As of 2023, Nicola Sturgeon is possibly single. [102], Sturgeon's cabinet was 50/50 gender balance, with five men and five women, including herself. [3][4] She entered office amid a rapid surge in membership of the SNP and this was reflected in the party's performance in the 2015 general election, when it ended Labour's thirty year electoral dominance of Scottish Westminster seats, as it won 56 of the 59 seats and replaced the Liberal Democrats as the third-largest party in the British House of Commons. . If you are not, as First Minister, prepared to put your neck on the line on the education of our young people then what are you prepared to. Lori Lightfoot with Holocaust survivors (Source: Facebook) Lori and her wife Amy were seen at a vaccination program held for Holocaust survivors and this rumor started. After Salmond had told Tory MP Anna Soubry, "Behave yourself, woman" in 2015, Sturgeon said: "The fundamental question, 'does that language indicate that Alex Salmond is sexist?' [65], In 2012 she pledged to build a high-speed railway line between Glasgow and Edinburgh by 2024, cutting journey times between the two cities to under 30 minutes. [215], Sturgeon officially announced that the referendum would be held on 19 October 2023. [162] Over three thousand care home residents died from COVID-19[163] and Gary Smith, Scotland Secretary of the GMB, said the policy had turned "care homes into morgues". [185] As part of the agreement, the Green Party co-leaders would be nominated to serve as ministers. [140], On 15 January 2019, the Scottish Parliament agreed to hold its own inquiry into the matter, the Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints,[141] to investigate how the Government breached its own guidelines in its original investigation into the harassment claims against Salmond, and then lost a judicial review into their actions and had to pay over 500,000 to Salmond for legal expenses. Likewise, she also holds the leader of the Scottish National Party position. [29] The political columnist Iain Macwhirter declared that while she "didn't inspire great warmth", she was "quick on her feet, lacks any ideological baggage and has real determination unlike Roseanna Cunningham". Johnson went ahead with the policy despite England's Chief Medical Officer saying there were "no very strong reasons" to do so. [48] Sturgeon oversaw the scrapping of prescription charges In Scotland, an election pledge by the SNP originally for the chronically ill and those with cancer. Face masks were introduced in schools for the first time after Boris Johnson was told it was "not worth an argument" with Nicola Sturgeon over the issue, leaked files suggest. [110] She set out the party's plans to increase income tax by freezing tax thresholds, reversing her previous policy of cutting taxes for higher earners. [226][227] Some SNP members have urged Sturgeon to call an early election at Holyrood to speed up the process for a de facto referendum. Net Worth February 15, 2023. This win resulted in Sturgeon becoming the first First Minister in the history of the Scottish Parliament to form a third government. The paper was sent to the central British Government to be read by Prime Minister Theresa May. [241][242] At the time, Scottish Drugs Forum Chief Executive David Liddell said he was concerned that the cuts had "the potential to increase harm and drug-related deaths. She also served as a member of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee and the Health and Community Care Committee. Sturgeon confirmed in June 2016 that the Scottish government had formally agreed to draft legislation to allow a second independence referendum to take place. [25] Although she failed to win the seat, she was placed first in the SNP's regional list for the Glasgow region, and was thus elected as a Member of the Scottish Parliament. [147] Labour MP Jess Phillips, a former employee of Women's Aid, accused Sturgeon of being "unprofessional with those women's lives" and said there had been a "litany of failures in professionalism and decency. [33] As Salmond was still an MP in the House of Commons, Sturgeon led the SNP at the Scottish Parliament until the 2007 election, when Salmond was elected as an MSP. [73] In July 2014 Sturgeon said this would put at risk the right of EU citizens to continue living in Scotland: "There are 160,000 EU nationals from other states living in Scotland, including some in the Commonwealth Games city of Glasgow. One particular problem it highlighted was that not enough had been done to ensure Scottish hospitals and care homes had enough personal protective equipment. [253] In particular, she said she hoped to focus on closing the attainment gap between the richest and poorest children in Scottish schools, telling journalists: "Let me be clear I want to be judged on this. 