STURGEON QUITS AS FIRST MINISTER

SCOTTISH LEADER’S BOMBSHELL MAY GIVE LABOUR ELECTION BOOST | Sturgeon: Time is right for me, party and country

- Nicholas Cecil, Rachael Burford and David Bond

NICOLA STURGEON shocked British politics today by announcing that she is standing down in a huge blow to Scottish independence.

The Scottish National Party leader was said to have “had enough” of the political maelstrom at Holyrood and Westminster. A charismatic figure, Ms Sturgeon, 52, will leave office as the longest-serving and first female First Minister since the creation of the Scottish Parliament, a time which saw her lead the SNP to repeated election victories at UK, Scottish and local level.

Her departure will raise Labour hopes of seizing a slew of Scottish seats at the next General Election, expected in 2024, and gaining an overall majority. In another dramatic development, Sir Keir Starmer killed off the possibility of former leader Jeremy Corbyn standing as a Labour MP at the election.