When Nicola Sturgeon announced she was quitting the stage, the most extravagant bouquets of compliments were thrown not by her friends, but her adversaries. “A gamechanger,” whooped excitable Labour people, instantly and rather prematurely imagining the parliamentary seats they could bag with the SNP deprived of her star power. “The union is safe,” gasped euphoric Tories, immediately and rashly thinking that they could stop worrying about Scotland separating itself from the UK.
It is not hard to see why opponents were so gladdened by her departure. She led her party at three general elections and two for the Scottish parliament. Five contested, five won. Each by crushing margins over her competitors. Other politicians would exchange one of their lungs for an electoral record like that. She had staying power. There have been five tenants of Number 10 during her eight years as first minister of Scotland.