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 Cunningham. [58] Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament that containment of the virus had failed and that the Scottish Government was taking steps to mitigate the spread of the virus. [224][225] Unionist parties have rejected this characterisation. The First Minister stated:"Anti-Catholic discrimin. [118], In response to the result, on 24 June 2016, Sturgeon said that Scottish Government officials would begin planning for a second independence referendum. [129] By the end of that week, on 30 March 2017, Sturgeon wrote to the Prime Minister requesting a Section 30 order, formally devolving the responsibility and power to the Scottish Government to plan for and hold another referendum on Scottish independence. "We have seen a rapid increase in the number of confirmed cases in Scotland over the past 10 days," she told Parliament. [240], In 2016 the Scottish Government cut direct funding to drug and alcohol rehabilitation programmes from 69.2 million to 53.8 million a drop of 22%. "Based on this experience, Health Protection Scotland has expressed the view that sustained community transmission appears to be taking place. Boundary changes meant that the notional Labour majority in the seat had increased substantially. [271] Sturgeon highlighted that Spain should follow "the shining example" that was created as part of the Edinburgh Agreement between the Scottish and British Governments that allowed Scotland to hold a legally binding referendum. [160], During the early stages of the pandemic 1,300 elderly hospital patients were transferred into care homes without receiving a negative coronavirus test result. On 15 February 2023, Sturgeon announced that she would resign as first minister and SNP leader once a new leader is elected. Despite being a Roman Catholic, some of his roughest receptions were in places with deep Irish associations such as Motherwell. Despite Ullrich failing to win the seat, Sturgeon ploughed her political energy into the Young Scottish Nationalists (now the Young Scots For Independence), joining its national executive when she was 17. A seat short of a majority in 2021, Sturgeon became the first first minister to serve a third term, and she subsequently entered a power-sharing agreement with the Scottish Greens. [64], At the 2011 election, the SNP won a large overall majority. [258][259][260] Sturgeon has committed to strengthening links between Scotland and Africa. [135] Observers also concluded that opposition to the EU's Common Fisheries Policy in coastal communities was a factor behind large swings to the Tories in North East seats previously held by nationalists for decades. Nicola Sturgeon denied taking a different approach to Scotland fans last week travelling to London to Rangers fans when they celebrated their league win. catholic Is Shakira a Roman Catholic? On Wednesday morning last week, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeonsometimes referred to as Scotland's "First Transactivist"resigned. She joined the SNP following an assumption by her English teacher, who was a Labour councillor, she would be a Labour supporter. [18][19][20], In an interview with the BBC's Woman's Hour, Sturgeon revealed that it was Margaret Thatcher who inspired her to enter politics, because, due to rising unemployment in Scotland at the time, she developed "a strong feeling that it was wrong for Scotland to be governed by a Tory government that we hadn't elected". We feel we are being lied to. Sturgeon argued that the meetings were SNP party matters, and thus not covered. By the looks of it, Nicola Sturgeon religion is Catholic. [81], On 24 September 2014, Sturgeon officially launched her campaign bid to succeed Salmond as Leader of the Scottish National Party at the November leadership election. Scotlands Catholic community, to which I belong, has often felt itself to be a perennial underdog at the hands of a frosty establishment. [31] The majority of the SNP hierarchy lent their support to the SalmondSturgeon bid for the leadership, although MSP Alex Neil backed Salmond as leader, but refused to endorse Sturgeon as depute. [271] The Government of Spain criticised Sturgeon, claiming she had "totally misunderstood" the situation in Spain and Catalonia. On 17 January 2023, the UK Government decided to implement a section 35 order of the Scottish Act 1998 which prevented the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill from gaining Royal Assent. Born in Ayrshire, Sturgeon