The then SNP leader said she was not reacting to “short-term pressures” after a series of political setbacks.
The longest-serving – and first female – First Minister told a hastily arranged press conference on February 15, 2023, that she would remain in office while the SNP selects her successor. She was ultimately replaced by current First Minister, Humza Yousaf.
“In my head and in my heart I know that time is now," she told gathred media that day. "That it’s right for me, for my party and my country,” she said.
These 14 pictures chart the day that Nicola Sturgeon shocked Scotland and the political world with her resignation.
9. Nicola Sturgeon significant political opposition at the end of her tenure
Some demonstrators held placards during a protest as she announced her resignation. Photo: ANDY BUCHANAN
10. Many asked what the future would hold for the outgoing FM?
Her surprise exit led political commentators to draw parallels with the sudden resignation the previous month of Jacinda Ardern as New Zealand’s prime minister. Photo: Andrew Milligan
11. Exiting Bute House for home
After the press conference, Nicola Sturgeon left from the rear entrance to Bute House. Photo: ANDY BUCHANAN
12. The only story in town
Unsurprisingly, Nicola Sturgeon's resignation dominated newspaper front pages not just in Scotland but across the UK and wider world. | PA