Nicola Sturgeon
Encyclopedia
Nicola Sturgeon is the Deputy First Minister of Scotland
, Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy, Deputy Leader of the Scottish National Party
(SNP) and Member
(MSP) for Glasgow Southside
.
Nicola Sturgeon became an MSP in the first elections to the Scottish Parliament in 1999, becoming the SNP's spokeswoman on justice, and later on education and health. In 2004, she announced that she would stand as a candidate for the leadership of the SNP following the resignation of John Swinney
. However, she later withdrew from the contest in favour of Alex Salmond
, but stood as Deputy Leader on a joint ticket with Salmond. Both were subsequently elected and Sturgeon led the SNP in the Scottish Parliament from 2004-2007 until Salmond was elected back to the Scottish Parliament in the 2007 election.
The SNP won the highest number of seats in the Scottish Parliament following the 2007 election and Salmond was subsequently appointed First Minister of Scotland
. He appointed Sturgeon his Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing.
and educated at Greenwood Academy
, Irvine, and later studied law
at the University of Glasgow
where she graduated with an LLB (Hons) and Diploma
in Legal Practice. At university, she was active in the SNP student wing
through Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association
. She worked as a solicitor in the Drumchapel
Law Centre
in Glasgow
before becoming an MSP. She married Peter Murrell, the SNP's Chief Executive, on 16 July 2010. They had announced their engagement on 29 January 2010.
in 1986 and became Youth Affairs Vice Convener and Publicity Vice Convener. She first stood for election in the 1992 UK election
as SNP's candidate in the Glasgow Shettleston
constituency, and was the youngest parliamentary candidate in Scotland, although she failed to win the seat.
The 1997 general election
saw Sturgeon selected to fight the Glasgow Govan
seat for the SNP. Boundary changes meant that the notional Labour
majority in the seat had increased substantially; however, infighting between the two rival candidates for the Labour nomination, Mohammed Sarwar and Mike Watson
, along with an energetic local campaign, resulted in Glasgow Govan being the only UK seat to see a swing away from Labour in the midst of a Labour landslide
UK-wide.
in the 1999 and 2003 elections for the Glasgow Govan constituency
. However she failed to win this constituency on both occasions. However in both elections, she was placed first in the regional list for the Glasgow region and was thus elected as an SNP additional member. She was elected to the SNP' national executive, and she was appointed the party's spokeswoman for health, education and later for justice.
resigned as leader of the SNP, following poor results in the 2004 European Parliament election
. His deputy, Roseanna Cunningham
, announced her intention to stand for the leadership, and previous leader, Alex Salmond
stated that he would not stand and refuse nomination. On 24 June 2004, Nicola Sturgeon announced that she would also be a candidate in the forthcoming election for the leadership of the Scottish National Party
, with Kenny MacAskill
as her running mate for the Deputy leadership.
However, Alex Salmond
later staged a u-turn and announced he intended to stand (to resume the leadership, which he had resigned in 2000). Sturgeon withdrew from the contest and declared her support for Salmond, standing instead for the deputy leadership. It was reported that Salmond had privately supported Sturgeon in her leadership bid, but decided to run for the position himself as it became apparent she was unlikely to beat Roseanna Cunningham
. The majority of the SNP hierarchy lent their support to the Salmond-Sturgeon bid for the leadership, although MSP Alex Neil backed Salmond as leader, but refused to endorse Sturgeon as deputy leader.
The results of the leadership contest were announced on 3 September 2004, with Salmond and Sturgeon elected as Leader and Deputy Leader. As Salmond was still an MP in the House of Commons, Sturgeon would lead the SNP at the Scottish Parliament until the 2007 election, when Salmond was elected as an MSP.
As leader of the SNP in the Scottish Parliament, Nicola Sturgeon became a high profile figure in Scottish politics, and regularly clashed with the former First Minister
, Jack McConnell
at First Minister's Questions. This included rows over the House of Commons'
decision to replace the Trident nuclear weapon system; and the SNP's plans to replace council tax
in Scotland with a local income tax
.
Sturgeon defeated Gordon Jackson
with a 4.7% swing to the SNP in the 2007 Scottish Parliamentary election
in Govan
. The SNP won 9,010 votes (41.9%) which was an increase of +10.7% while Labour received 8,266 votes or 38.4%.
After the SNP's victory at the 2007 Scottish Parliament Election
, Sturgeon was appointed as the Deputy First Minister
and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing
. She is supported in this role by Shona Robison
MSP, the Minister for Public Health and Sport and by Alex Neil MSP, the Minister for Housing and Communities.
Acting in her capacity as Scottish Health Secretary Sturgeon has had a key role reporting the Scottish Government's response to the swine flu outbreak.
Sturgeon has won the Donald Dewar Debater of the Year award on two occasions, in 2004 and in 2008. She also won the Scottish Politician of the Year Award in 2008.
Nicola Sturgeon (born 19 July 1970) is the Deputy First Minister of Scotland
, Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy, Deputy Leader of the Scottish National Party
(SNP) and Member
(MSP) for Glasgow Southside
.
Nicola Sturgeon became an MSP in the first elections to the Scottish Parliament in 1999, becoming the SNP's spokeswoman on justice, and later on education and health. In 2004, she announced that she would stand as a candidate for the leadership of the SNP following the resignation of John Swinney
. However, she later withdrew from the contest in favour of Alex Salmond
, but stood as Deputy Leader on a joint ticket with Salmond. Both were subsequently elected and Sturgeon led the SNP in the Scottish Parliament from 2004-2007 until Salmond was elected back to the Scottish Parliament in the 2007 election.
