Nicola Sturgeon is an asset not an embarrassment, says deputy first minister
Jenny Gilruth also rejects claim there will not be a female SNP leader any time soon
Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth has defended her party’s former leader Nicola Sturgeon as an “asset” and insists she is “not an embarrassment” to the SNP.
Ms Gilruth also dismissed the former first minister’s comments that there will not be a female leader any time soon, saying that was a comment on how women in politics are treated rather than a criticism of her own abilities.
Earlier this week former SNP MP Joanna Cherry KC told an Edinburgh Fringe audience that the SNP will “probably throw Nicola under the bus” as she had become an “embarrassment to the party”.
When asked if she agreed with Ms Cherry’s comments, the deputy first minister said: “No, I don’t think she’s an embarrassment to the SNP. She’s an asset to the SNP.”
She added: “Nicola was the first ever female First Minister. I think that was really important for women.”
Ms Gilruth made the comments on a visit to Dundee and Angus College on Wednesday morning.
The Scotsman also asked Ms Gilruth what she made of Ms Sturgeon’s comments that she cannot see a female leader “any time soon” and whether that was a criticism of her own abilities to lead the party and the country in the future.
Ms Gilruth said: “To be honest, I don’t really read it as that.
“I don’t want to speak on behalf of Nicola, but I wonder if it’s a reflection of some of the challenges women experience in politics more generally.
“We are living in much more hostile times and it’s much harder for women to operate in the much more combative political environment that now exists.
“Things have changed in the 10 years since I first got elected and I think that’s ultimately to the detriment of women and minorities.”
She said social media abuse is one of the biggest barriers to women entering politics.
She said: “There is a different exposure now and I’m quite hardened to it, but it’s become a normal part of our workplace that you wake up every morning and see abusive comments online.
“That’s not normal in most workplaces, and we need to be mindful of what that does to the nature of political debate.
“This is not just about women, it’s about minorities in general and the accessibility of politics.”
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