I have ‘sense of relief’ after announcing plans to step down – Sturgeon

Former Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon has spoken of her “sense of relief” after announcing she plans to step down next year.

The former SNP leader, who led the Scottish government between 2014 and 2023, announced the news in an Instagram post on Wednesday.

Speaking to journalists in Edinburgh, Ms Sturgeon said she had known “for some time” what her plans were.

“Once you say it out loud, there’s a sense of relief,” she said.

“I feel sad, because we are talking here about me turning the page on my life, so far.

“I’ve dedicated my life to trying to make Scotland a better place, I’ve dedicated my life to public service.”

There was not a “single moment” where she decided it was time to step away from Holyrood, she said, “but over the last wee while, I’ve known that this moment would come”.

In the months after her resignation, her husband – and former SNP chief executive – Peter Murrell was arrested in relation to a police probe into the SNP’s finances.

He was later re-arrested and charged in connection with the alleged embezzlement of party funds.

Ms Sturgeon was arrested months later in relation to the same probe, as was former party treasurer Colin Beattie.

They were both released without charge pending further inquiries.

Earlier this year, Ms Sturgeon announced she and Mr Murrell had “decided to end” their marriage.

Asked if Operation Branchform – the name of the police investigation – had an impact on her decision, Ms Sturgeon told the PA news agency: “Not at all.”

The former first minister entered the Scottish Parliament in 1999, becoming SNP deputy leader and the head of the party’s Holyrood group while Alex Salmond was still at Westminster.

She would serve as deputy first minister and health secretary under her mentor, before taking over the top job when he stood down after losing the independence referendum.

It was that loss, Ms Sturgeon said on Wednesday, which represented her biggest regret in politics.

“I really regret that we came so close, but not close enough to winning independence in the referendum,” she said.

“I really regret that.”

The Yes campaign lost by 45% to 55% in the 2014 vote, but the following year the SNP swept all but three of the seats in Scotland at Westminster.

During her time in Bute House, Ms Sturgeon said education would be her number one priority, specifically targeting the gap in attainment between the richest and poorest pupils – a gap which she and her successors have struggled to deal with.

“Of course, I regret that I didn’t do more under my time in leadership to close the education attainment gap,” she said.

“But I’m also proud that there are more young people from backgrounds like mine going to university than ever before, that we doubled early years education and we’re lifting children out of poverty.”

The former first minister also touted her achievements in office, including abolishing prescription charges as health secretary, being the first female first minister and introducing the Scottish Child Payment through Scotland’s devolved benefits system.

Ms Sturgeon’s first book about her life and time in politics is due to be published in August, and she is set to appear alongside her friend, the crime writer Val McDermid, in a show at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival this month.

On what comes next after leaving Holyrood, she said: “I’ve got a number of ideas for the future, but I’ll set them out in due course.”

But her Glasgow Southside constituency, she said, is “in my heart and soul” and she pledged to “continue to do my very best for it, for every day that I’m in the Scottish Parliament.”