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Sturgeon’s parting plea for unity as party tears itself apart in civil war

By Tom Eden Deputy Scottish Political Editor

NICOLA Sturgeon yesterday issued a plea for unity to her supporters as the SNP tears itself apart in a brutal civil war.

The departing First Minister used her final Holyrood appearance as leader to direct a warning to the candidates vying to replace her about the need to be ‘serving Scotland together’.

As she choked back tears while making her final speech, she alluded to the bitter contest that has been driving a wedge between factions in the party.

Reflecting on her time in the SNP, Ms Sturgeon said: ‘We’ve come such a long way together as a team; let’s keep going, serving Scotland together as a team.’

She told journalists afterwards how ‘solidarity and unity’ would be crucial if the SNP is to keep winning elections, adding that her successor could not take the support of Scots for granted.

The divisive leadership contest has been defined by the candidates’ scathing assessments of their own government’s record – and explosive resignations of senior staff after it was revealed the SNP lied to reporters about how many members had deserted the party.

Ms Sturgeon insisted she has no regrets over leaving the government she has led for eight years and declared: ‘It is time for Nicola Sturgeon the politician to make a bit of space for Nicola Sturgeon the person.’

She added: ‘My party has come such a long way and it’s come such a long way through hard work, serving Scotland and being a team; solidarity and unity.

‘Even in the last few days when there have been hyperbolic phrases used about “collapse” and all sorts of things, you look at opinion polls and they still show the SNP way ahead of anyone else.

‘My successor should not take that for granted. I have never taken that for granted.

‘But I have real confidence in whoever my successor is to continue to build on the success of the party and government.

‘But, to do that, they must remain focused on the priorities, on the interests and priorities of people across the country.’

The outgoing SNP leader also urged her successor to never ‘shy away from the big challenges or difficult debates’.

Ms Sturgeon said: ‘Never forget that every day in this office is an opportunity to make something better for someone, somewhere in Scotland. You won’t get everything right. But it is always better to aim high and fall short than not try at all. And always draw strength, energy and wisdom from the people of this wonderful country.’

Opposition leaders praised her longevity as the longest-serving First Minister but they questioned her legacy.

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said: ‘On her first day in office, Nicola Sturgeon promised to be the First Minister for all of Scotland, regardless of your politics, or your point of view.

‘But, for some, too often she used her position to further her party’s political objectives, rather than bring the country together and govern in all of Scotland’s interests.’

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said that the ‘promise of devolution does remain unfulfilled’ because of the failures of Ms Sturgeon’s government.

He said: ‘Child poverty is still too high, NHS waiting lists are still too long, our public services are struggling and our economy does need to be restarted.’

Towards the end of her speech, Ms Sturgeon also urged Scotland’s

‘Way ahead of anyone else’ ‘Opponents, not enemies’

politicians to be nicer to each other, saying ‘maybe we might actually enhance our democracy if occasionally we all of us treated each other with kindness too; if we remembered that we are opponents, not enemies’.

But the remarks come just days after SNP president and interim chief executive Mike Russell warned that criticisms of party secrecy ‘damage our cause and aid our enemies’.

And at the SNP conference last year Ms Sturgeon declared: ‘I detest the Tories and everything they stand for’.

Snp Civil War

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