Nicola Sturgeon is embarking on a significant personal and professional reinvention following her departure from frontline politics, a journey that involves extensive travel and an ambitious attempt to write a novel. This new literary project is seen as a potential vehicle for settling old scores, building upon the foundation laid by her earlier memoir.
From Memoir to Fiction: A New Literary Venture
Ms Sturgeon's first book, the memoir titled Frankly, was a notably bitter account that took aim at several political figures. Its primary target was her former mentor, the late Alex Salmond, whom she accused of plunging the Scottish National Party into civil war after he alleged she engineered a conspiracy against him – a claim she continues to deny fiercely. Her upcoming work, however, shifts from autobiography to political thriller, offering a fresh canvas for what observers suggest could be imaginative vengeance against past rivals.
This creative endeavour follows her stepping down as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) ahead of the May election, freeing her from backbench duties. The transition is financially cushioned by a taxpayer-funded golden goodbye of approximately £75,000, with a future annual pension of around £62,000 awaiting her at retirement age. Her memoir also earned her a substantial £300,000 advance from her publisher.
International Travel and Financial Interests
While her constituents in Glasgow Southside face significant challenges, including an economic inactivity rate of roughly one in three, Ms Sturgeon has been active on the international circuit. Recent trips, detailed in the Scottish Parliament's register of interests, include a visit to Iceland for the Reykjavik Global Forum. The £347 flight costs were covered by the Forum, with £1,680 in accommodation paid by Arion Bank.
She also attended an educators' conference in Aalborg, Denmark, while parliament was in session. The £1,394 flight and £152 accommodation costs were met by the Danish organising association. Furthermore, it emerged last August that she had taken a £20,000 dividend from her media company, Nicola Sturgeon Limited, bringing the total withdrawn since January last year to £30,000 – a move that potentially avoided the higher income tax rates her own party implemented.
A Contested Political Legacy
As Ms Sturgeon plots her fictional narratives, her real-world political legacy faces intense scrutiny. Her flagship policy to close the educational attainment gap failed to meet its objectives. She admitted that her government took its ‘eye off the ball’ on drug deaths, which remain the highest in Europe and are rising according to recent figures.
The issue that significantly contributed to her political downfall was transgender policy. Her gender self-identification legislation ultimately derailed, severely damaging trust with a large portion of the electorate. Despite the controversy, she remains a believer in the radical trans politics that cost her party dearly.
Economically, Scotland is left with a moribund economy trapped in a high-tax cycle, a situation for which her administration bears responsibility. As new First Minister John Swinney navigates this inheritance, Ms Sturgeon's plan for a political thriller suggests she is not making a quiet exit, but may instead become a vocal, critical presence on the sidelines.
Many within the SNP might prefer a dignified silence as they campaign for votes, but it appears Nicola Sturgeon is writing her next act on her own terms, leaving the public and her party to contend with the tangible consequences of her tenure.
