
Nicola Sturgeon ‘didn't anticipate' criticism of gender reform legislation
Ms Sturgeon said that in retrospect she should have paused the legislation for a time due to the strong backlash she received.
The former SNP leader said: 'I didn't anticipate as much as I should, or engage as much as I should, on some of the concerns that might then be triggered.
'At the point I knew it was becoming, or felt it becoming, as polarised I should have said, 'Right, OK, let's pause, let's take a step back'.
'I fervently believe that the rights of women and the interests of trans people are not irreconcilable at all.
'I should have taken a step back and said, 'How do we achieve this?''
In what marks the first television interview ahead of the publication of her memoir, Ms Sturgeon also discussed with ITV presenter Julie Etchingham her experience of being raided by police, rumours surrounding her sexuality, her relationship with Alex Salmond, and a miscarriage she previously suffered.
Reliving her experience of being raided by police, she said: 'I don't really have a clear memory of that because I think I'd gone upstairs to get myself ready.
'I genuinely don't know whether the fact that I don't have a clear image of that in my head is because I didn't witness it or that I have kind of somehow blocked it out.
'It wasn't until I got to mum and dad's that I saw the pictures of my house looking like a murder scene effectively.
'It was just, sorry, I'm not really, I'm just working out… it's really hard to articulate how I felt that day.
'I had this sense of horror and upset and the kind of shame of it all.'
Ms Sturgeon said it was 'horrific' walking into a police station, and that part of her 'closed down'.
In her book, the former first minister says she has never considered sexuality, including her own, to be binary.
She told ITV: 'I mean what it says, it's just my view of the world and life and the way people are.
'If you're about to ask me, am I making some big revelation? No. Am I putting labels on myself? No. That's how I see the world.'
Etchingham asked: 'Might we see you in a relationship with a woman?'
Ms Sturgeon replied: 'I'm just out of a marriage, so I'm not rushing into a relationship with anyone, anytime soon.
'I'm enjoying being my own person for a while.'
Etchingham asked: 'But not ruling it out?'
Ms Sturgeon said: 'I'm not contemplating sort of anything of that nature. I'm just enjoying life.'
Commenting on extracts from Ms Sturgeon's memoirs, Scottish Labour's deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie said: 'If Nicola Sturgeon's memoir was simply a chronicle of her achievements as first minister it would be a short read.
'Unsurprisingly this book does not implore readers to judge Nicola Sturgeon on her record on education.
'Frankly, no-one has squandered as much political opportunity as badly as Nicola Sturgeon.
'Remarkably her memory of events seems to be returning, as she appeared to suffer from amnesia when she was before the parliamentary inquiry into the handling of sexual harassment complaints against the former first minister, Alex Salmond.
'As a result of her dismal lack of delivery in office, Nicola Sturgeon's legacy will be defined instead by political division and personal drama.'
Nicola Sturgeon: The Interview will be broadcast on Monday, August 11 at 7pm on ITV1, ITVX & STV.
An extended version of the interview will be available on ITVX in the following days.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Leader Live
an hour ago
- Leader Live
Sturgeon: Salmond happier for SNP to be destroyed than succeed without him
In her memoir, Frankly, the former first minister said she had come to the realisation that her former friend and mentor 'wanted to destroy me'. She said her relationship with the late politician began to deteriorate as soon as she became leader of Scotland. Mr Salmond, who died last year, quit as SNP leader and first minister in 2014 after the Scottish independence referendum. Ms Sturgeon also claims in her book that Mr Salmond had admitted to her that the 'substance' of one of the sexual harassment complaints had been true. The former Alba Party leader was acquitted of all charges relating to the allegations at court in 2020, while a judicial review found the Scottish Government's own investigation of him was tainted with apparent bias. Ms Sturgeon said her former mentor had created a conspiracy theory about Scotland's core democratic institutions to shield himself from accountability. She said Mr Salmond never produced a 'shred of evidence' to support these claims. She accused him of trying to 'distort' and 'weaponise' the trauma of victims. In her book, which was on sale in some places ahead of schedule on Monday, she said: 'In his (Salmond's) efforts to turn himself into the wronged person, he demonstrated that nothing and no one was sacrosanct for him. 'There was never the merest hint of concern about the damage he did to the party he previously led. 