Pic of Day: Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced that she will be stepping down from her post, and also from her leadership of the Scottish National Party. The move comes as a surprise but Sturgeon has been frustrated by the British government and UK Supreme court in her efforts to secure a second referendum on Scottish independence. Said Irish President Michael D. Higgins in a statement: “Nicola Sturgeon’s contribution to public life as First Minister of Scotland has been recognised in Scotland and abroad as a particularly distinguished one. During her time in office, Nicola Sturgeon brought a freshness and enthusiasm to the tasks of representation and public service that was singular. This was exemplified in the leadership she displayed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she communicated necessary reassurance with the sharing of practical measures that had to be taken. Nicola Sturgeon has combined these skills with a warm sense of hospitality, which I encountered when I visited Scotland in 2016. At both this meeting, and on her visit to Áras an Uachtaráin the same year, I was struck by her willingness to discuss contemporary events with a frankness and a respect for complexity and mutual understanding that was very helpful. May I extend my best wishes to Nicola and her family for the future. Guím gach beannacht uirthi don todhchaí." The file photo shows Sturgeon with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in Dublin in 2017. RollingNews.ie photo.
