader of the SNP. The Catholicism of the Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy has attracted some attention this week against a backdrop of fascinating political developments in Scotland. We believe in the free flow of. Nicola Sturgeon blasted Rangers revellers for their anti-Catholic rampage Credit: Reuters. [214] This plan has been met with condemnation from various opposing parties, with the Prime Minister rejecting her plan. No. Yet just like this makes it ironic for a Catholic to be ascending to lead Scottish Labour, the SNP is now being led by a flinty secularist. [citation needed], Sturgeon attended Dreghorn Primary School from 1975 to 1982 and Greenwood Academy from 1982 to 1988. In response to the UK-wide vote for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union, the Scottish Government, headed by Sturgeon, launched the Scotland's Place in Europe document, a white paper setting out the Scottish Government's aims and wishes of Scotland's role in Europe post-Brexit. For there is plenty of evidence that people of Irish descent have been to the fore in the near-quadrupling of SNP membership to 92,000 since the referendum, which threatens to undo Labour at the 2015 UK general election. 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. [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". Jim Murphy took his soapbox all over Scotland, holding 100 meetings in the campaigns last 100 days. Furthermore, they concluded that the Scottish Government had awarded the contracts without normal financial safeguards and presided over a "multitude of failings". "[165] Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament in July, "At no point within this crisis has Scotland run out of any aspect of PPE. Following the referendum defeat, Sturgeon said that "further devolution is the route to independence". ", "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? [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. By Democrat reporter A fundamentalist representative of the Catholic Church in Scotland has called out the Scottish National Party's (SNP) "open and vicious hostility" towards pro-life Christians. catholic Is Shakira a Roman Catholic? In the same interview, Sturgeon committed to no independence referendum being held prior to the terms of a UK wide Brexit deal being agreed and presented. [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. Acknowledging this, Sturgeon suggested: "That is why the SNP have urged a policy for many months that we believe can provide people with the necessary reassurance, by providing a statutory underpinning to the guidelines, and resolve this difficult debate. [112] Sturgeon also hinted if re-elected she would hold a second referendum on Scottish independence. By the looks of it, Nicola Sturgeon religion is Catholic. Nicola Sturgeon, (born July 19, 1970, Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland), first minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party (2014- ), Scotland's fifth leaderand first woman leadersince the establishment of the Scottish Parliament and government in 1999. [100], The departure of Kenny MacAskill and Michael Russell signalled a generational shift away from the 79 group. The SNP won 48 seats, and came second place in the 11 others; their 45% of the vote yielded 80% of the seats in Scotland. [96][97] During her first First Minister's Questions after being sworn in, Sturgeon tried to strike a conciliatory tone, saying that she came into her new post "with an open mind and a willingness to hear proposals from all sides of the chamber. [22][23], The 1997 general election saw Sturgeon selected to fight the Glasgow Govan seat for the SNP. She also said that the result "renews, reinforces and strengthens" the mandate for Indyref2.[154]. Nicola Sturgeon is the current (2015) First Minister. [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. The answer is No. [338], In May 2022, Sturgeon tested positive for COVID-19. [184], In August 2021, Sturgeon and Scottish Green Party co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater announced a power-sharing agreement between their parties. 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". Overall, it concluded that ministers "could have been better prepared to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic". [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] These are the heartlands of a community once defined by deep Catholic loyalties. If you are talking about the singer Shakira, yes she is Roman. | Jess Phillips", "Election 2019: the result in Scotland in numbers", "Nicola Sturgeon filmed celebrating Jo Swinson's defeat to SNP's Amy Callaghan video", "Nicola Sturgeon: 'I got overexcited' in reaction to Jo Swinson loss", "Nicola Sturgeon branded 'ungracious' after celebrating Jo Swinson losing her seat", "Nicola Sturgeon tips East Dunbartonshire's Amy Callaghan to be one of the stars of the Commons", "Sturgeon: PM has 'no right' to block Indyref2", "Nicola Sturgeon admits Scotland would have been