Nicola Sturgeon turns 50: What her Mum has to say

After the stress of leading the country through the coronavirus pandemic for the last few months, her 50th birthday celebrations today will involve a small gathering with her closest relatives.

Speaking to the Sunday National, her mother Joan Sturgeon said: “It can’t be what we would have liked, although Nicola’s not a party girl and she is not one for a fuss.

“Obviously there are still [Covid] restrictions which we have to keep to, so it is a very small family celebration.

“But it will be nice to be able to see her sitting with a glass of wine to celebrate the day.”

When it comes to whether she could have imagined that her newborn daughter would one day be First Minister of Scotland, Joan Sturgeon says: “It’s safe to say not.”

The family is immensely proud of Nicola Sturgeon’s rise to the top, which her mother said is also “quite surreal” at times.

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“She is very driven and initially we thought [politics] was an outlet for her, but it soon became obvious that is where her heart lay,” she said.

“When she went into Parliament, I think I knew then that she would do well. I didn’t think she would necessarily become First Minister, as you don’t think about that. But as time went on, I thought there is a chance she would be.”

For the past four months, the First Minister has fronted a daily press conference five days a week to give updates on Scotland’s battle against Covid-19.

Joan Sturgeon said watching it every day has sometimes been a difficult experience.

“As a mum you watch her and look out for any signs of strain, which I obviously see,” she said.

“She’s coped with it admirably, I think. Nicola is very down to earth despite the fact she is First Minister.

“She was brought up in a working-class, down to earth family. People are going through different experiences during Covid, but we are all anxious about the same things and she is no different.

“I know at the height of it all when I spoke to her at night, she had her shaky moments, when she was just Nicola like every other person in the country – but she couldn’t let that show.

“She wanted to give confidence to people and I think that is by and large what she has done. She has got a fantastic work ethic and a job to do and come hell or high water, she will do that job.”

Recent polls support that observation, with an increase in support for independence and consistently high personal approval ratings for Nicola Sturgeon.

Joan Sturgeon said she had been receiving messages through social media from people who want to share their opinion on her daughter.

“It is people saying we just wanted to say we think she is doing a grand job or you must be very proud of her,” she said.

“You get the odd one which is not so nice and that is hard.

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“For me the biggest thing is so many young children just refer to her as Nicola.

“I think when would a child ever feel comfortable enough to do that with a politician? The fact they feel they can say these things is lovely.”

Another sign of her popularity is the “Clap for Nicola” event taking place tonight at 8pm, which has been organised to recognise the “exceptional job” the First Minister has carried out during the Covid crisis.

Joan Sturgeon said: “It is a lovely sentiment and she has also had hundreds of birthday cards from people.

“People have taken the time to buy a card, to write it, to post it and that is just lovely, it is really nice and she is so grateful for that.”

The First Minister is of course, not without her critics – including those from within the independence movement who say progress towards that goal under her leadership is too slow.

The prospect of her daughter becoming the leader of an independent Scotland is something which Joan Sturgeon can envisage – but she also believes the decision to put campaigning on hold during the Covid crisis is right.

She said: “As an SNP activist I personally don’t think I would be happy going up to somebody’s door right now and asking ‘would you vote Yes in an independence referendum’, not knowing what they have been through over the past few months

“It is a very difficult time for people and I am acutely aware of that.

“Right now I think we have got to just get through what we are going through and just concentrate on that.”

She added: “For Nicola, her lifelong ambition is to see an independent Scotland. For people who doubt that, I can assure them that has never wavered one bit.”