Skip to main content
NEU job vacancy
Nicola Sturgeon in ‘Carry On Governing’
The First Minister was undoubtedly a skilled politician, but her record is one of dismal failure, from public service cuts to flogging off our wind energy market to foreign multinationals, writes NEIL FINDLAY
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaking during a press conference at Bute House in Edinburgh where she has announced that she will stand down as First Minister of Scotland after eight years. Picture date: Wednesday February 15, 2023.

A FEW weeks ago I was at First Minister’s Questions with a trade union deputation. I have to say it was a pretty poor session. The atmosphere in the chamber was flat and beyond lacklustre.

I said to colleagues afterwards that Nicola Sturgeon’s body language, oratory and general demeanour were one of someone whose time had passed. She was unconvincingly going through the motions. Whilst I expected her to stand down sometime over the next 18 months her sudden resignation caught many, including me, by surprise.

In politics, governments and political leaders normally stand or fall on their record of delivery. In healthy democracies parties and leaders who make endless bad decisions, show appalling levels of incompetence, repeatedly waste public money and fail to take responsibility for their actions are usually run out of office — and deservedly so.

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
Similar stories
MEDIA LOVE-IN: Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon with broadcaster Kirsty Wark (left), ahead of the Edinburgh International Book Festival launch event of Frankly, her memoir, Thursday August 14
Voices of Scotland / 19 August 2025
19 August 2025

On the release of her memoir that reveals everything except politics, Sturgeon’s endless media coverage has focused on her panic attacks, sexuality and personal tragedies while ignoring her government’s many failures, writes PAULINE BRYAN  

Staff on a NHS hospital ward, October 3, 2014
Britain / 10 December 2024
10 December 2024
Finance Secretary Shona Robison during a visit to Logan Ener
Britain / 4 December 2024
4 December 2024