Nicola Sturgeon
Nicola Sturgeon
Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon PCis a Scottish politician who is the fifth and current First Minister of Scotland and the leader of the Scottish National Party, in office since 2014. She is the first woman to hold either position. Sturgeon has been a member of the Scottish Parliament since 1999, first as an additional member for the Glasgow electoral region from 1999 to 2007, and as the member for Glasgow Southside since 2007...
NationalityScottish
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth19 July 1970
CityIrvine, Scotland
U.K. welfare cuts are pushing more children into poverty; that is beyond dispute.
It is one of the little known facts about modern Scottish politics that it is not quite as cut-throat as people think it is.
I bow to no one in my ambition to see Glasgow be as successful as it possibly can be.
American companies based in Scotland employ large numbers of people - in fact, we are the best performing part of the U.K., outside London and the southeast of England when it comes to attracting foreign direct investment.
The U.K.'s debt belongs legally to Westminster, so Scotland, by definition, can't default on it.
Instead of an end to austerity, Labour has made clear that it wants to impose more austerity cuts.
Tax credits are designed to help people who work hard but who, through no fault of their own, don't earn enough to keep their families out of poverty.
Parties that win elections should form the government, not parties that lose elections.
My early years as a political activist were dominated by the poll tax.
It is hard to overstate the economic importance of the U.S.A. to Scotland, and that makes it essential that we engage with companies and potential investors and get the message across that we are open for business.
Political parties have to convince people that there is a real reason to vote and that will re-engage them in politics.
London has a centrifugal pull on talent, investment and business from the rest of Europe and the world. That brings benefits to the broader U.K. economy.
Of course, aid is only one small part of international development. Some of the greatest benefits to the world's poorest can be achieved through policy changes by developed countries.
There is nothing in your background that inherently holds you back or means you can't achieve what others can achieve. You are the master of your own fate, and if you work hard, you can do what you want.