'Indeed, it felt to me that he would have rather destroyed the SNP than see it succeed without him.' She accused her former boss of having 'impugned the integrity' of the institutions 'at the heart of Scottish democracy', including the Government, Police Scotland and Crown Office. She went on: 'The fact that he never produced a shred of credible evidence that a conspiracy existed, because it didn't, wasn't enough to stop him seeking to damage the reputation of these institutions and shatter the morale of those who worked in them. 'He was prepared to traumatise, time and again, the women at the centre of it all. 'A jury concluded that what they experienced wasn't criminal, but that does not mean those experiences didn't happen. 'Even if he never said so explicitly, he was accusing them of being liars, of making it all up.' The former SNP leader said Mr Salmond had made his former allies and SNP colleagues 'mortal enemies' in the fallout over misconduct claims against him. 'In that regard,' she wrote, 'I was clearly public enemy number one. For a while, I told myself that the bonds between us would be stronger than his thirst for revenge. 'Eventually, though, I had to face the fact that he was determined to destroy me. 'I was now engaged in mortal political combat with someone I knew to be both ruthless and highly effective. 'It was a difficult reality to reconcile myself to. 'So too was losing him as a friend. I went through what I can only describe as a grieving process. 'For a time after we stopped speaking, I would have conversations with him in my head about politics and the issues of the day. 'I had occasional, but always vivid, dreams in which we were still on good terms. I would wake up from these feeling utterly bereft.' Alba Party leader Kenny MacAskill said: 'It is Nicola Sturgeon who has demeaned the office of First Minister and who has been shown to be without shame or honour in besmirching a man now dead. 'Alex Salmond was acquitted on all charges and it was Sturgeon's government which was found to have acted unlawfully unfairly and tainted with apparent bias. 'The break in friendship came from her when she turned on her mentor who had made her politically. 'Shamefully she continued to do so even when he is dead.'


Times
3 hours ago
- Times
Nicola Sturgeon's memoir rewrites history with confidence
Nicola Sturgeon's memoir has claimed independence from factual accuracy. The book, Frankly, is littered with small errors, such as the former first minister's claim that the reconvened Scottish parliament of 1999 contained more women than had ever been elected to Westminster. This could not have been achieved even if every single MSP had been a woman, but it evaded a fact-checker's pen. Other mistakes are more personal. Sturgeon recalls how, after wiping out all bar one of the Labour MPs in Scotland in 2015, she boarded a flight for London to wild applause. She even claims that Tom Harris, one of the defeated MPs, was there looking on. 'It isn't true,' said Harris, who was confused with another ex-MP. 'What is the point of the anecdote in the first place other than to crow … about a defeated opponent?' Harris said. 'Stay classy, Nic.' This would be another example of Sturgeon's self-proclaimed emotional intelligence. It's three strikes and you're out for Jeremy Hunt as he insists he will not seek the Tory leadership again. The former chancellor told The Rest Is Politics that his wife 'would have something to say' if he ran a fourth time, which left one of his hosts very upset. 'I'll encourage you to think again,' said the banished Conservative Rory Stewart. 'You're the one person who would make me rejoin the Conservative Party and come in behind you.' Good news for Mrs Hunt — the Stewart endorsement is more fatal than hemlock. Among the cast of The Thick of It, the actor Alex Macqueen was a politics nerd sans pareil. The man who played the blue-skies thinker Julius Nicholson once worked as a tour guide in the Houses of Parliament, which he said was 'a Disney cruise liner for politicos'. However, this analogy only works if Mickey Mouse's ship was a little unseaworthy. 'It was a luxurious place to work,' Macqueen told Times Radio. 'But I know there are regular fires that break out and it needs a bit of TLC.' Oh, it all shambles along — the nice thing about the fires in Westminster is that they're soon put out by the leaks. The comedian Jimmy Carr is still paying for past mistakes. Carr, who is the Ken Dodd of his generation, though not when it comes to the comedy, is doing two shows a night on his current tour. 'One show at 7pm and one at 9.30pm,' he explained. 'One for me and one for HMRC.' Carr's career survived revelations about his tax affairs, which is good for him as he loves the work. Asked by an audience member in Bath if he would do his job free, he said: 'Probably. In fact, I think that effectively happened once when the tax bill came in.' The chat show presenter Graham Norton spends an awful lot of time saying nice things about people, and this can come back to bite him. He recalls that a friend was once raving to him about a book so much that she promised to get Norton a copy. He was excited, but when the book was delivered the friend informed Norton that he'd already read it. 'No, I haven't,' he said. 'I don't remember anything about this book at all.' When he then picked up the novel, he saw his name on the cover. It was beneath the quote 'Unforgettable characters'.