The SNP won the highest number of seats in the Scottish Parliament following the 2007 election and Salmond was subsequently appointed First Minister of Scotland
. He appointed Sturgeon his Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing.
and educated at Greenwood Academy
, Irvine, and later studied law
at the University of Glasgow
where she graduated with an LLB (Hons) and Diploma
in Legal Practice. At university, she was active in the SNP student wing
through Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association
. She worked as a solicitor in the Drumchapel
Law Centre
in Glasgow
before becoming an MSP. She married Peter Murrell, the SNP's Chief Executive, on 16 July 2010. They had announced their engagement on 29 January 2010.
in 1986 and became Youth Affairs Vice Convener and Publicity Vice Convener. She first stood for election in the 1992 UK election
as SNP's candidate in the Glasgow Shettleston
constituency, and was the youngest parliamentary candidate in Scotland, although she failed to win the seat.
The 1997 general election
saw Sturgeon selected to fight the Glasgow Govan
seat for the SNP. Boundary changes meant that the notional Labour
majority in the seat had increased substantially; however, infighting between the two rival candidates for the Labour nomination, Mohammed Sarwar and Mike Watson
, along with an energetic local campaign, resulted in Glasgow Govan being the only UK seat to see a swing away from Labour in the midst of a Labour landslide
UK-wide.
in the 1999 and 2003 elections for the Glasgow Govan constituency
. However she failed to win this constituency on both occasions. However in both elections, she was placed first in the regional list for the Glasgow region and was thus elected as an SNP additional member. She was elected to the SNP' national executive, and she was appointed the party's spokeswoman for health, education and later for justice.
resigned as leader of the SNP, following poor results in the 2004 European Parliament election
. His deputy, Roseanna Cunningham
, announced her intention to stand for the leadership, and previous leader, Alex Salmond
stated that he would not stand and refuse nomination. On 24 June 2004, Nicola Sturgeon announced that she would also be a candidate in the forthcoming election for the leadership of the Scottish National Party
, with Kenny MacAskill
as her running mate for the Deputy leadership.
However, Alex Salmond
later staged a u-turn and announced he intended to stand (to resume the leadership, which he had resigned in 2000). Sturgeon withdrew from the contest and declared her support for Salmond, standing instead for the deputy leadership. It was reported that Salmond had privately supported Sturgeon in her leadership bid, but decided to run for the position himself as it became apparent she was unlikely to beat Roseanna Cunningham
. The majority of the SNP hierarchy lent their support to the Salmond-Sturgeon bid for the leadership, although MSP Alex Neil backed Salmond as leader, but refused to endorse Sturgeon as deputy leader.
The results of the leadership contest were announced on 3 September 2004, with Salmond and Sturgeon elected as Leader and Deputy Leader. As Salmond was still an MP in the House of Commons, Sturgeon would lead the SNP at the Scottish Parliament until the 2007 election, when Salmond was elected as an MSP.
As leader of the SNP in the Scottish Parliament, Nicola Sturgeon became a high profile figure in Scottish politics, and regularly clashed with the former First Minister
, Jack McConnell
at First Minister's Questions. This included rows over the House of Commons'
decision to replace the Trident nuclear weapon system; and the SNP's plans to replace council tax
in Scotland with a local income tax
.
Sturgeon defeated Gordon Jackson
with a 4.7% swing to the SNP in the 2007 Scottish Parliamentary election
in Govan
. The SNP won 9,010 votes (41.9%) which was an increase of +10.7% while Labour received 8,266 votes or 38.4%.
After the SNP's victory at the 2007 Scottish Parliament Election
, Sturgeon was appointed as the Deputy First Minister
and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing
. She is supported in this role by Shona Robison
MSP, the Minister for Public Health and Sport and by Alex Neil MSP, the Minister for Housing and Communities.
Acting in her capacity as Scottish Health Secretary Sturgeon has had a key role reporting the Scottish Government's response to the swine flu outbreak.
Sturgeon has won the Donald Dewar Debater of the Year award on two occasions, in 2004 and in 2008. She also won the Scottish Politician of the Year Award in 2008.
Nicola Sturgeon (born 19 July 1970) is the Deputy First Minister of Scotland
, Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy, Deputy Leader of the Scottish National Party
(SNP) and Member
(MSP) for Glasgow Southside
.
Nicola Sturgeon became an MSP in the first elections to the Scottish Parliament in 1999, becoming the SNP's spokeswoman on justice, and later on education and health. In 2004, she announced that she would stand as a candidate for the leadership of the SNP following the resignation of John Swinney
. However, she later withdrew from the contest in favour of Alex Salmond
, but stood as Deputy Leader on a joint ticket with Salmond. Both were subsequently elected and Sturgeon led the SNP in the Scottish Parliament from 2004-2007 until Salmond was elected back to the Scottish Parliament in the 2007 election.
The SNP won the highest number of seats in the Scottish Parliament following the 2007 election and Salmond was subsequently appointed First Minister of Scotland
. He appointed Sturgeon his Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing.
and educated at Greenwood Academy
, Irvine, and later studied law
at the University of Glasgow
where she graduated with an LLB (Hons) and Diploma
in Legal Practice. At university, she was active in the SNP student wing
through Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association
. She worked as a solicitor in the Drumchapel
Law Centre
in Glasgow
before becoming an MSP. She married Peter Murrell, the SNP's Chief Executive, on 16 July 2010. They had announced their engagement on 29 January 2010.
in 1986 and became Youth Affairs Vice Convener and Publicity Vice Convener. She first stood for election in the 1992 UK election
as SNP's candidate in the Glasgow Shettleston
constituency, and was the youngest parliamentary candidate in Scotland, although she failed to win the seat.
The 1997 general election
saw Sturgeon selected to fight the Glasgow Govan
seat for the SNP. Boundary changes meant that the notional Labour
majority in the seat had increased substantially; however, infighting between the two rival candidates for the Labour nomination, Mohammed Sarwar and Mike Watson
, along with an energetic local campaign, resulted in Glasgow Govan being the only UK seat to see a swing away from Labour in the midst of a Labour landslide
UK-wide.
in the 1999 and 2003 elections for the Glasgow Govan constituency
. However she failed to win this constituency on both occasions. However in both elections, she was placed first in the regional list for the Glasgow region and was thus elected as an SNP additional member. She was elected to the SNP' national executive, and she was appointed the party's spokeswoman for health, education and later for justice.
resigned as leader of the SNP, following poor results in the 2004 European Parliament election
. His deputy, Roseanna Cunningham
, announced her intention to stand for the leadership, and previous leader, Alex Salmond
stated that he would not stand and refuse nomination. On 24 June 2004, Nicola Sturgeon announced that she would also be a candidate in the forthcoming election for the leadership of the Scottish National Party
, with Kenny MacAskill
as her running mate for the Deputy leadership.
