Sturgeon: My political appetite has been reawakened but I’m not coming back

Nicola Sturgeon has said her “political appetite” has been “reawakened” by the writing of her recent memoir – but she ruled out returning to frontline politics.

Speaking with six months to go to the next Scottish election, she suggested a deal could be done that would see the SNP and Labour work together to lock out Nigel Farage’s Reform.

The former SNP leader, who is stepping down as an MSP at the election, also said she understood why some struggled to believe her resignation as first minister was not linked to the Police Scotland investigation into the SNP’s finances.

She made the comments during an appearance on The Guardian’s Politics Weekly UK podcast.

“The time is definitely right for me to leave the political stage,” she said.

“I’m stepping down from elected politics after 27 years, which I think is long enough for anybody, but I’m never going to lose my interest in an appetite for political debate and trying to use my voice, such as it is, to influence the things that I care about in the direction that I would like to see them take.

“I’ve been sort of reflecting to some friends recently that since I published my memoir back in August, and I’ve been doing lots and lots of promotional events, I think I’ve had my political appetite reawakened a little bit – but I’m desperately trying to sort of push it back down into a proper place.

“I’m definitely not coming back. I think I should say that categorically.”

Ms Sturgeon, Scotland’s longest-serving first minister, announced her intention to resign in February 2023.

In April, a long-running probe into her party’s finances led to the arrest of her then husband and former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell. Officers also searched their home in Uddingston near Glasgow.

Ms Sturgeon was arrested months afterwards but police later said she would face no action, and the MSP declared at the time she was “completely in the clear”.

Asked if she understood why people struggled to believe her quitting was not linked to the developments in the police investigation, she said: “I can, absolutely.

“If I was on the outside looking in to the unfolding of events in the days, literally the days after I stood down, I would struggle to believe that as well.

“But trust me, I had no idea. I knew there was an investigation, obviously.

“Back at the point I stood down, I guess my views on the investigation were more about frustration about why it was going on for so long, rather than any real concern about where it was going to go.”

Ms Sturgeon did not depart office until more than a month after her announcement.

She said in that period, friends had told her “I was more relaxed than I’d been in years”, adding: “The idea that if I had known what was about to unfold, that I would have been able to function at all, let alone appear relaxed, is just, you know, nonsensical.”

Looking ahead to the Scottish Parliament election in May, she said she is not against her party working with Labour to keep out Reform UK.

She said: “If, for example, and I think at the moment, this is a big if, that after the Holyrood elections the only way to govern in a way that keeps Reform at bay and out of having any influences is for the SNP and Labour to work together, I certainly don’t think that’s something that should be completely unthinkable on the part of either of those parties.

“But you know, we’re into hypothetical territory at this stage, and I would much rather see the SNP emerge with the majority.”

During her appearance on the podcast, she said Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves do not “speak human”, adding “it was impossible for anybody to answer the question: what does he stand for?”

Speaking about Scottish Labour leader, she added: “I’ve known Anas [Sarwar] for a long, long time, but again, I don’t know what he stands for.

“I’m not sure anybody in Scotland would be able to really, you know, sum that up very easily.”