BBC Scotland News<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Scotland’s former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is to stand down as an MSP, she has announced.<\/p>\n The ex-SNP leader confirmed she would not seek re-election at the Holyrood election in May next year. <\/p>\n In a statement published on social media, she said making the decision had been “far from easy”. <\/p>\n She added: “However, I have known in my heart for a while that the time is right for me to embrace different opportunities in a new chapter of my life, and to allow you to select a new standard bearer.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Sturgeon resigned as first minister in March 2023 after eight years in the role. <\/p>\n She is Scotland’s longest-serving first minister and the first woman to hold the position.<\/p>\n Her resignation as party leader marked the beginning of a tumultuous period for her and the SNP.<\/p>\n In June 2023 she was arrested and released without charge<\/a> as part of a police investigation into SNP finances. She insists she has done nothing wrong.<\/p>\n Her husband Peter Murrell, who had long served as the SNP’s chief executive, has since been charged with embezzling SNP funds<\/a>.<\/p>\n In January, Sturgeon announced that the pair had decided to end their marriage.<\/p>\n The Glasgow Southside MSP is one of the original MSPs elected in 1999.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In her letter to constituents, she highlighted policies introduced during her time in office such as the Scottish Child Payment and expanded early years education.<\/p>\n She said: “I joined the SNP in 1986 because I wanted to play my part in building a fair and prosperous Scotland and I have dedicated my life to that task ever since.<\/p>\n “I believed then that winning our country’s independence was essential to Scotland reaching her full potential, and I still do. <\/p>\n “Even though I am preparing to leave elected politics, I hope to contribute in different ways to making that ambition a reality.”<\/p>\n Sturgeon led the SNP to a series of election victories at UK, Scottish and local level.<\/p>\n In 2022, the UK Supreme Court ruled that Holyrood did not have the power to stage another independence referendum – a move which has been blocked by the UK government.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Sturgeon was succeeded Humza Yousaf as first minister. <\/p>\n He lasted just a year in the role, stepping down in April last year<\/a> after a decision to rip up a power-sharing agreement with the Scottish Greens left him facing a vote of no confidence.<\/p>\n Yousaf announced in December last year that he is to stand down as an MSP at the 2026 Holyrood election.<\/p>\n He was replaced as first minister by Sturgeon’s deputy John Swinney, who after a poor showing at July’s general election<\/a> has seen support for SNP stabilise in the polls. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Getty](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/0504\/live\/c0d15bb0-ff2a-11ef-8bc4-0f1da5ca8de4.jpg.webp\")
Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/bbcx\/grey-placeholder.png\")
![\"Getty](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/5ea0\/live\/87844ae0-ff2d-11ef-a8b1-950887ddc6e5.jpg.webp\")
Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nSuccessors as first minister<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n