However, Alex Salmond
later staged a u-turn and announced he intended to stand (to resume the leadership, which he had resigned in 2000). Sturgeon withdrew from the contest and declared her support for Salmond, standing instead for the deputy leadership. It was reported that Salmond had privately supported Sturgeon in her leadership bid, but decided to run for the position himself as it became apparent she was unlikely to beat Roseanna Cunningham
. The majority of the SNP hierarchy lent their support to the Salmond-Sturgeon bid for the leadership, although MSP Alex Neil backed Salmond as leader, but refused to endorse Sturgeon as deputy leader.
The results of the leadership contest were announced on 3 September 2004, with Salmond and Sturgeon elected as Leader and Deputy Leader. As Salmond was still an MP in the House of Commons, Sturgeon would lead the SNP at the Scottish Parliament until the 2007 election, when Salmond was elected as an MSP.
As leader of the SNP in the Scottish Parliament, Nicola Sturgeon became a high profile figure in Scottish politics, and regularly clashed with the former First Minister
, Jack McConnell
at First Minister's Questions. This included rows over the House of Commons'
decision to replace the Trident nuclear weapon system; and the SNP's plans to replace council tax
in Scotland with a local income tax
.
Sturgeon defeated Gordon Jackson
with a 4.7% swing to the SNP in the 2007 Scottish Parliamentary election
in Govan
. The SNP won 9,010 votes (41.9%) which was an increase of +10.7% while Labour received 8,266 votes or 38.4%.
After the SNP's victory at the 2007 Scottish Parliament Election
, Sturgeon was appointed as the Deputy First Minister
and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing
. She is supported in this role by Shona Robison
MSP, the Minister for Public Health and Sport and by Alex Neil MSP, the Minister for Housing and Communities.
Acting in her capacity as Scottish Health Secretary Sturgeon has had a key role reporting the Scottish Government's response to the swine flu outbreak.
Sturgeon has won the Donald Dewar Debater of the Year award on two occasions, in 2004 and in 2008. She also won the Scottish Politician of the Year Award in 2008.
Deputy First Minister of Scotland
The Deputy First Minister of Scotland is the deputy to the First Minister of Scotland.The post is not recognised in statute , and its holder is simply an ordinary member of the Scottish Government...
, Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy, Deputy Leader of the Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
(SNP) and Member
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
(MSP) for Glasgow Southside
Glasgow Southside (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Southside is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
.
Nicola Sturgeon became an MSP in the first elections to the Scottish Parliament in 1999, becoming the SNP's spokeswoman on justice, and later on education and health. In 2004, she announced that she would stand as a candidate for the leadership of the SNP following the resignation of John Swinney
John Swinney
John Ramsey Swinney is the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth in the Scottish Government and the Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Perthshire North, having previously represented North Tayside...
. However, she later withdrew from the contest in favour of Alex Salmond
Alex Salmond
Alexander Elliot Anderson "Alex" Salmond MSP is a Scottish politician and current First Minister of Scotland. He became Scotland's fourth First Minister in May 2007. He is the Leader of the Scottish National Party , having served as Member of the Scottish Parliament for Gordon...
, but stood as Deputy Leader on a joint ticket with Salmond. Both were subsequently elected and Sturgeon led the SNP in the Scottish Parliament from 2004-2007 until Salmond was elected back to the Scottish Parliament in the 2007 election.
The SNP won the highest number of seats in the Scottish Parliament following the 2007 election and Salmond was subsequently appointed First Minister of Scotland
First Minister of Scotland
The First Minister of Scotland is the political leader of Scotland and head of the Scottish Government. The First Minister chairs the Scottish Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Scottish Government policy...
. He appointed Sturgeon his Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing.
Background
Nicola Sturgeon was born in Irvine, North AyrshireIrvine, North Ayrshire
Irvine is a new town on the coast of the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland. According to 2007 population estimates, the town is home to 39,527 inhabitants, making it the biggest settlement in North Ayrshire....
and educated at Greenwood Academy
Greenwood Academy
Greenwood Academy is a secondary school situated in Dreghorn, Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotlandrubbish school.- External links :* **...
, Irvine, and later studied law
Scots law
Scots law is the legal system of Scotland. It is considered a hybrid or mixed legal system as it traces its roots to a number of different historical sources. With English law and Northern Irish law it forms the legal system of the United Kingdom; it shares with the two other systems some...
at the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
where she graduated with an LLB (Hons) and Diploma
Diploma
A diploma is a certificate or deed issued by an educational institution, such as a university, that testifies that the recipient has successfully completed a particular course of study or confers an academic degree. In countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia, the word diploma refers to...
in Legal Practice. At university, she was active in the SNP student wing
Federation of Student Nationalists
The Federation of Student Nationalists is the student wing of the Scottish National Party , representing students in Scottish higher education...
through Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association
Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association
The Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association is a student organisation formed in 1927 at the University of Glasgow which supports Scottish independence....
. She worked as a solicitor in the Drumchapel
Drumchapel
Drumchapel , known to locals and residents as 'The Drum', is part of the city of Glasgow, Scotland, having been annexed from Dunbartonshire in 1938. It borders Bearsden to the east and Clydebank to the west . The area is bordered by Knightswood and Yoker in Glasgow. The name derives from the...
