The Indo Daily: On her own terms - what Nicola Sturgeon's departure means for Scottish independence

Scotland's first minister Nicola Sturgeon during a news conference at Bute House in Edinburgh, during which she announced she will be standing down. Photo: Reuters

February 17 2023 02:30 AM

Pressures had been piling on Scotland's first minister in recent weeks. Nicola Sturgeon's government was embroiled in controversial debates over the management of transgender prisoners, a teachers strike and NHS backlogs.

Add to this the contentious and highly divisive subject around independence, and Scotland's first minister had quite a job on her hands. But last Wednesday, she announced she was resigning from that post, a decision made purely on her "own terms".

So, what's next for Scottish politics, and is independence even an issue for the country now? Presenter Fionnán Sheahan is joined by political editor of The Scotsman, Conor Matchett, to find out more.