Nicola Sturgeon can be proud of “changing the lives of people in Scotland for the better”, Scotland’s First Minister has said after she announced she will stand down at the next Holyrood election.
John Swinney said the former first minister had made an “extraordinary contribution” to the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government.
He told the PA news agency: “I’m very sorry that Nicola Sturgeon has decided to stand down from the Scottish Parliament.
Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney are long-serving SNP colleagues (Jane Barlow/PA)
“She’s made an extraordinary contribution to the work of the Scottish Parliament, and particularly to the Scottish Government, as our longest serving first minister.”
He said: “And I want to express my thanks and appreciation to Nicola for all of the contributions that she has made to the work of Parliament and government, and I’m certain she will continue to do so in the years to come, in different ways to contribute to the public life of Scotland.
“She’s got so many different policy achievements to be proud of in changing the lives of people in Scotland for the better. And I wish her well for the future.”
Nicola Sturgeon spoke to reporters outside Holyrood on Wednesday after announcing her decision to step down (Robert Perry/PA)
He said the Glasgow Southside SNP MSP has “contributed enormously to the public life of Scotland”, and added: “I think it’s an understandable decision, having served for such a long time as first minister, and this is the first opportunity of an election after she delivered office as first minister to step down.”
Questioned on what her legacy would be, Mr Swinney highlighted the expansion of funded early learning and childcare as “one of the principal elements of her legacy” as well as the introduction of the Scottish Child Payment.