Law Centre
Law centre
In the United Kingdom, a Law Centre is a not-for-profit legal practice which assists people who cannot afford a lawyer.Law Centres are independent and directly accountable to the communities they serve, usually through committees of local people....
in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
before becoming an MSP. She married Peter Murrell, the SNP's Chief Executive, on 16 July 2010. They had announced their engagement on 29 January 2010.
Early political career
Sturgeon joined the Scottish National PartyScottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
in 1986 and became Youth Affairs Vice Convener and Publicity Vice Convener. She first stood for election in the 1992 UK election
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
as SNP's candidate in the Glasgow Shettleston
Glasgow Shettleston (UK Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Shettleston was a burgh constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until 2005. The Shettleston area is represented is now covered by Glasgow Central and Glasgow East.-Boundaries:...
constituency, and was the youngest parliamentary candidate in Scotland, although she failed to win the seat.
The 1997 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
saw Sturgeon selected to fight the Glasgow Govan
Glasgow Govan (UK Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Govan was a parliamentary constituency in the Govan district of Glasgow. It was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until 2005, returning one Member of Parliament elected by the first-past-the-post system.The area which the constituency...
seat for the SNP. Boundary changes meant that the notional Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
majority in the seat had increased substantially; however, infighting between the two rival candidates for the Labour nomination, Mohammed Sarwar and Mike Watson
Mike Watson
Michael Goodall Watson, Baron Watson of Invergowrie, known as Mike Watson, is a former British Labour Party politician...
, along with an energetic local campaign, resulted in Glasgow Govan being the only UK seat to see a swing away from Labour in the midst of a Labour landslide
Landslide victory
In politics, a landslide victory is the victory of a candidate or political party by an overwhelming margin in an election...
UK-wide.
Scottish Parliament
Sturgeon stood for election to the Scottish ParliamentScottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
in the 1999 and 2003 elections for the Glasgow Govan constituency
Glasgow Govan (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Govan was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election....
. However she failed to win this constituency on both occasions. However in both elections, she was placed first in the regional list for the Glasgow region and was thus elected as an SNP additional member. She was elected to the SNP' national executive, and she was appointed the party's spokeswoman for health, education and later for justice.
2004 SNP leadership contest
On 22 June 2004, John SwinneyJohn Swinney
John Ramsey Swinney is the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth in the Scottish Government and the Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Perthshire North, having previously represented North Tayside...
resigned as leader of the SNP, following poor results in the 2004 European Parliament election
European Parliament election, 2004
Elections to the European Parliament were held from 10 June 2004 to 13 June 2004 in the 25 member states of the European Union, using varying election days according to local custom...
. His deputy, Roseanna Cunningham
Roseanna Cunningham
Roseanna Cunningham is the Scottish Government's Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs and Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire, having previously represented Perth.-Early life:Raised in Australia, she returned to Scotland and...
, announced her intention to stand for the leadership, and previous leader, Alex Salmond
Alex Salmond
Alexander Elliot Anderson "Alex" Salmond MSP is a Scottish politician and current First Minister of Scotland. He became Scotland's fourth First Minister in May 2007. He is the Leader of the Scottish National Party , having served as Member of the Scottish Parliament for Gordon...
stated that he would not stand and refuse nomination. On 24 June 2004, Nicola Sturgeon announced that she would also be a candidate in the forthcoming election for the leadership of the Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
, with Kenny MacAskill
Kenny MacAskill
Kenneth "Kenny" Wright MacAskill is the Scottish Government's Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Edinburgh Eastern, formerly Edinburgh East and Musselburgh since 2007...
as her running mate for the Deputy leadership.
However, Alex Salmond
Alex Salmond
Alexander Elliot Anderson "Alex" Salmond MSP is a Scottish politician and current First Minister of Scotland. He became Scotland's fourth First Minister in May 2007. He is the Leader of the Scottish National Party , having served as Member of the Scottish Parliament for Gordon...
later staged a u-turn and announced he intended to stand (to resume the leadership, which he had resigned in 2000). Sturgeon withdrew from the contest and declared her support for Salmond, standing instead for the deputy leadership. It was reported that Salmond had privately supported Sturgeon in her leadership bid, but decided to run for the position himself as it became apparent she was unlikely to beat Roseanna Cunningham
Roseanna Cunningham
Roseanna Cunningham is the Scottish Government's Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs and Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire, having previously represented Perth.-Early life:Raised in Australia, she returned to Scotland and...
. The majority of the SNP hierarchy lent their support to the Salmond-Sturgeon bid for the leadership, although MSP Alex Neil backed Salmond as leader, but refused to endorse Sturgeon as deputy leader.
The results of the leadership contest were announced on 3 September 2004, with Salmond and Sturgeon elected as Leader and Deputy Leader. As Salmond was still an MP in the House of Commons, Sturgeon would lead the SNP at the Scottish Parliament until the 2007 election, when Salmond was elected as an MSP.
Deputy Leader
First Minister of Scotland
The First Minister of Scotland is the political leader of Scotland and head of the Scottish Government. The First Minister chairs the Scottish Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Scottish Government policy...
, Jack McConnell
Jack McConnell
Jack Wilson McConnell, Baron McConnell of Glenscorrodale is a British Labour life peer in the House of Lords. He was third First Minister of Scotland from 2001 to 2007, making him the longest serving First Minister in the history of the Scottish Parliament...
at First Minister's Questions. This included rows over the House of Commons'
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
decision to replace the Trident nuclear weapon system; and the SNP's plans to replace council tax
Council tax
Council Tax is the system of local taxation used in England, Scotland and Wales to part fund the services provided by local government in each country. It was introduced in 1993 by the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as a successor to the unpopular Community Charge...
in Scotland with a local income tax
Local income tax
The Scottish Government planned to bring forward legislation to replace the council tax with a local income tax , as part of the funding for Scottish local authorities....
.
