DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Sturgeon's demise can end UK division

DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Sturgeon’s demise can end UK division

Nicola Sturgeon arrogantly asserted last month that she had ‘plenty left in the tank’ to continue as First Minister of Scotland. By yesterday, the tank had plainly sprung an irreparable leak.

In a self-serving resignation statement, the SNP leader admitted she no longer had the energy to give her everything to the job.

All political careers, it was famously said, end in failure. Ms Sturgeon’s certainly has. She was meant to be the historic figure who defiantly led Scotland out of the UK. Instead she has quit – her dreams in tatters.

The prospect of a new referendum – let alone winning one – is ever further away.

No one can deny Ms Sturgeon is a talented, formidable and effective politician. But for someone whose supporters claim is Britain’s most sure-footed politician, she has stumbled badly.

In a self-serving resignation statement, the SNP leader admitted she no longer had the energy to give her everything to the job 

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon faces the fury of nationalists over her botched push for Scottish independence while critics hope her gender identity reforms ‘go with her’ after she quits as First Minister (and SNP rivals tell her husband to go too)

Her embrace of the woke ideology of gender self-identification for children as young as 16, despite the opposition of most Scots, instead of focusing on the cost of living, the crises in education and the NHS was increasingly condemned.

The incarceration of a male rapist in a women’s prison, and her inability to say whether that sex offender can be regarded as female, badly damaged what remained of her credibility. With her poll ratings and support for independence plunging, has Ms Sturgeon seen the writing on the wall?

While she obsessed over virtue-signalling, grievance-stoking and constitutional monomania, Scotland has decayed.

Her record is indefensible. On just about every metric, she leaves her country in a worse state than before she took over.

And to hear her pontificating about the virtues of civilised political debate sticks in the craw. The First Minister and her vicious Nationalist attack dogs specialised in demonising anyone who had the temerity to disagree with them.

For all those who hope to see a better and more united Britain, her resignation can only be good news.

What are Keir’s ideas?

This was undeniably one of Sir Keir Starmer’s better days as Labour’s leader.

The Equality and Human Rights Comm-ission declared itself satisfied the party was tackling the cancer of anti-Semitism that proliferated under Jeremy Corbyn.

Then, Sir Keir rightly banned his predecessor from standing for Labour at the next election. There was, he said, ‘no going back’ to the rampant bigotry that marked the bleak Corbyn years.

And the icing on his cake was Ms Sturgeon confirming her intention to step down, which promises to give Labour a much-needed boost north of the border.

This was undeniably one of Sir Keir Starmer’s better days as Labour’s leader

Last night, in a drab party political broadcast, Sir Keir insisted he could be trusted to run Britain for the better.

But is it wise to take him at face value? After all, serious question marks remain over his judgement and character.

He campaigned enthusiastically – not once, but twice – to inflict the catastrophe of a Corbyn premiership on this country.

It was not as though the tolerance of anti-Semitism and dangerously anti-Western predilections that made Corbyn unsuitable for high office were secrets.

But while appalled colleagues refused front bench seats or even left the party, Sir Keir continued to serve in his shadow Cabinet. That was truly shameful.

If Sir Keir is to convince voters he truly is fit for No 10, he must articulate a vision for the country. Beyond punishing private schools and non-doms, what is it?

It’s obvious this hardcore Remainer cannot be trusted on Brexit. But what answers has he for the big problems facing Britain – the stuttering economy, strikes, immigration and the NHS? He won’t say.

An aspiring prime minister should be bursting with solutions – not simply sniping from the sidelines.

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