Nicola Sturgeon

**Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon** (born 19 Julie 1970) wis the langest-serrin First Mienister o Scotland an leader o the Scots National Pairty (SNP), in office frae the 20t November 2014 til the 28t Mairch 2023. She is the furst wuman tae haud baith posietions, and is the fift First Mienister. Sturgeon haes been a memmer o the Scots Pairlament syne 1999, first as a addietional memmer for the Glesga electoral region frae 1999 tae 2007, an as the memmer for Glesga Soothside syne 2007 (kent as Glesga Govan frae 2007 tae 2011).

A law graduate o the Varsity o Glesga, Sturgeon wirkit as a solicitor in Glesga. Efter bein eleckit tae the Scots Pairlament, she serd successively as the SNP's shadae mienister for eddication, heal an juistice. In 2004 she annunced that she wad staund as a candidate for the SNP leadership efter John Swinney demittit. Hounaiver, she efter quat the contest in favour o Alex Salmond, staundin insteid as depute leader on a jynt ticket wi Salmond.

Baith Sturgeon an Salmond wis syne electit, an seein as Salmond wis still a MP in the Hoose o Commons, Sturgeon led the SNP in the Scots Pairlament frae 2004 tae 2007. The SNP wan the hiechest nummer o seats in the Scots Pairlament in the 2007 election an Salmond wis syne appyntit First Mienister. He appyntit Sturgeon as Depute First Meenister an Cabinet Secretar for Heal an Wellbein. She wis appyntit as Cabinet Secretar for Infrastructur, Investment an Cieties in 2012.

Follaein the defait o the "Yes" campaign in the 2014 Scots unthirldom referendum, Salmond annunced that he wad be demittin as pairty leader at the SNP pairty conference that November, an wad demit as First Meenister efter a new leader wis chysen. Naebody ither wis nominatit for the post bi the nominations shut, leavin Sturgeon tae tak the pairty leadership unopponed at the SNP's annual conference. She wis formally electit tae succeed Salmond as First Mienister on the 19 November.

Sturgeon led the SNP in the 2015 general election, whaur the SNP teuk 56 o the 59 Scots sates, thair hiechest nummer o seats in the Hoose o Commons o the Unitit Kinrick. Thay teuk ower the Lieberal Democrats as the third maist biggest pairty in Wastmeenster and haed a 30% sweeng fae Labour.

*[[Forbes]]* magazine ranked Sturgeon as the 50t maist pouerfu wumman in the warld in 2016 an 2nt in the Unitit Kinrick. In 2015, BBC Radio 4's *Woman's Hour* cryed Sturgeon the maist pouerfu an influential wumman in the Unitit Kinrick.

## Airly life
### Airly years an faimily
Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon wis born in Ayrshire Central Hospital in Irvine on the 19t July 1970. She is the auldest o twa dochters born tae Joan Kerr Sturgeon (*[[Birth name|née]]* Ferguson, born on the 23d October 1952), a dental nurse, an Robin Sturgeon (born on the 28t September 1948), an electrician.

## Airly parliamentary career

### SNP in opposeetion

Sturgeon stuid for election tae the Scottish Parliament in the first Scottish Pairliament election in 1999 as the SNP candidate for Glasgow Govan. Awthough she misst weirin roon the seat, she wis stellt first in the SNP's regional list for the Glasgow region, an wis thus eleckit as a Scottish Parliamenter. The SNP cam oot as the saicant lairgest pairty an sat in opposeetion tae the Labour-Lib Dem coalition. In Alex Salmond's shaddae cabinet, she sert as Shadow Minister for Children and Education frae 1999 til 2000.

## Depute First Meinister o Scotland (2007–2014)
I the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, Sturgeon defaitit Gordon Jackson QC wi a 4.7% swing tae the SNP i the Glasgow Govan constituency. This wis ane o mony swings tae the SNP, as the pairty cam oot as the lairgest ane, weirin roon ane mair sate nor the than-govrenin Scottish Labour Pairty.

## First Meinister o Scotland (2014–2023)

### First term (2014–2016)
On the 20t November 2014, Sturgeon wis sworn intae office it the Court of Session in a ceremony preside by Lord Gill, efter receivin the royal warrant of appointment by Queen Elizabeth II. She becam the first weeman tae haud office.

#### 2015 Westminster landslide
Sturgeon led the Scottish National Party throu a [landslide owerhaun] i the [2015 UK general election, beirin the gree i 56 oot o 59 Scottish sates at Westminster, the pairty's best eir performance. The pairty received 50% o the vote dale i Scotland an replaced the Liberal Democrats as the third lairgest party in the British House of Commons. Sturgeon hed statit at the pairty's sonse i the election wisna a mandate fur anither wanthirldom referendum, but feckly for a stranger vyce fur Scotland i London.

### Saicant term (2016–2021)
#### 2016 EU memmership referendum
In 2016, the European Union memmership referendum tae decide the futur o the UK's European Union memmership cam aff wi 52% o the voters i the UK votin fur Brexit (leavin the EU) an 48% votin fur tae remain; aa cooncil auries in Scotland votit by a feck fur the UK tae remain a memmer o the EU. Athort Scotland, 62% o voters backit the UK remainin a memmer o the EU an 38% fur the UK tae leave.

As a repone tae the eftercast, on the 24t June 2016, Sturgeon said at Scottish Government officials wad begin plannin fur a saicant wanthirldom referendum. Sturgeon claimed at hit wis "clear at the fowk o Scotland sees their futur is pairt o the European Union" an at Scotland hed "spokken decisively" wi a "strang, wanequivocal" vote tae remain i the European Union.

#### COVID–19 pandemic
The warldwide pandemic o COVID-19 happent durin Sturgeon's seicont term as First Meenister. For tae kep an liemit the nummer o affectit fowk in Scotland, Sturgeon an the Scots Govrenment pat in place measurs thit wis advised bi NHS Scotland, stairtin wi mainteenin strict haund washin. The first confirmed case o the virus in Scotland wis annunced on the 1 Mairch 2020, whan a Taysider testit positive. Sturgeon suin pat forrit mair advice an guidance as the nummer o positive cases gaed up, but said thit the shuttin o public places siclike as schuils an shops "wad be leukit intae".

Sturgeon annunced tae the Scots Pairliament on the 18 Mairch thit aw schuils an nurseries in Scotland wad be closin on the 20t Mairch for tae try an liemit the spreid o the virus. On the 23rd Mairch, Sturgeon pat oot a statement, pittin Scotland on a "lockdoun", liemitin the raisons fur hou people micht leave thair hames in a ettlin tae liemit the spreid o the virus, tae bield the halth o the population, as weel as tae tak the pressure aff o NHS Scotland services an staff. Oothrou 2020, restrictions haes been adaptit tae suit the pairts or aw o Scotland tae respond tae developments in the seetiation.

### Resignin

On the 15t o Febiveer, she annoonced she will staun doun as first meinister o Scotland an heid ane o the SNP trickerin a wale amang the SNP.Sturgeon wis the Deputy First Meenister frae 2007 tae 2014. 

## Relatit airticles
* Memmer o the Scots Pairlament
* Halyruid
* New Toun, Edinburgh (*Bute House*)
* Alex Salmond

## References

## Fremmit airtins
* Nicola Sturgeon's offeecial wabsteid  - *in Inglis*
* Biographie at SNP offeecial wabsteid  - *in Inglis*
* www.firstminister.gov.scot - *in Inglis*