Nicola Sturgeon resignation: Fife MP says reasons for resigning were ‘woolly’

Ms Sturgeon caught politicians and pundits by surprise with an unscheduled statement at Bute House in Edinburgh yesterday, announcing she would stand down after eight years as First Minister.

She said her decision was a "deeper and longer term assessment" rather than a reaction to recent turbulent times which have included plans to treat the next election as a defacto referendum, and the often toxic debate over the gender recognition bill.

Mr Hanvey said the announcement was a surprise.

“It was not the morning news we expected,” he said. “I know a lot of people were talking about it over last few weeks on the back of the Gender Recognition Reform Bill, but we got no real clear answer what the real reasons were.

“What we got weren’t clear - what was the purpose of her resignation? - and the timing of it was strange.

“For someone clearly a great political communicator and debater, and someone who can win electioins very well, it seems a strange moment and a woolly reason to leave the stage at this time. These are questions that will be answered as time goes on.”

Mr Hanvey said he had his differences with the First Minister over independence and the gender reform bill, but believed she “could have been a tremendous asset to the independence movement.”He continued: “The biggest test for her successor in uniting the movement is significant. Female campaigners have sworn they will never ever support the SNP again because of the way the gender reform bill has been handled

“Whoever takes over as leader of the independence movement needs to be able to reach across all the political and non political groups and rebuild the confidence that was there in the past. That is no mean feat - It is a big challenge.

“I would have loved to have seen it deliver the Constitutional Convention in 2020 which has not yet materialised. That is a perfect opportunity to focus on independence and develop the strategy got for it.”