NICOLA Sturgeon is not first minister anymore. She’s not even in government.
While that might seem obvious, not everyone in the Scottish Parliament has got the message.
On Wednesday, the former SNP leader spoke in Holyrood for the first time since her resignation – but more than one of her fellow MSPs appeared to have missed that pretty major change in Scottish politics altogether.
The first slip up came from the Tories’ Roz McCall.
The Conservative MSP began by reading a quote from the Promise Oversight Board, which said that achieving the 2021-2024 plan for children and young people was not "realistic" any longer.
McCall asked: “Does the minister agree with the oversight board’s assessment?”
READ MORE: SNP MP told off for calling Labour and Tories 'two cheeks of same arse'
Sturgeon, who is not a “minister” any longer, answered that she believed the board were correct. She ignored that McCall had put her back into government.
Then, it was the deputy presiding officer’s turn.
Annabelle Ewing had attempted to ask Sturgeon to cut her speech a little short. She had taken two interventions, so was running a bit long.
Ewing interrupted: “First Minister, you will need to …”
The error led to laughter in the chamber and embarrassment for the unfortunate Ewing.
“Sorry, Nicola Sturgeon you will need to conclude,” the deputy presiding officer said.
Journalist Andrew Learmonth quipped on social media: “Feel sorry for DPO Annabelle Ewing there.
“You know she'll have had a big post-it on her notes saying, 'don't call Nicola Sturgeon first minister’.”
After being first minister for near enough nine years, it’s perhaps hardly surprising that Sturgeon’s new position is taking some politicians some getting used to.
She, for one, seems to be enjoying it.
The former SNP leader used her first speech in Holyrood since resigning to say that some things look “clearer” from the backbenches than the frontlines of politics – and issued a warning over polarisation.
Saying she accepted she had played a role, Sturgeon cautioned: “It is up to us what dynamic that disagreement creates. Acrimony and stalemate? Or creative tension.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel