Sturgeon's sister says 'job changed Nicola' and will never be the same again

The pressure and responsibility of guiding Scotland through the pandemic changed Nicola Sturgeon, according to her sister Gillian.

It comes after the First Minister admitted leading Scotland for eight years had taken a toll and “in head and heart” she knew it was time to stand down.

She said leading Scotland through the pandemic is “by far the toughest thing I’ve done”, adding the weight of responsibility was “immense”.

Nicola Sturgeon has been the First Minister of Scotland since 2014
Jane Barlow

Gillian said Covid took a heavy toll on her sister but is “incredibly proud” of her achievements.

“She has always been her own harshest critic. All during the pandemic, when she had to stand on the podium every single day and read out how many people had died.

"I know she took each loss personally,” Gillian told The Sunday Post.

“It was a huge pressure for anyone to shoulder, not least because none of us had ever experienced anything like it before. I think that changed her forever.”

Sturgeon has been the leader of the Scottish National Party and First Minister since 2014 after taking over from Alex Salmond.

She is the country's longest serving First Minister and hailed her family for their support.

Gillian added: "The job changed Nicola. She had such a huge amount of responsibilities on her shoulders all the time, of course it changed her. The job was all-consuming.

“I couldn’t be prouder of her or happier because, after 17 years of losing my big sister to politics, I’ve finally seen her smiling and laughing like she used to when we were growing up together.”

Nicola Sturgeon’s sister says the pandemic was 'immense' pressure
Jane Barlow

Her announcement came amid mounting pressure on the First Minister in recent weeks over her handling of trans prisoner Isla Bryson and her push for Scottish independence from the UK.

But Nicola’s sister says despite backlash she will “continue to follow her passions.”

She said: “When we were growing up, we learned to fight injustice and inequality from our parents. Nicola would always pursue that wherever she saw it. It’s something that drives her.

“Nicola will continue to follow her passions. She has always been a determined advocate for children and women who have suffered abuse. I can see her doing something positive like that.”