Nicola Sturgeon, who dominated Scottish politics for nearly a decade as first minister, is expected to step down on Wednesday, leaving no clear successor in place and a blow to the fight for independence.
Sturgeon, 52, became leader of the ruling Scottish National Party (SNP) in the wake of its 2014 independence referendum, when the country voted 55% to 45% to remain as part of the United Kingdom.
She led her party to spectacular success in the 2015 UK election, winning 56 out of 59 seats in Scotland and establishing it as Britain’s third largest party, before losing control of the devolved parliament in recent elections. Maintained.
But she has recently clashed with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s London government and some of her own voters over a gender identity bill and London has blocked the way for another independence referendum.