Nicola Sturgeon sends letter of resignation to the King

Nicola Sturgeon has officially resigned as first minister, tendering her letter of resignation to the King.  

Scotland's longest serving and first female first minister left Bute House for the last time morning, following the announcement that Humza Yousaf will take over as leader of the party.  

She wrote to King Charles, saying that serving as First Minister “has been the privilege of a lifetime”. Sturgeon emphasised that she would leave the role “knowing that no girl in our country is in any doubt that a woman can hold the highest office in the land”.

She also pointed to the pandemic “as a period that shaped us all” and said that it “defined my time as first minister”.

Yousaf is expected to become Scotland’s sixth first minister at around 2pm today following a vote, which appears to be a formality.  

Sturgeon wrote: “With my humble duty, I write as anticipated in my letter to Your Majesty of 15 February to tender to Your Majesty my resignation from the office of First Minister. I propose that my resignation take effect from the start of Scottish parliamentary plenary business on Tuesday 28 March 2023.

“I should wish to reiterate that it has been my pleasure to serve Your Majesty, Her Majesty the Queen and the people of Scotland as First Minister since November 2014.
     
“I have the honour to be, Sir, Your Majesty's humble and obedient servant.”