Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon will not seek re-election next year

Key Points

Former First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, has announced that she will step down from Parliament next year
The ex-SNP leader has been an MSP since the formation of Scottish Parliament in 1999
Sturgeon stepped down as First Minister in 2023 after leading the country for nine years
Sturgeon said that “in her heart”, she knew it the “time was right to open a new chapter” in her life.

Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon will not seek re-election next year.

The ex-SNP leader announced on Wednesday morning that she will stand down from Holyrood in 2026.

Sturgeon said that “in her heart”, she knew it the “time was right to open a new chapter” in her life.

Sturgeon is currently the MSP for Glasgow Southside, sitting as a backbench SNP MSP in Holyrood.

She spent almost a decade as Scotland’s first minister. She left office in 2023 after nine years in the top job.

Aside from her time as First Minister, Sturgeon has served as a Scottish MSP since the formation of the Scottish Parliament in 1999.

She has served in a variety of spokesperson roles over the years before becoming deputy SNP party leader, then deputy leader, then eventually First Minister.

In a statement on social media, Sturgeon said: “Being one of the original 1999 Members of the Scottish Parliament, serving (by the time of the election) for 27 years – almost exactly half my life – and getting to represent Glasgow Southside, the best constituency in Scotland, has been an honour beyond words.

“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. I have therefore written this morning to SNP members in my constituency informing them that I will not be seeking selection for next year’s Holyrood election.

“To my constituents, past and present: thank you for the trust you have placed in me. Being your MSP has been my privilege and I will continue to represent you to the best of my abilities until I step down next year.

“To Southside SNP members: your support, loyalty and friendship, through thick and thin, has meant more to me than you will ever know. You are the best of the best.

“To SNP members across the country: I may be leaving Parliament, but I will be by your side every step of the way as we complete our journey to independence.”

Sturgeon is one of many senior Scottish politicians retiring from Holyrood next year.

Former first minister Humza Yousaf; Scotland’s transport secretary Fiona Hyslop; former deputy first minister and finance secretary Shona Robison; and 19 other MSPs – including politicians from Labour and Conservative parties will also step down ahead of the 2026 elections.