in lockdown earlier if she 'could turn the clock back', "Coronavirus: Schools in Scotland and Wales to close from Friday BBC News", "Prime Minister's statement on coronavirus (COVID-19): 23 March 2020", "UK coronavirus: Boris Johnson announces strict lockdown across country as it happened", "Coronavirus: Nicola Sturgeon says new rules amount to 'lockdown' BBC News", "Timeline of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Scotland", "Covid in Scotland: Government 'failed' social care sector during pandemic", "SNP Health Minister admits covid mistake in transferring patients to care homes", "Ministers' Covid error 'turned care homes into morgues', "Covid in Scotland: 'Mistake' to discharge Covid patients says Sturgeon", "Whistleblower: Nurses forced to reuse and share single-use PPE", "Coronavirus: Nicola Sturgeon defends PPE record after we revealed pre-pandemic warnings", "Covid-19: Should the UK be aiming for elimination? They urged the Catholic community to spurn caution and embrace risk-taking without explaining how a largely low-income group would fare in the face of depleting oil reserves, the retreat of British state jobs, and an ageing population relying on a tax base over 12 times smaller than the present UK one. The defeat of the Yes Scotland campaign in the referendum resulted in the resignation of Salmond as leader of the SNP and first minister. [91], Although Salmond officially tendered his resignation as First Minister on 18 November 2014, Sturgeon was not sworn in until two days later. She departs leaving both TERF Island and her successor holding two sweating sticks of constitutional dynamite. Sturgeon said there were "lots of lessons to learn". [180] In the election, the SNP won 64 of the 129 seats contested. [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. Nicola Sturgeon has rejected an accusation she lied to the Scottish people about the country's currency after independence. [171], In April 2021 Scotland's death toll from COVID-19 passed 10,000. [306] Following Johnson's appointment as British prime minister, she claimed he "rambled" in his first speech outside 10 Downing Street and suggested he was "blame shifting". This win resulted in Sturgeon becoming the first First Minister in the history of the Scottish Parliament to form a third government. [296] Large numbers of LGBT activists followed suit and Sturgeon released a video message in which she said that transphobia is "not acceptable" and said she hoped they would re-join the party. [215], Sturgeon officially announced that the referendum would be held on 19 October 2023. On 19 September 2014, independence was rejected in the Scottish independence referendum, with 55.3% of the voters voting no and 44.7% voting yes. "[250], In July 2022 the figures for 2021 were released, revealing that 1,330 had died - nine fewer than in 2020. [144] Opposition parties criticised Sturgeon on disparity and contradictions between the narratives of Murrell and herself. [330] In 2015, BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour assessed Sturgeon to be the most powerful and influential woman in the United Kingdom. [162] Over three thousand care home residents died from COVID-19[163] and Gary Smith, Scotland Secretary of the GMB, said the policy had turned "care homes into morgues". Can Sturgeon's bid to narrow the 'educational gap' survive austerity Kevin McKenna The first minister has praised the contribution of Catholic schools to 'modern Scotland' Nicola Sturgeon. [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%. She is the eldest child of her parents, Robin and Joanne Sturgeon. [citation needed], In the mid-1990s Sturgeon and Charles Kennedy went together on a political study visit to Australia. [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. "[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. She also promised to hold a monthly Facebook question and answer session with members of the public, regular town hall meetings and that the Scottish Cabinet would meet outside Edinburgh once every two months. It has been supplanted by left-wing agitators, celebrities, mocking comedians and restless academics and journalists. She is born into a family of four, including her . ", "Missed funerals and helicopter transfers as ferries misery grows", "Ferries fiasco blamed on 'significant operational failures', "400m estimate for ferries as expert demands public inquiry", "Nicola Sturgeon: Buck stops with me over ferry contract row", "Official Report: First Minister's Question Time", "Sturgeon defends ferries contract decision", "Yesterday, Keith Brown was quizzed on the Ferguson Marine ferry deal- telling @C4Ciaran "that document, the one that signed it off, if it ever existed, is not now available", "Permanent secretary demands 'rigorous' record-keeping after ferries missing document", "Jack McConnell claims SNP may have 'broken law' over missing ferry paperwork", "Scotland's leader starts a campaign for a new independence vote", "Nicola Sturgeon unveils case for Scottish independence", "Sturgeon