Nicola Sturgeon is a Scottish politician who has been the First Minister of Scotland since November 2014. She is the leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), which is the largest party in the Scottish Parliament. Sturgeon was born in Irvine, Scotland in 1970 and grew up in Ayrshire. She studied law at the University of Glasgow and worked as a solicitor before entering politics.


Sturgeon was first elected to the Scottish Parliament in 1999 as a regional MSP for Glasgow. She was appointed Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing in 2007, serving under First Minister Alex Salmond. In 2014, Salmond resigned as First Minister and Sturgeon was elected leader of the SNP and became Scotland's first female First Minister.


Sturgeon has been a prominent advocate for Scottish independence and has led the push for a second independence referendum in Scotland. She has also focused on issues such as education, healthcare, and renewable energy. In 2021, Sturgeon led the SNP to a fourth consecutive term in office in the Scottish Parliament elections.


Sturgeon has received both praise and criticism for her political leadership, particularly in relation to her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland. She has also faced controversy and scrutiny over her government's handling of a harassment investigation involving her predecessor, Alex Salmond. As the leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), Sturgeon has been a strong advocate for Scottish independence. In the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, which took place when Sturgeon was Deputy First Minister, the "no" side won with 55% of the vote. However, the issue has remained a key political priority for the SNP, and Sturgeon has continued to push for a second independence referendum.


In addition to her advocacy for Scottish independence, Sturgeon has focused on a range of policy issues during her time as First Minister. One of her key priorities has been improving education in Scotland, with a particular focus on closing the attainment gap between children from different backgrounds. She has also emphasized the importance of renewable energy and has set a goal of generating 100% of Scotland's electricity from renewable sources by 2020.


Sturgeon has been widely praised for her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland. She introduced a series of strict lockdown measures and has been regularly updating the public on the situation and the government's response. Her leadership during the pandemic has led to a surge in popularity for the SNP, with many Scots approving of her cautious approach.


However, Sturgeon has also faced controversy and scrutiny during her time in office. In 2018, her government was embroiled in a harassment investigation involving her predecessor, Alex Salmond. Sturgeon was accused of breaching the ministerial code by failing to disclose her involvement in the investigation, and the Scottish Parliament launched an inquiry into her conduct. In March 2021, an independent inquiry cleared Sturgeon of breaching the ministerial code, but criticized her government's handling of the investigation. The controversy has led to calls for Sturgeon to resign, but she has maintained that she acted appropriately throughout the process. In addition to her role as First Minister of Scotland, Sturgeon is also the SNP's Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Glasgow Southside. She has been re-elected to this position in each Scottish Parliament election since 2007.


Sturgeon has also been active in UK politics, and has been a vocal critic of the UK government's handling of Brexit. She has argued that Scotland should be allowed to remain in the European Union, and has called for a second independence referendum in the wake of the UK's decision to leave the EU.


In 2019, Sturgeon launched a new campaign to build support for Scottish independence, which she called "Indyref2." The campaign aimed to engage voters across Scotland and build momentum for a second independence referendum.


Sturgeon has received a number of awards and honors for her political leadership, including being named "Politician of the Year" by The Herald newspaper in 2015 and 2016. In 2018, she was also named as one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world.


Outside of politics, Sturgeon is a keen runner and has completed several half marathons. She is also a supporter of the Scottish football team, and is a member of the Tartan Army, a group of Scottish football supporters.