Sturgeon quits

Nicola Sturgeon quit as Scottish first minister yesterday, saying her dominance over her party and the country was no longer the asset it once was in the fight for an independent Scotland. The 52-year-old, who has been first minister since 2014, also said she would stand down as leader of the ruling Scottish National Party (SNP), saying a fresh face would have a better chance of reaching across the political divide, and that she had become too divisive - and too tired - to lead that fight any more.  She will stay in place until a successor is found. Sturgeon became SNP leader in the wake of a 2014 independence referendum when Scotland voted 55 percent to 45 percent to remain part of the UK.  But in recent months she has been outmanoeuvred by Sunak's government over attempts to hold a second referendum.