Nicola Sturgeon leaves the Scottish Parliament as a divisive figure, but she remains box office

Nicola Sturgeon, the former first minister, is adored by some and despised by others

Few politicians in the UK could match Nicola Sturgeon in her prime. She was a political titan, with an extraordinary ability to communicate with the public. Her approval ratings were the envy of her rivals.

Nevertheless, she will leave Scottish politics as a divisive figure with a contested legacy, adored by some, but despised by others. The events of the past couple of years have also cast a shadow over the SNP that has yet to lift.

Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon speaks to the media outside Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh after announcing she will step down from Scottish politics next year. Picture: Lisa Ferguson | Lisa Ferguson

“Reaching this decision has been far from easy,” Ms Sturgeon wrote in a letter to her local party, as she announced her decision to step down as the Glasgow Southside MSP next year. “However, I have known in my heart for a while that the time is right for me to embrace different opportunities in a new chapter of my life, and to allow you to select a new standard bearer.”

In truth, Ms Sturgeon has seemed detached from Scottish politics for quite some time, and is often absent from the Holyrood chamber. She insists she is working hard for her constituents, but her decision to quit is no surprise.

The successes and failures of her time in power will be picked over for years to come. She points to policies such as the Scottish Child Payment, described as a “game changer” by poverty campaigners, and the expansion of early learning and childcare.

Her critics highlight areas where the progressive rhetoric failed to match reality. Education was Ms Sturgeon’s “defining mission”, yet her pledge to “substantially eliminate” the poverty-related attainment gap in schools fell far short.

Drug deaths are an enduring source of shame for Scotland, and the CalMac ferries fiasco also happened under her watch.

As first minister, Ms Sturgeon introduced legislation to make it easier for trans people to change their legally recognised sex. This was later blocked by the UK government, but the debate around it arguably contributed to the ongoing mess over this issue.

For many in Scotland, Ms Sturgeon will be remembered for her leadership during the Covid pandemic. Her remarkable communication skills were on full display during her regular televised press briefings, and the contrast with Boris Johnson was clear.

Nicola Sturgeon receives a Covid booster jab and a separate flu jab from healthcare support worker vaccinator Helen Macleod at Glasgow Central Mosque in November 2022. | PA

Few other politicians would have been able to connect with the public in the same way during such a difficult time.

That said, outcomes in Scotland and England were ultimately very similar, and some of this pandemic goodwill was later squandered when it emerged Ms Sturgeon had deleted her Covid WhatsApps.

Elsewhere, she failed to meaningfully shift the dial on independence. Perhaps, in the face of UK intransigence, this was always a tall order, but Ms Sturgeon repeatedly raised false expectations.

Her idea of fighting the general election as a de-facto referendum fell apart under the merest whiff of scrutiny.

Alex Salmond, whose spectacular falling out with his successor caused rifts in the Yes movement, accused the SNP of retreating from the cause of independence.

Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond and deputy leader Nicola Sturgeon launch their party's election campaign from the deck of the Discovery in Dundee. | PA

And then there is the ongoing police investigation into the SNP’s funding and finances. Former party chief executive Peter Murrell, who Ms Sturgeon announced she was divorcing in January, was charged with embezzlement in relation to this last year.

Senior figures in the SNP still shudder at the memory of that blue evidence tent erected outside the couple’s home in April 2023, as the police probe exploded into the headlines. The investigation has yet to be resolved, and still hangs like a dark cloud over the party.

Ultimately, as the well-known quote goes, all political careers end in failure, but you cannot remain at the top for so many years without being a master of the craft, and Ms Sturgeon was just that.

She remains box office. Quite simply, there is no bigger name in Scottish politics, and even hostile newspapers hang on her every word. Only Mr Salmond in his pomp could rival her for that.

After news of her decision broke, journalists rushed to a spot outside Edinburgh’s Dynamic Earth - favoured by broadcasters due to the view of the Scottish Parliament in the background - to interview the former first minister.

She appeared relaxed and chatty, joking with reporters about not being in her dotage quite yet. The shutters only came down when she was asked about Operation Branchform, the name given to the police investigation. She had nothing to add, she said.

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.”

Her memoir is due to be published in August. “I’ve just about finished writing it,” she said. Will it be a tell-all book? “I think it’s a very candid book. People will judge it on its merits.”

She added: “I have - I think, I hope - been very open about the things I’m proud of, got right, and the things that I don’t think I did as well as I might have done.”

As for what happens next, Ms Sturgeon remains something of a closed book. She will appear alongside her friend, crime writer Val McDermid, in a show at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival this month.

“I’ve got a number of ideas for the future, but I’ll set them out in due course,” she said.