Nicola Sturgeon's ex-aide urges former boss to observe 'period of dignified silence'

Kate Higgins, a long-serving special adviser to both Ms Sturgeon and John Swinney, told all three women to “just do one”.

In a blog post, she also hit out at Ms Sturgeon for criticising the SNP’s most recent election campaign, calling the intervention “bewildering”.

The former first minister has been engaged in a war of words with Ms Cherry and the Harry Potter author, both of whom disagree with her position on trans rights.

During an appearance at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Ms Sturgeon said the pair were “obsessed” with her and called Ms Cherry’s recently published book “sh*t”.

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon: 'My God, JK Rowling is obsessed with me'

In response, Ms Cherry took a swipe at Ms Sturgeon’s personal life and suggested she had not been open about her sexuality.

“I’d like to say to her directly: don’t worry Nicola, I’m not obsessed with you,” she told Iain Dale’s All Talk show at the Fringe.

“Unlike you, I have a very happy and meaningful career to fall back on, and also perhaps in contrast to her I have a very strong and happy relationship with my girlfriend, and I’m open about my sexuality and have been for a very long time.”

Ms Rowling, meanwhile, has accused Ms Sturgeon of creating a “dystopian nightmare” for women, and said she had looked like a “complete f**kwit” over the case of transgender double rapist Isla Bryson.

Addressing Ms Cherry in her blog post, Ms Higgins, who recently retired, said: “Beating your chest constantly, in such a public and dare I say it, male, way serves no one, but the SNP’s opponents and those who would keep us from ever reaching the destination of independence.”

She accused Ms Rowling of indulging in “personalised, heightened mud-slinging” which was “unedifying and demeaning”.

“Have you forgotten how many young people revere you for bringing Harry Potter into their lives and helping so many of them who were othered, bullied and ostracised for being different - just like Harry?” Ms Higgins asked.

“Some of them might even have found themselves on the outside as teenagers because they were confused about their sexuality and gender identity. You helped them then; in what way do you think your puerile attacks on Nicola Sturgeon help them now?

“Just as I would put the same question to Nicola. It might seem edgy to you to use soft sweary words to demean Joanna’s book, but how does doing so send a ‘strong, positive message to all girls and young women across our land?’”

READ MORE: Joanna Cherry hits back at Sturgeon and does not rule out political comeback

In a new foreword to the paperback edition of her memoir, Ms Sturgeon said the recent Holyrood election campaign lacked “vision” and “big picture thinking”.

Ms Higgins said “attacking John Swinney and the party’s most recent election campaign” was “bewildering”.

She said all three women, “in demeaning each other, by being hostile and abusive”, were by extension “suggesting that such treatment of women - especially by men - is welcome in Scotland in 2026”.

She added: “So, perhaps with a period of dignified silence over the remainder of the summer, you might all realise that there are some things which matter more.

“Indeed, a period of quiet reflection might remind each of you of the power you hold to do public good, not least in standing against hate and intolerance, and in standing for the rights of all girls and women to live lives free from abuse and harm.”

Writing on social media, Ms Cherry said she remained “proud that I questioned the misgovernance and ineptitude which typified her [Ms Sturgeon’s] approach to running the party and running the country”.