Nicola Sturgeon resignation: What is her political legacy?
#Scotland's longest-serving first minister Nicola Sturgeon has resigned. She was the first female leader of the country's devolved government. She will stay in office until the Scottish National Party elects a successor. Sturgeon has vowed to keep pursuing Scottish independence - but her most recent efforts to hold a referendum were blocked by Britain's Supreme Court.
Clouds have been gathering for Nicola Sturgeon but when the storm broke few were expecting it.
A morning of leaks followed by confirmation at a hastily arranged media briefing.
Today I am announcing my intention to step down as First Minister and leader of my party.
I have asked the National Secretary of the SNP to begin the process of electing
a new party leader and I will remain in office until my successor is elected.
Explaining her decision she spoke of the mental and physical impact
of eight years in a relentless job and that steering Scotland towards independence
would get fresh impetus with a new captain at the helm.
The decision wasn't, she insisted, because of the current rough seas.
Though I know it will be tempting to see it as such,
this decision is not a reaction to short-term pressures.
Of course there are difficult issues confronting the government just now
but when is that ever not the case?
The popular mood shifted against Nicola Sturgeon recently
after she pushed a bill that would make it easier for people to change their legal sex.
It became a full-blown controversy when a double rapist who'd done this
was moved to a women's prison.
And her main cause, a second Scottish independence referendum,
was smashed in November by a Supreme Court ruling
that there can't be one without Westminster's unlikely assent.
So Nicola Sturgeon favoured turning the next UK general election
into a de facto referendum on independence.
There's disquiet within the party about how much further forward
that kind of strategy would actually take the party in the independence movement.
So I think that will probably end up being the issue
that defines the leadership contest
and it will be interesting to see if there are differences.
Nicola Sturgeon worked with five different UK prime ministers.
Through that, her political dominance north of the border seemed unassailable.
She'll leave big boots to fill and big questions
about the future of Scotland's independence movement.