Could it soon be game over for Nicola Sturgeon?
Spectator (UK)Feb 15, 2023
The Facts
Nicola Sturgeon has announced that she is stepping down as Scotland's First Minister and the Scottish National Party's (SNP) leader after more than eight years, with plans to remain in office until her successor is elected.
Sturgeon made her announcement at a press conference in her official residence of Bute House, Edinburgh. She called the role of the first minister the "very best job in the world" yet acknowledged that in her "head" and her "heart," now was the right time to resign for "me and my party and for the country."
The Spin
Narrative A
With a never-ending list of failures, it's no wonder Sturgeon has resigned. Not only did the SNP leader make numerous mistakes concerning gender reforms, independence referendums, and relationships with local councils, but she also left Scotland with a broken healthcare system and economic pain that can no longer be solely blamed on Westminster. To top it off, Scottish police are probing a potential misuse of SNP funding by her husband. New leadership is long overdue.
Narrative B
Sturgeon certainly wasn't without faults, however, she had natural strengths as a leader and was an incredibly human and straightforward social democrat that sought to improve the disadvantaged while standing up against Westminster — qualities she continued to embody through her decision to resign once it became increasingly clear that independence wouldn't happen under her leadership.
Nerd narrative
There's a 5% chance that Scotland will leave the UK before 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.