The former First Minister says she will not seek re-election to the Scottish Parliament next year
Nicola Sturgeon has announced she will step down from the Scottish Parliament.
The former First Minister says she will not seek re-election next year. 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 was Scotland’s longest-serving First Minister, having held the top job for nearly nine years. She quit shortly before her then-husband, Peter Murrell, was arrested and subsequently charged with embezzling party funds.
Ms Sturgeon was arrested and released without charge in June 2023. She wrote on Instagram: “Being one of the original 1999 Members of the Scottish Parliament, serving (by the time of the election) for 27 years – almost exactly half my life, and getting to represent Glasgow Southside, the best constituency in Scotland, has been an honour beyond words.
“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. I have therefore written this morning to SNP members in my constituency informing them that I will not be seeking selection for next year’s Holyrood election.”