plans to hold second Scottish independence referendum in October 2023", "Sturgeon plots alternative route to Scottish independence vote next year", "Boris Johnson Rejects Nicola Sturgeon's Call For A Second Independence Referendum", "Scotland announces plan for independence vote in October 2023", "Nicola Sturgeon takes Indyref2 to Supreme Court as Scotland will 'not be prisoner of Boris Johnson', "Scottish independence: 19 October 2023 proposed as date for referendum", "Nicola Sturgeon launches third independence paper: full speech", "Nicola Sturgeon promises new 'Scottish pound' and no passports to visit England - as she lays out economic plan for independence", "Scottish pound: Independent Scotland would introduce new currency", "First Minister: Independence "essential" to Scotland's prosperity", "Independence will rid Scotland of UK economic chaos, says Nicola Sturgeon", "Supreme court rules against Scottish parliament holding new independence referendum", "SNP will treat next UK general election as 'de facto referendum', Sturgeon says", "We'll find another way to Scottish independence - Nicola Sturgeon", "Scottish opposition parties reject SNP's plan to treat election as referendum", "Angus MacNeil: Why we should hold a Holyrood election as a vote on independence", "Nicola Sturgeon makes gender recognition pledge", "SNP civil war deepens as leading Sturgeon critic Joanna Cherry purged from Westminster team", "Scottish transgender reforms put on hold", "Transgender reforms shelved due to coronavirus pandemic", "Trans rights: How gender recognition reform became one of Scotland's most heated debates", "Nicola Sturgeon facing backlash over proposed gender legislation", "Nicola Sturgeon dismisses concerns over gender reforms as 'not valid', "Nicola Sturgeon says gender reform row will go to court", Nicola Sturgeon's gender conundrum: Is Isla Bryson a man or a woman, "Nicola Sturgeon says time is right to resign as Scotland's first minister", "Nicola Sturgeon resigns as First Minister after eight years at top of Scottish politics", "Nicola Sturgeon resigns: Indyref2 is in a perilous position with no clear successor for first minister", "Health boards told to fill 15 million cut in funding for drug and alcohol care", "Proposed cuts on funding for drug and alcohol rehabilitation in Scotland", "Drug deaths in Scotland rose by 23% in 2016", "Scotland's drug deaths rise to new record", "Sturgeon: We took our eye off the ball on drug deaths", "Deaths among homeless people in Scotland up 10%", "Drug deaths in Scotland reach new record level", "Scotland: Drug deaths hit record level for seventh year in a row here's what the data shows", "Nicola Sturgeon accused of ignoring drug deaths epidemic in Scotland", "Scottish government under pressure as drug deaths fell by just nine in 2021", "Drug deaths in Scotland fall by one per cent but are still second highest ever recorded", "Nicola Sturgeon: Scottish education 'not good enough', "Nicola Sturgeon: Judge me on education record", "Attainment gap remains wide and better education data needed | Audit Scotland", "School attainment gap 'remains wide', watchdog warns", "Schulz empfngt Schottin Sturgeon zu Gesprch ber Brexit-Folgen", "Nicola Sturgeon says 'difficult' Theresa May will struggle with Brexit talks", "Nicola Sturgeon calls for united front to protect devolution", "Nicola Sturgeon breaks convention to back Hillary Clinton in Presidential race", "Sturgeon 'will not be silent' over Trump", "Nicola Sturgeon congratulates Donald Trump on inauguration", "Nicola Sturgeon 'let women down' by posing with anti-abortion politician", "Taking Back the House, Vol. [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. There have been questions going around saying is Nicola Sturgeon lesbian. [101] Roseanna Cunningham, who had difficult relationship with Sturgeon, was surprisingly promoted to cabinet as the fair work secretary. [citation needed]. [133] However, the SNP lost 21 seats in the 2017 United Kingdom general election in Scotland and the party's vote dropped by 13%, although they remained the biggest party in Scotland. by Anthony Horan in News. 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. Fiona Hyslop and Richard Lochhead remained in their portfolios of culture secretary and rural affairs secretary, respectively. Sturgeon claimed following comments made by Trump in relation to Muslims entering the United States that he was "not fit" for the ambassadorial role with the Scottish Government. In line with Government guidance, she completed a self-isolation period.[339]. John Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon "wrestled" with the idea of leaving at the same time, the Deputy First Minister has said. Following the SNP's landslide majority in 2011, she was appointed as the Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Capital Investment and Cities, which saw her in charge of the legislative process for the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.
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