Sturgeon defeated Gordon Jackson
Gordon Jackson (politician)
This article is about the politician. For the Scottish actor, see Gordon Jackson . Gordon Jackson is a Scottish Labour Party politician and lawyer. He was the MSP for Glasgow Govan from 1999 to 2007.-Early life:...
with a 4.7% swing to the SNP in the 2007 Scottish Parliamentary election
Scottish Parliament election, 2007
The 2007 Scottish Parliament election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the Scottish Parliament. It was the third general election to the devolved Scottish Parliament since it was created in 1999...
in Govan
Glasgow Govan (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Govan was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election....
. The SNP won 9,010 votes (41.9%) which was an increase of +10.7% while Labour received 8,266 votes or 38.4%.
After the SNP's victory at the 2007 Scottish Parliament Election
Scottish Parliament election, 2007
The 2007 Scottish Parliament election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the Scottish Parliament. It was the third general election to the devolved Scottish Parliament since it was created in 1999...
, Sturgeon was appointed as the Deputy First Minister
Deputy First Minister of Scotland
The Deputy First Minister of Scotland is the deputy to the First Minister of Scotland.The post is not recognised in statute , and its holder is simply an ordinary member of the Scottish Government...
and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing
The Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy, commonly referred to as the Health Secretary, is a cabinet position in the Scottish Government...
. She is supported in this role by Shona Robison
Shona Robison
Shona Robison is a Member of the Scottish Parliament for Dundee East. She was elected as a Scottish National Party candidate in the 2003 election...
MSP, the Minister for Public Health and Sport and by Alex Neil MSP, the Minister for Housing and Communities.
Acting in her capacity as Scottish Health Secretary Sturgeon has had a key role reporting the Scottish Government's response to the swine flu outbreak.
Sturgeon has won the Donald Dewar Debater of the Year award on two occasions, in 2004 and in 2008. She also won the Scottish Politician of the Year Award in 2008.
External links
Nicola Sturgeon (born 19 July 1970) is the Deputy First Minister of Scotland
Deputy First Minister of Scotland
The Deputy First Minister of Scotland is the deputy to the First Minister of Scotland.The post is not recognised in statute , and its holder is simply an ordinary member of the Scottish Government...
, Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy, Deputy Leader of the Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
(SNP) and Member
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
(MSP) for Glasgow Southside
Glasgow Southside (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Southside is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
.
Nicola Sturgeon became an MSP in the first elections to the Scottish Parliament in 1999, becoming the SNP's spokeswoman on justice, and later on education and health. In 2004, she announced that she would stand as a candidate for the leadership of the SNP following the resignation of John Swinney
John Swinney
John Ramsey Swinney is the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth in the Scottish Government and the Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Perthshire North, having previously represented North Tayside...
. However, she later withdrew from the contest in favour of Alex Salmond
Alex Salmond
Alexander Elliot Anderson "Alex" Salmond MSP is a Scottish politician and current First Minister of Scotland. He became Scotland's fourth First Minister in May 2007. He is the Leader of the Scottish National Party , having served as Member of the Scottish Parliament for Gordon...
, but stood as Deputy Leader on a joint ticket with Salmond. Both were subsequently elected and Sturgeon led the SNP in the Scottish Parliament from 2004-2007 until Salmond was elected back to the Scottish Parliament in the 2007 election.
The SNP won the highest number of seats in the Scottish Parliament following the 2007 election and Salmond was subsequently appointed First Minister of Scotland
First Minister of Scotland
The First Minister of Scotland is the political leader of Scotland and head of the Scottish Government. The First Minister chairs the Scottish Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Scottish Government policy...
. He appointed Sturgeon his Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing.
Background
Nicola Sturgeon was born in Irvine, North AyrshireIrvine, North Ayrshire
Irvine is a new town on the coast of the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland. According to 2007 population estimates, the town is home to 39,527 inhabitants, making it the biggest settlement in North Ayrshire....
and educated at Greenwood Academy
Greenwood Academy
Greenwood Academy is a secondary school situated in Dreghorn, Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotlandrubbish school.- External links :* **...
, Irvine, and later studied law
Scots law
Scots law is the legal system of Scotland. It is considered a hybrid or mixed legal system as it traces its roots to a number of different historical sources. With English law and Northern Irish law it forms the legal system of the United Kingdom; it shares with the two other systems some...
at the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
where she graduated with an LLB (Hons) and Diploma
Diploma
A diploma is a certificate or deed issued by an educational institution, such as a university, that testifies that the recipient has successfully completed a particular course of study or confers an academic degree. In countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia, the word diploma refers to...
in Legal Practice. At university, she was active in the SNP student wing
Federation of Student Nationalists
The Federation of Student Nationalists is the student wing of the Scottish National Party , representing students in Scottish higher education...
through Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association
Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association
The Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association is a student organisation formed in 1927 at the University of Glasgow which supports Scottish independence....
. She worked as a solicitor in the Drumchapel
Drumchapel
Drumchapel , known to locals and residents as 'The Drum', is part of the city of Glasgow, Scotland, having been annexed from Dunbartonshire in 1938. It borders Bearsden to the east and Clydebank to the west . The area is bordered by Knightswood and Yoker in Glasgow. The name derives from the...
Law Centre
Law centre
In the United Kingdom, a Law Centre is a not-for-profit legal practice which assists people who cannot afford a lawyer.Law Centres are independent and directly accountable to the communities they serve, usually through committees of local people....
in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
before becoming an MSP. She married Peter Murrell, the SNP's Chief Executive, on 16 July 2010. They had announced their engagement on 29 January 2010.
Early political career
Sturgeon joined the Scottish National PartyScottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
in 1986 and became Youth Affairs Vice Convener and Publicity Vice Convener. She first stood for election in the 1992 UK election
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
as SNP's candidate in the Glasgow Shettleston
Glasgow Shettleston (UK Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Shettleston was a burgh constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until 2005. The Shettleston area is represented is now covered by Glasgow Central and Glasgow East.-Boundaries:...
constituency, and was the youngest parliamentary candidate in Scotland, although she failed to win the seat.
