NICOLA Sturgeon has announced she is set to quit as an MSP.
The former First Minister – who represents the Glasgow Southside constituency – made the announcement on Instagram this morning.
She admitted that reaching the decision was “far from easy”.
But said it was the right time to “embrace different opportunities”.
In a letter to local SNP members, she said: “I am writing to let you know that I have decided not to seek re-election to the Scottish Parliament next year.
“Reaching this decision has been far from easy, however, I have known in my heart for a while that the time is right for me to embrace different opportunities in a new chapter of my life, and to allow you to select a new standard bearer.
“Whoever you choose will have my full support and I look forward to campaigning alongside you to ensure that Glasgow Southside remains an SNP-held constituency.”
Ms Sturgeon previously resigned as First Minister in February 2023 after eight years in the top job.
The ex-SNP leader came to power in 2014 after the resignation of Alex Salmond.
And the MSP is the longest-serving and first female First Minister since the creation of the Scottish Parliament in 1999.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said “Nicola Sturgeon has been a leading figure in Scottish politics for 20 years, but I have known her in local politics in Glasgow for almost 30 years.
“This is a significant announcement that marks the end of an era in Scottish politics.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”Nicola Sturgeon announces end of marriage to Peter Murrell with ‘heavy heart’” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6367028811112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]“Whilst I have many disagreements with her, I never doubted her passion for Glasgow and Scotland. I wish her well for the future.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:
“Whatever you think of her legacy, Nicola Sturgeon’s impact on Scottish politics has been undeniable.
“The SNP have been in power for too long, and the departure of another big figure is further proof of their decline.
“For so many people across Scotland, it feels like nothing works anymore. Next year, they will have a chance to draw a line under SNP division and neglect. At the 2026 election, Scottish Liberal Democrats will be focused on standing up for faster access to local healthcare, lifting up education and giving our economy the attention it deserves.”
Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton said: “We wish any departing MSP well, regardless of their party or politics.
“But we cannot forget the deep divisions in our country that Nicola Sturgeon created, fostered and encouraged.
[boxout headline=”Marriage split” featured-image=”33810700″ intro=”AT the beginning of the year, Nicola Sturgeon announced the end of her 15-year marriage to husband Peter Murrell.”]Former SNP leader Ms Sturgeon took to Instagram to announce her impending divorce.
Under the heading ‘Personal’, she wrote: “With a heavy heart I am confirming that Peter and I have decided to end our marriage.
“To all intents and purposes we have been separated for some time now and feel it’s time to bring others up to speed with where we are.
“It goes without saying that we still care deeply for each other, and always will. We will be making no further comment.”
She and Mr Murrell have not been seen publicly together for almost two years, and Ms Sturgeon is known to occasionally stay overnight in Edinburgh.
Sources claimed the former political power couple’s break-up was unrelated to the long-running police probe into the whereabouts of around £600,000 of SNP cash, which saw ex-party chief executive Mr Murrell charged with embezzlement last April.
An insider told The Scottish Sun: “They are still good pals.”
“By any objective analysis, her record as First Minister is one of failure. Scottish education standards collapsed on her watch and the poverty-related attainment gap, which she promised to eradicate, widened.
“She presided over a drugs-death emergency, a ferries scandal, a crisis in our NHS, crumbling roads – and all while raising taxes on hard-working Scots, which stifled economic growth.
“Her reckless gender self-ID policy betrayed women, her soft-touch approach to justice betrayed victims and her shameful deletion of Covid WhatsApp messages denied bereaved families answers and highlighted the secrecy and cynicism that characterised her government.”
Locals from Glasgow South, Ms Sturgeon’s former constituency, had a mixed reaction to the news.
Dad-of-two Shaun Wilson, 53, from Govanhill, said: “I think Sturgeon stepping down is the right thing to do.
“People have their doubts about Nicola Sturgeon as an MSP, and she’s lost any power she once had. So I think it’s the right time.”
Paul McIlroy, 47, from Govanhill, said: “It’s a real shame to see her step down. I think she’s done a lot for the area, and I can only wish her the best.
“She’s transformed Govanhill since she first started and has always worked very closely with her constituents. It’s a big loss for Glasgow Southside.”
Retired mum-of-two Mary Hutchinson, 63, from Pollokshields, said: “I’m pleased to hear Sturgeon has stepped down. She’s never done much for Scotland, let alone Glasgow’s Southside.
“The streets are a disgrace—covered in litter and infested with rats. She’s never done anything about it. I’m glad to see the back of her.”
Carer Lisa McKelvie, 52, from Govanhill, said: “I’ve lived here for 25 years, and Nicola Sturgeon has done absolutely nothing for this area.
“I’ve been living with mice and rats for God knows how many years. She doesn’t care. Her office is right around the corner from my home, and I’ve never once seen her in this area since she became an MSP in 2011.”
Brian Johnstone, 30, from Ireland, said: “I live in Govanhill. I think Sturgeon did a lot for Scotland’s national movement and a lot for this constituency.
“It’s a shame how it all went down. She didn’t have much mileage left. I think she worked hard, and she had a lot of abuse thrown at her, so she’s done well to stick it out this long.”