is a law graduate of the University of Glasgow, having worked as a solicitor in Glasgow before her election to the Scottish Parliament in 1999. [181] The SNP won a fourth consecutive election, albeit short of an overall majority, with a record number of votes on both the constituency and regional vote[failed verification] as well as increasing their share of the constituency vote and making a net gain of one seat. We believe in the free flow of. [24] Shortly after this, Sturgeon was appointed as the SNP's spokesperson for energy and education matters. Feb 15, 2023 Nicola Sturgeon being catholic has been a major turn-up on the internet, as the Scottish politician has condemned anti-catholic prejudice. He spelled out the risks of partitioning Britain with so little elementary homework having been done. And many in Sturgeons party have rather different views from Archbishops Tartaglia in Glasgow and Cushley in Edinburgh about when the sacredness of human life begins and ends and how far the state should micro-manage the individual. [214] This plan has been met with condemnation from various opposing parties, with the Prime Minister rejecting her plan. 1d ago Charlotte Observer Across Scotland, 62% of voters backed the UK remaining a member of the EU, with 38% voting for the UK to leave. [202][203][204], Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament of her "deep regret" that islanders were enduring such chaos and said that the Government was "learning lessons from this experience". But he may have swayed enough members of the community to prevent a complete swing to separatism. [168][169], In March 2021, the Court of Session declared that the Scottish Government's prohibition on communal worship, imposed during the pandemic, was unlawful. Nicola Sturgeon went on a stadium tour after becoming SNP leader She opened her premiership more like a rock star than a politician, embarking on a sold-out stadium tour amid a blaze of popular. [180] In the election, the SNP won 64 of the 129 seats contested. [150][151][152][153] In the wake of the results, Sturgeon said that Prime Minister Boris Johnson had "no right" to stand in the way of another Scottish independence referendum after an "overwhelming" SNP election victory. Sturgeon apologised for being overexcited although expressed that she was celebrating Amy Callaghan's win. Home Posts Tagged "is nicola sturgeon a catholic" Browsing: is nicola sturgeon a catholic. However, that decision is not for today. Sturgeon will remain in office until a successor is chosen. [171], In April 2021 Scotland's death toll from COVID-19 passed 10,000. By Democrat reporter A fundamentalist representative of the Catholic Church in Scotland has called out the Scottish National Party's (SNP) "open and vicious hostility" towards pro-life Christians. RELATIONSHIP DETAILS BELOW Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon is a Scottish politician and the fifth and current First Minister of Scotland and the leader of the Scottish National Party, in office since 2014. The compromise had the support of Souter but an amendment to that effect was voted down by MSPs who expressed concerns it would stigmatise children from single parent and unmarried families. [37][38] This was one of many swings to the SNP, as the party emerged as the largest party, winning one seat more than the governing Scottish Labour Party. [45], Sturgeon served as Health Secretary in Salmond's first, and for a year, in his second cabinet. The Catholic church has long ceased to be an effective opinion former a charge that could equally be levelled at most denominations, of course. [170] This followed an open letter two months earlier, written by 200 church leaders to Sturgeon, warning her that the prohibition could be unlawful. The Catholicism of the Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy has attracted some attention this week against a backdrop of fascinating political developments in Scotland. We can't bind our successors, but we've made very clear our belief that constitutional referenda are once-in-a-generation events. Quite A Scoop! She unveiled her new plan arguing that it would allow Scotland to set out "a different and better vision"[212][213] and claimed that there is a legally secure path to get a referendum without permission from the cabinet. Jim Murphy took his soapbox all over Scotland, holding 100 meetings in the campaigns last 100 days. [121] Sturgeon said it was "democratically unacceptable" that Scotland could be taken out of the EU "against its will".