The 1997 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
saw Sturgeon selected to fight the Glasgow Govan
Glasgow Govan (UK Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Govan was a parliamentary constituency in the Govan district of Glasgow. It was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until 2005, returning one Member of Parliament elected by the first-past-the-post system.The area which the constituency...
seat for the SNP. Boundary changes meant that the notional Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
majority in the seat had increased substantially; however, infighting between the two rival candidates for the Labour nomination, Mohammed Sarwar and Mike Watson
Mike Watson
Michael Goodall Watson, Baron Watson of Invergowrie, known as Mike Watson, is a former British Labour Party politician...
, along with an energetic local campaign, resulted in Glasgow Govan being the only UK seat to see a swing away from Labour in the midst of a Labour landslide
Landslide victory
In politics, a landslide victory is the victory of a candidate or political party by an overwhelming margin in an election...
UK-wide.
Scottish Parliament
Sturgeon stood for election to the Scottish ParliamentScottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
in the 1999 and 2003 elections for the Glasgow Govan constituency
Glasgow Govan (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Govan was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election....
. However she failed to win this constituency on both occasions. However in both elections, she was placed first in the regional list for the Glasgow region and was thus elected as an SNP additional member. She was elected to the SNP' national executive, and she was appointed the party's spokeswoman for health, education and later for justice.
2004 SNP leadership contest
On 22 June 2004, John SwinneyJohn Swinney
John Ramsey Swinney is the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth in the Scottish Government and the Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Perthshire North, having previously represented North Tayside...
resigned as leader of the SNP, following poor results in the 2004 European Parliament election
European Parliament election, 2004
Elections to the European Parliament were held from 10 June 2004 to 13 June 2004 in the 25 member states of the European Union, using varying election days according to local custom...
. His deputy, Roseanna Cunningham
Roseanna Cunningham
Roseanna Cunningham is the Scottish Government's Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs and Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire, having previously represented Perth.-Early life:Raised in Australia, she returned to Scotland and...
, announced her intention to stand for the leadership, and previous leader, Alex Salmond
Alex Salmond
Alexander Elliot Anderson "Alex" Salmond MSP is a Scottish politician and current First Minister of Scotland. He became Scotland's fourth First Minister in May 2007. He is the Leader of the Scottish National Party , having served as Member of the Scottish Parliament for Gordon...
stated that he would not stand and refuse nomination. On 24 June 2004, Nicola Sturgeon announced that she would also be a candidate in the forthcoming election for the leadership of the Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
, with Kenny MacAskill
Kenny MacAskill
Kenneth "Kenny" Wright MacAskill is the Scottish Government's Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Edinburgh Eastern, formerly Edinburgh East and Musselburgh since 2007...
as her running mate for the Deputy leadership.
However, Alex Salmond
Alex Salmond
Alexander Elliot Anderson "Alex" Salmond MSP is a Scottish politician and current First Minister of Scotland. He became Scotland's fourth First Minister in May 2007. He is the Leader of the Scottish National Party , having served as Member of the Scottish Parliament for Gordon...
later staged a u-turn and announced he intended to stand (to resume the leadership, which he had resigned in 2000). Sturgeon withdrew from the contest and declared her support for Salmond, standing instead for the deputy leadership. It was reported that Salmond had privately supported Sturgeon in her leadership bid, but decided to run for the position himself as it became apparent she was unlikely to beat Roseanna Cunningham
Roseanna Cunningham
Roseanna Cunningham is the Scottish Government's Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs and Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire, having previously represented Perth.-Early life:Raised in Australia, she returned to Scotland and...
. The majority of the SNP hierarchy lent their support to the Salmond-Sturgeon bid for the leadership, although MSP Alex Neil backed Salmond as leader, but refused to endorse Sturgeon as deputy leader.
The results of the leadership contest were announced on 3 September 2004, with Salmond and Sturgeon elected as Leader and Deputy Leader. As Salmond was still an MP in the House of Commons, Sturgeon would lead the SNP at the Scottish Parliament until the 2007 election, when Salmond was elected as an MSP.
Deputy Leader
First Minister of Scotland
The First Minister of Scotland is the political leader of Scotland and head of the Scottish Government. The First Minister chairs the Scottish Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Scottish Government policy...
, Jack McConnell
Jack McConnell
Jack Wilson McConnell, Baron McConnell of Glenscorrodale is a British Labour life peer in the House of Lords. He was third First Minister of Scotland from 2001 to 2007, making him the longest serving First Minister in the history of the Scottish Parliament...
at First Minister's Questions. This included rows over the House of Commons'
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
decision to replace the Trident nuclear weapon system; and the SNP's plans to replace council tax
Council tax
Council Tax is the system of local taxation used in England, Scotland and Wales to part fund the services provided by local government in each country. It was introduced in 1993 by the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as a successor to the unpopular Community Charge...
in Scotland with a local income tax
Local income tax
The Scottish Government planned to bring forward legislation to replace the council tax with a local income tax , as part of the funding for Scottish local authorities....
.
Sturgeon defeated Gordon Jackson
Gordon Jackson (politician)
This article is about the politician. For the Scottish actor, see Gordon Jackson . Gordon Jackson is a Scottish Labour Party politician and lawyer. He was the MSP for Glasgow Govan from 1999 to 2007.-Early life:...
with a 4.7% swing to the SNP in the 2007 Scottish Parliamentary election
Scottish Parliament election, 2007
The 2007 Scottish Parliament election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the Scottish Parliament. It was the third general election to the devolved Scottish Parliament since it was created in 1999...
in Govan
Glasgow Govan (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Govan was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election....
. The SNP won 9,010 votes (41.9%) which was an increase of +10.7% while Labour received 8,266 votes or 38.4%.
After the SNP's victory at the 2007 Scottish Parliament Election
Scottish Parliament election, 2007
The 2007 Scottish Parliament election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the Scottish Parliament. It was the third general election to the devolved Scottish Parliament since it was created in 1999...
