Nicola Sturgeon

Scottish politician who served as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) from 2014 to 2023. She has served as a member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) since 1999, first as an additional member for the Glasgow electoral region, and as the member for Glasgow Southside (formerly Glasgow Govan) from 2007.

A seat short of a majority in 2021, Sturgeon became the first first minister to serve a third term, and she subsequently entered a power-sharing agreement with the Scottish Greens. On 25 May 2022, Sturgeon became the longest serving Scottish First Minister, the record previously being held by her predecessor, Alex Salmond.

At university, she was active in the SNP student wing through Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association. She worked as a solicitor in Stirling and the Drumchapel Law Centre in Glasgow before becoming an MSP. She was the Deputy First Minister of Scotland since 2007 and the Depute Leader of the SNP since 2004.

On 11 June 2023, Sturgeon was arrested by Police Scotland over the investigation into the finances of her SNP party, which reportedly diverted £600,000 meant for the Scottish Independence campaign elsewhere. She was released without charge pending further investigation later that day.

Sturgeon lives in Glasgow with her husband Peter Murrell, who is the current chief executive of the SNP. They announced their engagement on 29 January 2010 and married on 16 July 2010.