Nicola Sturgeon to step down from Holyrood

Former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is to stand down as an MSP, she has announced.

The ex-SNP leader confirmed she would not seek re-election at the Holyrood election in May next year.

In a statement published on social media, she said making the decision had been "far from easy".

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."

Sturgeon resigned as first minister in March 2023 after eight years in the role.

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