, Sturgeon was appointed as the Deputy First Minister
Deputy First Minister of Scotland
The Deputy First Minister of Scotland is the deputy to the First Minister of Scotland.The post is not recognised in statute , and its holder is simply an ordinary member of the Scottish Government...
and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing
The Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy, commonly referred to as the Health Secretary, is a cabinet position in the Scottish Government...
. She is supported in this role by Shona Robison
Shona Robison
Shona Robison is a Member of the Scottish Parliament for Dundee East. She was elected as a Scottish National Party candidate in the 2003 election...
MSP, the Minister for Public Health and Sport and by Alex Neil MSP, the Minister for Housing and Communities.
Acting in her capacity as Scottish Health Secretary Sturgeon has had a key role reporting the Scottish Government's response to the swine flu outbreak.
Sturgeon has won the Donald Dewar Debater of the Year award on two occasions, in 2004 and in 2008. She also won the Scottish Politician of the Year Award in 2008.
External links
Nicola Sturgeon (born 19 July 1970) is the Deputy First Minister of Scotland
Deputy First Minister of Scotland
The Deputy First Minister of Scotland is the deputy to the First Minister of Scotland.The post is not recognised in statute , and its holder is simply an ordinary member of the Scottish Government...
, Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy, Deputy Leader of the Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
(SNP) and Member
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
(MSP) for Glasgow Southside
Glasgow Southside (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Southside is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
.
Nicola Sturgeon became an MSP in the first elections to the Scottish Parliament in 1999, becoming the SNP's spokeswoman on justice, and later on education and health. In 2004, she announced that she would stand as a candidate for the leadership of the SNP following the resignation of John Swinney
John Swinney
John Ramsey Swinney is the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth in the Scottish Government and the Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Perthshire North, having previously represented North Tayside...
. However, she later withdrew from the contest in favour of Alex Salmond
Alex Salmond
Alexander Elliot Anderson "Alex" Salmond MSP is a Scottish politician and current First Minister of Scotland. He became Scotland's fourth First Minister in May 2007. He is the Leader of the Scottish National Party , having served as Member of the Scottish Parliament for Gordon...
, but stood as Deputy Leader on a joint ticket with Salmond. Both were subsequently elected and Sturgeon led the SNP in the Scottish Parliament from 2004-2007 until Salmond was elected back to the Scottish Parliament in the 2007 election.
The SNP won the highest number of seats in the Scottish Parliament following the 2007 election and Salmond was subsequently appointed First Minister of Scotland
First Minister of Scotland
The First Minister of Scotland is the political leader of Scotland and head of the Scottish Government. The First Minister chairs the Scottish Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Scottish Government policy...
. He appointed Sturgeon his Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing.
Background
Nicola Sturgeon was born in Irvine, North AyrshireIrvine, North Ayrshire
Irvine is a new town on the coast of the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland. According to 2007 population estimates, the town is home to 39,527 inhabitants, making it the biggest settlement in North Ayrshire....
and educated at Greenwood Academy
Greenwood Academy
Greenwood Academy is a secondary school situated in Dreghorn, Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotlandrubbish school.- External links :* **...
, Irvine, and later studied law
Scots law
Scots law is the legal system of Scotland. It is considered a hybrid or mixed legal system as it traces its roots to a number of different historical sources. With English law and Northern Irish law it forms the legal system of the United Kingdom; it shares with the two other systems some...
at the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
where she graduated with an LLB (Hons) and Diploma
Diploma
A diploma is a certificate or deed issued by an educational institution, such as a university, that testifies that the recipient has successfully completed a particular course of study or confers an academic degree. In countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia, the word diploma refers to...
in Legal Practice. At university, she was active in the SNP student wing
Federation of Student Nationalists
The Federation of Student Nationalists is the student wing of the Scottish National Party , representing students in Scottish higher education...
through Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association
Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association
The Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association is a student organisation formed in 1927 at the University of Glasgow which supports Scottish independence....
. She worked as a solicitor in the Drumchapel
Drumchapel
Drumchapel , known to locals and residents as 'The Drum', is part of the city of Glasgow, Scotland, having been annexed from Dunbartonshire in 1938. It borders Bearsden to the east and Clydebank to the west . The area is bordered by Knightswood and Yoker in Glasgow. The name derives from the...
Law Centre
Law centre
In the United Kingdom, a Law Centre is a not-for-profit legal practice which assists people who cannot afford a lawyer.Law Centres are independent and directly accountable to the communities they serve, usually through committees of local people....
in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
before becoming an MSP. She married Peter Murrell, the SNP's Chief Executive, on 16 July 2010. They had announced their engagement on 29 January 2010.
Early political career
Sturgeon joined the Scottish National PartyScottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
in 1986 and became Youth Affairs Vice Convener and Publicity Vice Convener. She first stood for election in the 1992 UK election
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
as SNP's candidate in the Glasgow Shettleston
Glasgow Shettleston (UK Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Shettleston was a burgh constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until 2005. The Shettleston area is represented is now covered by Glasgow Central and Glasgow East.-Boundaries:...
constituency, and was the youngest parliamentary candidate in Scotland, although she failed to win the seat.
The 1997 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
saw Sturgeon selected to fight the Glasgow Govan
Glasgow Govan (UK Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Govan was a parliamentary constituency in the Govan district of Glasgow. It was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until 2005, returning one Member of Parliament elected by the first-past-the-post system.The area which the constituency...
seat for the SNP. Boundary changes meant that the notional Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
majority in the seat had increased substantially; however, infighting between the two rival candidates for the Labour nomination, Mohammed Sarwar and Mike Watson
Mike Watson
Michael Goodall Watson, Baron Watson of Invergowrie, known as Mike Watson, is a former British Labour Party politician...
, along with an energetic local campaign, resulted in Glasgow Govan being the only UK seat to see a swing away from Labour in the midst of a Labour landslide
Landslide victory
In politics, a landslide victory is the victory of a candidate or political party by an overwhelming margin in an election...
UK-wide.