[122]. [284] She has at various points commented on the behaviour or attitudes of men towards women; publicly condemning Donald Trump,[285] Tony Abbott[286] and former Labour MSP Neil Findlay. [103], Sturgeon led the Scottish National Party through a landslide victory in the 2015 UK general election, winning 56 out of 59 Scottish seats at Westminster, the party's best ever performance. Quite simply, I would not have been able to do what I have in politics without his constant advice, guidance and support through all these years. The down side is that you just end up talking about it all the time and you never leave it outside. The answer is No. A second example would be the Named Person Act, which requires every Scottish child up to age 18 to have a guardian appointed by the state to huge opposition from churches including the Catholics. [30], However, once Cunningham emerged as the favourite to win,[30] Salmond announced his intention to stand for the leadership; Sturgeon subsequently withdrew from the contest and declared her support for Salmond, standing instead as his running mate for the depute leadership. Nicola Sturgeon is the current (2015) First Minister. This followed her admitting that she had had a secret meeting and subsequent phone call with Salmond about the Scottish government's allegations against him. [199][200][201], The Scottish Government had commissioned two new ferries for 97m from Ferguson's shipyard in 2015, but the construction of the two vessels was beset by delays and complications. In a letter to Nicola Sturgeon, he said . [191], In the late 2010s, Scottish islanders began to complain that the ageing ferry fleet that connected them to the mainland had become increasingly unreliable. [27], On 22 June 2004, John Swinney resigned as Leader of the SNP following poor results in the European Parliament election. ", "The triumph of Nicola Sturgeon | Ian Jack", "Nicola Sturgeon: 'The most dangerous woman in Britain? [261], In response to the Brexit vote, to discuss Scotland's interests, Sturgeon travelled to Brussels to meet with both Jean-Claude Juncker, the President of the European Commission as well as Martin Schulz, the President of the European Parliament.[262][263]. [15] Sturgeon was shy and has said that she "much preferred to sit with my head in a book than talking to people". If you are talking about the singer Shakira, yes she is Roman. [128], Prior to the day the Prime Minister triggered Article 50, formally allowing the process of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union, the Scottish Parliament voted 69 to 59 in favour of another independence referendum. What movie and television projects has Nicola Sturgeon been in? [272], An advocate for Scottish independence, Sturgeon has campaigned for independence from the United Kingdom since her late teens. Sturgeon kicked off her election campaign pledging that a strong result for the SNP would "reinforce" her mandate for a second independence referendum. In the same interview, Sturgeon committed to no independence referendum being held prior to the terms of a UK wide Brexit deal being agreed and presented. "[245], The crisis has particularly impacted the homeless in Scotland: 216 homeless people died in Scotland in 2019 an increase of 11% on the previous year; over half (54%) of these deaths were drug-related. ", "Scottish independence: referendum results live , "Nicola Sturgeon: 'Devo is route to independence', "Nicola Sturgeon launches campaign to succeed Alex Salmond", "Nicola Sturgeon predicts independence 'one day' as she launches bid to replace Alex Salmond", "BBC News Nicola Sturgeon backed by former SNP leader Gordon Wilson to replace Salmond", "Keith Brown and Stewart Hosie stand for SNP deputy leadership", "Angela Constance: 'I know why Yes campaign failed', "Nicola Sturgeon tops politician trust rating poll", "Sturgeon vows to be 'most accessible' first minister ever", "New SNP leadership team: Sturgeon and Hosie", "SNP conference: Nicola Sturgeon appointed party leader", "Resignation date of former First Minister and appointment date of current First Minister: FOI release", "Nicola Sturgeon is elected first minister of Scotland", "Nicola Sturgeon sworn in as First Minister", "Nicola Sturgeon hails her appointment as positive message to girls of Scotland", Nicola Sturgeon officially sworn in as Scotland's First Minister, "John Swinney set to become Deputy First Minister", "Nicola Sturgeon announces new Scottish cabinet", "Nicola Sturgeon announces Scottish cabinet with equal gender balance", "In constructing her first Cabinet, Nicola Sturgeon has shown a commitment to sending 'a strong, positive message to girls and young women', "BElection 2015: SNP wins 56 of 59 seats in Scots landslide", "How many Lib Dems have lost their seats in the 2015 general election?