Nicola Sturgeon at the height of her popularity, was a political rockstar. In 2014 12,000 people packed Glasgow’s Hydro arena – more accustomed to hosting pop stars such as Lady Gaga – to hear her speak.
It’s more than two years since she unexpectedly resigned as Scotland’s First Minister and she’s faced some torrid times since then. Now she’s written her memoirs, a 464-page book called ‘Frankly’.
On Thursday more than a thousand people filled Edinburgh’s McEwan Hall for her book launch. And many more watched around the world as the event was streamed online.
Nicola Sturgeon was Scotland’s longest serving First Minister (2014-23) and the first woman to hold that role. She had been Deputy First Minister for seven years under Alex Salmond’s leadership. Together they took Scotland close to Independence in 2014. And in 2015 Sturgeon led the Scottish National Party when it won 56 of the 59 Scottish seats at Westminster.
Brexit followed in 2016 when Scotland voted overwhelmingly to stay in the EU, but the UK as a while voted to leave. Then there was the Covid pandemic. Nicola Sturgeon presided over a dramatic time in Scotland’s history.
Kirsty Wark, former presenter of BBC’s Newsnight, chaired the event. Armed with a clipboard full of pre-scripted questions, she quizzed Sturgeon about a range of issues.
Asked about her ‘failure’ to eliminate the educational gap between rich and poor children, Sturgeon robustly defended her government’s record on education. She pointed out that the educational gap was driven by poverty and that the Scottish Government had made good progress on alleviating poverty. Measures included the funding of early learning and childcare to all three and four years old, and the Scottish child payment (now £27.15 per week for each eligible child). Sturgeon said that child poverty was declining in Scotland but increasing in England.
On trans rights, Sturgeon said the issue had become toxic. But she pointed out that the Gender Recognition Reform Bill (subsequently blocked by the UK Government) was passed in the Scottish Parliament with cross party support. Sturgeon saw no conflict between women’s rights and trans rights.
And she found it difficult to regard some of those opposed to trans rights as feminists. Even in recent days she has received vile abuse on social media with some saying they laughed when they heard Sturgeon being interviewed about her miscarriage. And one keyboard warrior hoped she would be raped.
But Sturgeon also admitted that she made mistakes and didn’t get everything right in the way she handled the trans debate (and other issues). But she would never have agreed to betray a stigmatised minority.
Sturgeon also conceded that she could have been more collegiate at times and involved more colleagues in decision making.
Inevitably there were questions about Alex Salmond, her mentor. Together they formed a formidable political partnership, but they had a spectacular falling out.
Kirsty Wark suggested that Salmond had effectively exercised ‘coercive control’ over her, but Sturgeon firmly rejected this. She had known Salmond since she had been a teenage SNP activist, and he had encouraged her to stand for the SNP when, at 21, she became the youngest ever parliamentary candidate to stand in Scotland. Salmond was integral to some of the happiest moments of her life.
Salmond was acquitted of all charges against him, but Sturgeon said he’d admitted in court and directly to her that “he had acted towards women in ways that weren’t always acceptable”. However, she had not personally witnessed this, and he never behaved inappropriately with her. Sturgeon said she had been accused of covering up for Salmond, but also of conspiring against him. ‘It can’t be both”, she said.
A few days after resigning as First Minister, the police knocked on the door of the house Sturgeon shared with her then husband, Peter Murrell, at that time the SNP’s Chief Executive. A tent was erected in their garden. It looked like a murder scene. Murrell was arrested and eventually charged with ‘embezzlement’. He is still awaiting trial. Sturgeon was arrested later. It was not until March this year, nearly two years after her arrest, that Sturgeon was told by police she was no longer a suspect and would face no action. During this difficult time in her life Sturgeon sought therapy from a counsellor.
Even though she is a republican, Sturgeon liked the late Queen for whom she had ‘huge admiration’. She thought it was possible that people would look back on the death of the Queen as the beginning of the end of the monarchy. It was full of absurdities and should end as soon as possible.
Sturgeon said she had never been out of Scotland for long but that might change – she was now contemplating a break. It could be in London (a city she loves), or elsewhere in Europe. But not the USA while Trump was President “as I may not get out!”
There were a few minutes allotted to questions from the audience. Most of the questioners made a point of thanking Sturgeon for what she had done for Scotland. Asked about being labelled ‘the most dangerous woman in Britain’, Sturgeon said that was the nicest thing the Daily Mail had said about her.
After the audience questions, Wark pointed out that polls still showed 50% support for Independence. Sturgeon remained optimistic that Scotland would become independent. There was no magic solution, but it might come sooner than most people anticipated.
Although Sturgeon was in good form throughout the 60 minutes, I do feel the discussion might have been even more interesting if Kirsty Wark had put aside her pre-scripted questions, and there had been a more informal conversation rather than an interview. But a lot of issues were covered, and the launch will certainly have stimulated many to buy ‘Frankly’.
This was a one-off appearance at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Tickets (if available) for other events at linktr.ee/nicolasturgeonevents
‘Frankly’ by Nicola Sturgeon is now available in bookshops. For more information, go to www.panmacmillan.com
Tickets for other shows at the EIBF available at https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/whats-on
Reviewer: Tom Scott
Reviewed: 14th August 2025
North West End UK Rating: