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Sturgeon has led the Scottish National Party since 2014 and was one of the most popular political representatives in the United Kingdom during that period. However, her inability to achieve the long-awaited independence of Scotland during her mandate, the judicial blockade to do so and a controversy surrounding the gender law caused her support to be reduced and she presented the surprise resignation of she.
Nicola Sturgeon, the face of Scottish independence for the last nine years, presented her resignation on February 15 as the main leader of Scotland and its political formation, the Scottish National Party (SNP, for its acronym in English). He leaves behind a period in which he has enjoyed high popularity, but in which he has been unable to achieve his main objective: the independence of Scotland from the United Kingdom.
The announcement has caught most of Scotland and the rest of the European nation by surprise despite the fact that this region is going through a turbulent political moment. In his speech, he bet that his party would have at the helm “a new face” that is capable of leading Scotland towards independence and alluded to personal circumstances, such as fatigue and his refusal to remain in power for longer than indicated, to submit his resignation. Likewise, Sturgeon affirmed that he will remain in charge of his responsibilities until a new leader is chosen.
Behind this decision there seem to be two key issues. The first is the decision of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom to reject its intentions to call a new independence referendum in 2023. The second, the controversial law promoted by the autonomous government of Scotland known as the Scottish Gender Recognition Reform Act, which It facilitated the procedures for people who wanted to change their gender from the age of 16 and has been rejected by members of their own party.
Independence, the long-awaited goal that escaped from Sturgeon’s hands
Nicola Sturgeon came to power of the SNP shortly after the independence referendum agreed between Edinburgh and London failed in Scotland in September 2014. On that date, the No to independence won the Yes by 55% against 45% of the independence option. A hard blow to the historical desires of Scottish separatism that was justified by the fear that a part of the Scots had to leave the European Union if that decision was made.
The problem is that two years later the United Kingdom decided to leave the Union after another referendum that led to Brexit, an option that most Scots reject. This question gave wings to the Scottish independence movement, with strong European roots, and guaranteed the success that Nicola Sturgeon enjoyed during the following years.
Under his leadership, the SNP did magnificently in the Scottish Parliament, eventually winning 56 of the 59 seats and becoming the third strongest party in the UK, after the Conservatives and Labour. Sturgeon became something of the leading opposition figure to the Conservatives in London at a time of low labor for Labour.
Her rejection of Boris Johnson’s government and her constant challenges to London made her the undisputed leader of the Scottish independence movement, which little by little saw her supporters increase.
However, that high popularity could not be reflected in a consistent attempt to achieve independence. Over the past few years he has repeatedly spoken of his intentions to get London to concede to another independence referendum, but the central response was always the same: the 2014 referendum was a one-time referendum.
After the refusal of the Executive and the British Parliament, Sturgeon took his intention to court, but this was also rejected by the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. This decision led the Scottish leader to consider the following regional elections as a kind of de facto referendum, something that a large part of Scots reject and that caused the number of citizens who approve independence to drop below 50% in recent years. months.
A gender change law, the controversy that dynamited its credibility within the SNP
Sturgeon has been the main target of a constant polarization within Scottish politics. The main controversy has revolved around a law of the autonomous region that was intended to make it easier for those over 16 who wish to change their gender, something that has not gone down particularly well with different sectors within their party or London. , from where Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has tried to stop on several occasions.
This law has been added to the controversy over the case of Isla Bryson, a trans prisoner who committed rape against two women when she was still a man and who Sturgeon decided to take to a men’s prison despite defending his law. In these weeks, the hitherto Scottish leader has tried to avoid answering questions about whether she was a man or a woman, but this position has served to encourage criticism of her figure within the SNP, such as that of former leader Alex Salmond.
Sturgeon’s march leaves a notable void within the nationalist formation, which does not have in sight any notable figure that could succeed the Scottish leader. In addition, several doubts arise for the future, such as whether this new person will be able to unite the different factions within the SNP or if a division within Scottish nationalism is at the beginning.
With Reuters, AP and local media
