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.
13. A different expression
Nicola Sturgeon arrived at her home following resigning as Scotland’s First Minister the previous day. Photo: Jeff J Mitchell
14. A final act
On March 28, outgoing First Minster of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon signed her official resignation letter to King Charles III in the Drawing Room at Bute House in Edinburgh. Photo: Jane Barlow