Retail assistant Charlotte McLay, 66, from Govanhill, said: “I’m pleased to see her resign. I’ve seen this place go downhill since she first came into power.
“She has taken no interest in making any changes. The streets here are so unsafe—I wouldn’t dare leave the house after dark.
Local business owner Stevn Campbell, 56, from Gartcosh, said: “I’ve never been a fan of Nicola Sturgeon. I think she has let Scotland and the Southside down pretty badly.
“I thought she should have resigned much sooner. Everyone feels very let down by her. She has pushed the independence narrative for years, and we’re getting tired of it.
“I’ve been working in Govanhill for 25 years, and I’ve seen her once in the area. I’m constantly cleaning the streets outside my shop just to tidy it up. It’s shocking.”
Driving instructor Craig Turnbull, 64, who has lived in Glasgow’s Southside for a year, said: “I wouldn’t slate Nicola Sturgeon. I think she’s done a lot for the people of Scotland. “
Her announcement comes almost two years after after she was arrested and released without charge as part of the Operation Branchform probe into SNP finances.
She was questioned by officers in June 2023.
Cops also raided her home in Uddingston, near Glasgow.
She previously vowed to cooperate fully with the authorities and insisted she has done nothing wrong.
Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, Sturgeon’s estranged husband, was charged with embezzling party funds in April.
Officers also searched the SNP’s Edinburgh headquarters and seized a luxury motorhome from the driveway of Mr Murrell’s mum’s home in April 2023.
Sturgeon said her decision to quit Bute House in 2023 was unrelated to the police probe focused on donations to the party by independence activists.
Ms Sturgeon remains under investigation alongside ex-SNP treasurer and MSP, Colin Beattie.
[boxout headline=”Sturgeon’s full letter” featured-image=”33810969″ intro=”Dear friends,”]I am writing to let you know that I have decided not to seek re-election to the Scottish Parliament next year.
As members of the SNP in Glasgow Southside, I wanted you to be the first to know.
I also wanted to put on record my heartfelt thanks to all of you for the unstinting support, loyalty and friendship you have shown me over the years in which I have had the privilege of being your MSP.
It means more to me than you will ever know.
Reaching this decision has been far from easy. However, I have known in my heart for a while that the time is right for me to embrace different opportunities in a new chapter of my life, and to allow you to select a new standard bearer.
Whoever you choose will have my full support and I look forward to campaigning alongside you to ensure that Glasgow Southside remains an SNP-held constituency.
Being one of the original 1999 members of the Scottish Parliament and, by the time of the election, having served in it for twenty-seven years – almost exactly half my life – has been an honour beyond words.
It is also one that I could never even have imagined when I joined the SNP at just sixteen years old.
The gratitude I owe to my constituents, past and present, for the trust they have placed in me knows no bounds.
I will continue to represent them to the best of my ability until I step down next year-assisted by my dedicated office staff, to whom I also owe grateful thanks.
Glasgow Southside is a wonderful constituency.
Indeed, in my (completely unbiased) opinion, it is the best in Scotland.
With its rich diversity of culture, faith and ethnicity, it is in many ways a microcosm of what a vibrant, successful country should look like.
Like every area, Glasgow Southside faces challenges. I have done my best every day as an MSP to help overcome these.
While my successor must continue that work, they will also be representing a constituency in which much progress has been made.
There is new and improved housing across the constituency. The iconic – and rebuilt – Citizens Theatre will soon re-open its doors, paving the way for the further regeneration of the Gorbals.
Govanhill Baths is continuing its journey back to being the beating heart of its community.
A new footbridge spanning the Clyde now links Govan to the north of the city.
Anyone who takes a walk through Shawlands or Pollokshields or down Victoria Road will know that these are now amongst the most exciting, up and coming parts of our city.
I am so proud to have represented all of the fantastic communities that make up Glasgow Southside – its people, places and landmarks will be in my heart forever.
Of course, for most of my years as an MSP, I have also been a Minister in the Scottish Government.
I hope that the policies I have been able to implement, particularly as First Minister – from the Scottish Child Payment and expanded early years education, to investment in housing and new hospitals – have benefited my constituents as much as they have people across the rest of Scotland.
I joined the SNP in 1986 because I wanted to play my part in building a fair and prosperous Scotland and I have dedicated my life to that task ever since.
I believed then that winning our country’s independence was essential to Scotland reaching her full potential, and I still do.
Even though I am preparing to leave elected politics, I hope to contribute in different ways to making that ambition a reality.
Indeed, given the challenges facing the world today, it is more important than ever that progressive voices, inside and outside of Parliaments, continue to speak up for fairness, equality and dignity for all.
Be in no doubt that I will always speak out and stand up for what I believe in.
In making this announcement, it is inevitable that I feel a mixture of sorrow and anticipation. I am sad to be closing the book on this remarkable and deeply fulfilling chapter of my life; but I am also hugely excited about the start of a new phase, in which I will discover different ways to advance the causes I care so much about.
I hope to stay in touch with all of you along the way.
With my love, gratitude, and eternal friendship,
Nicola