Scottish Parliament
Sturgeon stood for election to the Scottish ParliamentScottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
in the 1999 and 2003 elections for the Glasgow Govan constituency
Glasgow Govan (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Govan was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election....
. However she failed to win this constituency on both occasions. However in both elections, she was placed first in the regional list for the Glasgow region and was thus elected as an SNP additional member. She was elected to the SNP' national executive, and she was appointed the party's spokeswoman for health, education and later for justice.
2004 SNP leadership contest
On 22 June 2004, John SwinneyJohn Swinney
John Ramsey Swinney is the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth in the Scottish Government and the Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Perthshire North, having previously represented North Tayside...
resigned as leader of the SNP, following poor results in the 2004 European Parliament election
European Parliament election, 2004
Elections to the European Parliament were held from 10 June 2004 to 13 June 2004 in the 25 member states of the European Union, using varying election days according to local custom...
. His deputy, Roseanna Cunningham
Roseanna Cunningham
Roseanna Cunningham is the Scottish Government's Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs and Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire, having previously represented Perth.-Early life:Raised in Australia, she returned to Scotland and...
, announced her intention to stand for the leadership, and previous leader, Alex Salmond
Alex Salmond
Alexander Elliot Anderson "Alex" Salmond MSP is a Scottish politician and current First Minister of Scotland. He became Scotland's fourth First Minister in May 2007. He is the Leader of the Scottish National Party , having served as Member of the Scottish Parliament for Gordon...
stated that he would not stand and refuse nomination. On 24 June 2004, Nicola Sturgeon announced that she would also be a candidate in the forthcoming election for the leadership of the Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
, with Kenny MacAskill
Kenny MacAskill
Kenneth "Kenny" Wright MacAskill is the Scottish Government's Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Edinburgh Eastern, formerly Edinburgh East and Musselburgh since 2007...
as her running mate for the Deputy leadership.
However, Alex Salmond
Alex Salmond
Alexander Elliot Anderson "Alex" Salmond MSP is a Scottish politician and current First Minister of Scotland. He became Scotland's fourth First Minister in May 2007. He is the Leader of the Scottish National Party , having served as Member of the Scottish Parliament for Gordon...
later staged a u-turn and announced he intended to stand (to resume the leadership, which he had resigned in 2000). Sturgeon withdrew from the contest and declared her support for Salmond, standing instead for the deputy leadership. It was reported that Salmond had privately supported Sturgeon in her leadership bid, but decided to run for the position himself as it became apparent she was unlikely to beat Roseanna Cunningham
Roseanna Cunningham
Roseanna Cunningham is the Scottish Government's Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs and Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire, having previously represented Perth.-Early life:Raised in Australia, she returned to Scotland and...
. The majority of the SNP hierarchy lent their support to the Salmond-Sturgeon bid for the leadership, although MSP Alex Neil backed Salmond as leader, but refused to endorse Sturgeon as deputy leader.
The results of the leadership contest were announced on 3 September 2004, with Salmond and Sturgeon elected as Leader and Deputy Leader. As Salmond was still an MP in the House of Commons, Sturgeon would lead the SNP at the Scottish Parliament until the 2007 election, when Salmond was elected as an MSP.
Deputy Leader
First Minister of Scotland
The First Minister of Scotland is the political leader of Scotland and head of the Scottish Government. The First Minister chairs the Scottish Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Scottish Government policy...
, Jack McConnell
Jack McConnell
Jack Wilson McConnell, Baron McConnell of Glenscorrodale is a British Labour life peer in the House of Lords. He was third First Minister of Scotland from 2001 to 2007, making him the longest serving First Minister in the history of the Scottish Parliament...
at First Minister's Questions. This included rows over the House of Commons'
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
decision to replace the Trident nuclear weapon system; and the SNP's plans to replace council tax
Council tax
Council Tax is the system of local taxation used in England, Scotland and Wales to part fund the services provided by local government in each country. It was introduced in 1993 by the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as a successor to the unpopular Community Charge...
in Scotland with a local income tax
Local income tax
The Scottish Government planned to bring forward legislation to replace the council tax with a local income tax , as part of the funding for Scottish local authorities....
.
Sturgeon defeated Gordon Jackson
Gordon Jackson (politician)
This article is about the politician. For the Scottish actor, see Gordon Jackson . Gordon Jackson is a Scottish Labour Party politician and lawyer. He was the MSP for Glasgow Govan from 1999 to 2007.-Early life:...
with a 4.7% swing to the SNP in the 2007 Scottish Parliamentary election
Scottish Parliament election, 2007
The 2007 Scottish Parliament election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the Scottish Parliament. It was the third general election to the devolved Scottish Parliament since it was created in 1999...
in Govan
Glasgow Govan (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Govan was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election....
. The SNP won 9,010 votes (41.9%) which was an increase of +10.7% while Labour received 8,266 votes or 38.4%.
After the SNP's victory at the 2007 Scottish Parliament Election
Scottish Parliament election, 2007
The 2007 Scottish Parliament election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the Scottish Parliament. It was the third general election to the devolved Scottish Parliament since it was created in 1999...
, Sturgeon was appointed as the Deputy First Minister
Deputy First Minister of Scotland
The Deputy First Minister of Scotland is the deputy to the First Minister of Scotland.The post is not recognised in statute , and its holder is simply an ordinary member of the Scottish Government...
and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing
The Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy, commonly referred to as the Health Secretary, is a cabinet position in the Scottish Government...
. She is supported in this role by Shona Robison
Shona Robison
Shona Robison is a Member of the Scottish Parliament for Dundee East. She was elected as a Scottish National Party candidate in the 2003 election...
MSP, the Minister for Public Health and Sport and by Alex Neil MSP, the Minister for Housing and Communities.
Acting in her capacity as Scottish Health Secretary Sturgeon has had a key role reporting the Scottish Government's response to the swine flu outbreak.
Sturgeon has won the Donald Dewar Debater of the Year award on two occasions, in 2004 and in 2008. She also won the Scottish Politician of the Year Award in 2008.