‘Nicola Sturgeon was a friend of Ireland’: Departing Scottish first minister praised by Irish politicians

Politicians in Ireland have paid tribute to departing Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon, praising her leadership and wishing her well after her surprise resignation announcement.

In a press conference on Wednesday, Ms Sturgeon said she would remain leader of Scotland’s devolved government until a successor is found.

Responding to the news, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he had met Ms Sturgeon on a number of occasions and found her to be “very warm person, articulate and thoughtful” and someone who “showed huge commitment to her country”.

[ Nicola Sturgeon resigns as Scotland’s first minister after eight years in job ]

He later told the Dáil that she is an “impressive” politician and “a true European and a friend of Ireland”.

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The Fine Gael leader added she “will always be welcome at our table”.

President Michael D Higgins said Ms Sturgeon’s contribution to public life as First Minister “has been recognised in Scotland and abroad as a particularly distinguished one.”

He said she “brought a freshness and enthusiasm to the tasks of representation and public service that was singular.

“This was exemplified in the leadership she displayed during the Covid-19 pandemic, when she communicated necessary reassurance with the sharing of practical measures that had to be taken.”

Mr Higgins added: “Nicola Sturgeon has combined these skills with a warm sense of hospitality, which I encountered when I visited Scotland in 2016.

“At both this meeting, and on her visit to Áras an Uachtaráin the same year, I was struck by her willingness to discuss contemporary events with a frankness and a respect for complexity and mutual understanding that was very helpful.”

He offered Ms Sturgeon and her family his “best wishes” for the future.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said Ms Sturgeon is “an outstanding leader and an outstanding advocate for the independence of her country”.

Ms McDonald said she has no doubt Ms Sturgeon will always advocate for the country and people “that she loves” adding: “beir bua agus beannacht”.

Ivana Bacik, the leader of the Labour Party, said Ms Sturgeon has been a “powerful force” in Scottish politics during her eight years as first minister. She wished her well after the “surprise” announcement.

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin said: “Over many years, Nicola has demonstrated strong leadership rooted in her vision for Scotland.”

The Fianna Fáil leader added: “Ireland and Scotland are close neighbours and friends, and I have greatly appreciated and valued my regular engagement with the first minister, particularly at British-Irish Council summits.

“I want to wish her all the best and look forward to engaging with her successor in due course.”

The North’s first minister designate, Sinn Féin vice-president Michelle O’Neill, said it was “with regret” she had learned of Ms Sturgeon’s decision to stand down.

“As a friend and colleague, we have worked closely together in recent years, and I have seen the depth of dedication, commitment and energy that Nicola has given,” she said.

“I wish to pay tribute to the huge strides she has made in advancing the campaign for Scottish independence, the strong stance against Brexit and the undermining of devolution by the Tories in London.

“The world of politics and all those of us who have had the great pleasure of working with Nicola Sturgeon will miss her leadership.

“She leaves a legacy for which anyone in politics or public life would be rightly proud, and I want to take this opportunity to offer every good wish to Nicola and Peter for the future,” Ms O’Neill said.

The DUP leader, Jeffrey Donaldson, sent his best wishes to Ms Sturgeon, saying “we are on different sides of many debates but her length of service and electoral success must be recognised.”

The SDLP leader, Colum Eastwood, also paid tribute to Ms Sturgeon, whom he said had made an “immense contribution to her country as first minister, her party as SNP Leader and the politics of these islands as the leader of the Scottish independence movement”.

Her legacy, he said, “stretches far beyond Scottish politics” and she had “undeniably demonstrated that a movement for independence is made stronger when you set out an ambitious plan for what a new country will look like, how it will care for its citizens and how it can deliver on the aspirations of all its people.

“But more than that, she has shown how that can be done using the power and potential of devolved government for more than a decade. There are lessons in that for those of us who believe in a New Ireland.”

In her resignation statement Ms Sturgeon referenced the “greater intensity” and “dare I say it, brutality” to modern political life.

Fianna Fáil Senator Lisa Chambers expressed concern at the resignations of Ms Sturgeon and New Zealand’s former prime minister Jacinda Ardern.

She said: “It is sad to see another strong and responsible female leader like Nicola Sturgeon resign,” adding: “It begs the question of why women are leaving politics and what we need to do to encourage them to stay in public life.”

Ms Chambers said: “It is concerning that we are losing such talented and accomplished women from the political arena.

“We need to work together to create an environment that supports and encourages women to pursue leadership roles in politics and stay in public life.”

She said she hoped the resignations will “serve as a wake-up call to the urgent need for more inclusive and diverse political systems around the world.”

Ms Chambers said progress has been made on this issue in Ireland over the past decade but added: “the coarsening of public debate and the increase in abuse towards female public representatives are impacting the number of women taking part in public life.”