Please see below for a comment from Brian Whittle MSP following the announcement by Nicola Sturgeon MSP that she will resign as First Minister and leader of the SNP:
“Nicola Sturgeon has been involved in Scottish politics for a long time and she knows more than anyone the toll it can take on a person and those close to them. I know the decision to step down won’t have come easily for her but I respect her for having the courage to recognise that it was the right time to go.
Her talents as a politician are widely recognised and, while we have often disagreed on the issues, I have never doubted her commitment to making Scotland a better place.
While her SNP colleagues have been quick to paint a very rosy picture of her time in office, throughout her time as First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon’s rhetoric has never matched the reality. All too often her government seemed more interested in being praised for its ambition than it was in the hard work of actually delivering real change on the big issues like health, education and the economy.
I hope a change of leadership in the SNP can bring a renewed focus on the urgent issues facing Scotland and a willingness to work collaboratively with parties across the political spectrum and move us away from the constitutional distractions and toxic debate that have characterised the last few years.
Ultimately, it’s far too soon to say how history will judge her time in office, but my own view is that, while she has been an able politician and dedicated public servant, she won’t leave office with Scotland in that much of a better position than she found it.”
