Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced her intention to resign Wednesday, citing the “relentless” pressures of the job.
After eight years of serving as Scotland’s First Minister, Sturgeon told reporters the time had come for her to stand down. “Since the very first moment in the job, I have believed that part of serving well would be to know, almost instinctively, when the time is right to make way for someone else. And when that time came, to have the courage to do so, even if many across the country, and in my party, might feel it too soon,” she said, according to the BBC.
‘Today I am announcing my intention to step down as First Minister and leader of my party.’
Nicola Sturgeon announces her resignation as the First Minister of Scotland.
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Sturgeon, the longest serving first minister and the first woman to hold the office, has been under scrutiny after a heated debate over Scotland’s gender laws, a battle for Scotland’s independence, and a recent stir regarding the possibility of a transgender rapist serving out a sentence in a women’s prison, the BBC reported.
While Sturgeon acknowledged the temptation to point to recent issues as a reason for her sudden and unexpected resignation, she maintained that her decision came from a “deeper and longer-term assessment,” CNN reported. (RELATED: Scotland’s Leader Wants An Independence Vote In 2021 As Support Grows After Brexit)
“I get up in the morning and I tell myself, and usually I convince myself, that I’ve got what it takes to keep going and keep going and keep going, but then I realize that that’s maybe not as true,” she said, according to the BBC.
“Giving absolutely everything of yourself to this job is the only way to do it,” she stated, according to CNN, adding that it was difficult to have a private life and enjoy simple things, like grabbing a coffee with friends.
Sturgeon plans to continue in her duties as first minister until a successor is elected. Sturgeon also maintained that although she is stepping down, she is not walking away from politics, voicing her intention to continue the fight for Scottish independence, BBC reported.