Scottish leader Sturgeon says she will leave post

EDINBURGH — Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced on Wednesday her resignation after more than eight years leading its devolved government, in a shock move that jolted British politics on both sides of the border.

The leader of the Scottish National Party, or SNP, said in "my head and in my heart" she knew the time was right to quit, after approaching a decade in power pushing for Scottish independence and opposing Brexit.

The 52-year-old will depart as Scotland's leader and head of the SNP, the largest party in the devolved parliament. She confirmed she would remain as first minister until the SNP elects a new leader.

"This decision comes from a deeper and longer-term assessment," Sturgeon said in a hastily arranged news conference, insisting her departure was "not a reaction to short-term pressures".

"I know it may seem sudden, but I have been wrestling with it — albeit with oscillating levels of intensity — for some weeks."

Sturgeon, who became the first woman to lead Scotland when she took power in 2014, vowed to continue pushing for Scottish independence. She had overseen unprecedented electoral success for the SNP as she pushed for another referendum on the issue.

She took over in the aftermath of the last poll, in which Scots rejected breaking away from the rest of the United Kingdom by more than 10 percentage points and has been doggedly pushing for another vote.

The UK government, which must approve the holding of another referendum, has insisted that the September 2014 vote was a once-in-a-generation event and has refused to allow another.

In 2021, the SNP won a fourth consecutive term in power in Edinburgh on a platform of holding a fresh poll, recording the largest share of the popular vote.

Some critics have blamed Sturgeon for failing to deliver a winning strategy on the issue after the Supreme Court in November sided with the UK government in blocking a fresh vote.

Despite that, she insisted as recently as last month she would remain in the role, telling the BBC she was "nowhere near" ready to quit after Jacinda Ardern's shock departure as New Zealand prime minister.

Agencies - Xinhua