SCOTLAND’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is the leader of the Scottish National Party.
Here’s everything you need to know about one of the world’s most powerful women.
Who is Nicola Sturgeon?
Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon, 49, was born in Irvine, Scotland.
She is the third daughter of electrician Robin and dental nurse Joan, who was an SNP councillor in the Ayrshire town.
She is currently serving as the fith First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP).
She’s the first woman to hold either position.
Nicola joined the SNP aged 16. Asked recently what she would say to her 16-year-old self she replied: “Lighten up… and then the girl of 16 would say eff off.”
After studying law at Glasgow University, she worked as a solicitor in the city before entering Scottish Parliament in 1999 as a regional MSP for Glasgow.
She served as the SNP’s shadow minister for education, health, and justice initially before snading as a candidate for the leader of the party in 2004.
However, she withdrew in favour of Alex Salmond – who was instrumental to the “Yes campaign – with Salmond appointing her Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing.
She then went on to become Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities in 2012 before nabbing the top spot in 2014 after the defeat of Salmond’s Yes campaign.
She has a reputation in Scottish politics for being too serious – earning her the nickname “nippy sweetie,” meaning a prickly character who is difficult to warm to.
She’s one of the most powerful women in the UK – but has earned a reputation in politics for being ‘too serious’
When did Nicola Sturgeon become the leader of her party?
The independence referendum in September 2014 was a crushing blow for the SNP as Scots voted 55 per cent to 45 per centagainst splitting from the United Kingdom.
Salmond quit after the result, and Nicola Sturgeon was elected unopposed as party leader in November that year.
She also became First Minister, the first woman to hold either position.
The following May the SNP made huge gains at the UK general election, almost winning a clean sweep as they picked up 56 out of 59 seats in Scotland.
In May 2016 she cemented her position as First Minister of Scotland as the party won the most seats at Holyrood, although it lost its overall majority.
Forbes magazine rated her the second most powerful woman in the UK and the 50th in the world.
What has the First Minister said about a second referendum, and Scottish independence?
Alex Salmond had promised the 2014 referendum was a “once-in-a-lifetime” event.
But the day after the Brexit vote in June 2016, his successor Nicola Sturgeon announced plans for legislation paving the way for a second referendum on leaving the UK.
She pushed ahead with her demands in 2017 and blasted Theresa May for blocking the ballot.
But her stance backfired when polls showed only a quarter of Scots want a second referendum and opposition to splitting from Britain has hardened.
Ms Sturgeon had also made Brexit a key plank of her general election campaign, as the majority of Scots voted against leaving the EU.
But she cameunder pressure on the SNP government’s record on education and was savaged by a nurseon TV over under-funding of the NHS.
Figures revealed the SNP has been banging on about independence every week since the No vote in 2014.
As predicted the partylost seats in the June 8 General Election and Nicola Sturgeon hinted that a second referendum on Scottish independence could be shelved.
On July 29 the newly appointed Prime Minister Boris Johnson held talks with Ms Sturgeon in Scotland in a bid to keep the Union together over Brexit.
Sources claim Ms Sturgeon set out her strong opposition to a cliff-edge EUexit in a phone call with Mr Johnson.