Scottish Sun
4 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Nicola Sturgeon's 10 biggest bombshell moments in full from new memoir
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MS Sturgeon's book Frankly hit the shelves this week as the former First Minister hopped from TV studio to radio station promoting it ahead of the official release. Our reporters got hold of a copy and have waded through all 446 pages of the memoir to find the stand-out revelations from the ex-SNP leader so you don't have to. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 12 Nicola Sturgeon's new book has several sensational claims Credit: PA 12 The book features personal confessions to bombshells from her political career Credit: PA From her visits to Balmoral to meet the Queen to her view on her own destiny, here are some of the best bits. The Queen THE late Queen asked for 'gossip' from Nicola Sturgeon about the sexual misconduct scandal engulfing the SNP, she claims. The ex-SNP leader said Queen Elizabeth immediately asked for details about the sexual harassment claims against Alex Salmond after they emerged in 2018. 12 She claimed the Queen wanted gossip on Alex Salmond Credit: PA:Press Association Ms Sturgeon said the Queen 'loved a bit of gossip' and asked about the case at an audience at Balmoral Castle in 2018 which she visited with husband Peter Murrell. And she wrote: 'She asked me about it almost as soon as I sat down. She wasn't being trivial in any way, she wanted to know more of what was going on. 'I think she was also trying to put me at ease.' She also told how at Balmoral, Prince Philip would cook her and hubby Peter Murrell barbecues, with the Queen packing leftovers into Tupperware. Sean Connery NICOLA Sturgeon wrote that she was trained to speak with more 'authority' by Sir Sean Connery. The late James Bond actor gave the ex-Nats leader voice coaching in 2004 around the time she was elected deputy leader of the SNP. She wrote how the pair met at the glitzy New Club in Edinburgh where he advised her to deepen her speaking voice. Nicola Sturgeon admits mistake on gender ID battle in bombshell TV interview She said: 'There I was, under the instruction of 007 himself, pacing up and down the library of the New Club, with a folded piece of paper between my teeth, repeating sentences chosen, it seemed, for their particular combination of syllables, consonants and vowels.' 'My voice slowed and deepened. 'The trick, in future, he told me, was that whenever I wanted to project authority I had to speak as if I had a piece of paper between my teeth.' 12 She said Sean Connery trained her to speak with more authority Credit: Getty Prince William THE future King finds himself on the receiving end in Ms Sturgeon's memoirs. She wrote that 'almost all' of her interactions with Royals have been 'positive', saying: 'I know it is part of their 'training' ('breeding is probably the more accurate term), but they are always engaged and engaging, polite and courteous.' 12 She admits feeling aggrieved towards Prince William Credit: Getty But she writes that after a 'cordial' meeting with Prince William in Edinburgh in 2021, she found out he'd held a separate private chat with ex Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown during the same trip to Scotland. And this was the 'one occasion when I had cause to feel slightly aggrieved towards a senior royal'. She wrote that a comment from the Prince's office on the reason for meeting Mr Brown 'was, to put it mildly, disingenuous', adding: 'The thrust was that he had wanted to talk to politicians from across the political spectrum, obviously meant as code for both sides of the independence debate.' Ms Sturgeon also moans in the memoir that she 'couldn't get a break' after news that William and Kate were expecting their first child overshadowed a 2012 speech she made on independence. Eco legacy SCOTLAND'S reputation as a global leader on climate change is in danger of being 'squandered', Nicola Sturgeon claims. In a thinly veiled swipe at her SNP successors, the former first minister insisted 'every new oil or gas field under exploration sucks in money, labour and expertise that should be devoted to developing and deploying green alternatives'. She said: 'We were well and truly on the map as a climate pioneer…unfortunately, it's a position I fear Scotland is now in danger of squandering.' 12 She reckons Scotland's rep as an eco world leader is being squandered Credit: Getty Ms Sturgeon said 'north Sea reserves are running out' and 'Within just a few years, production will be a tiny fraction of what it is today'. First Minister John Swinney ditched Sturgeon's 'presumption against new exploration' shortly after taking office last year and backed new fields that meet 'climate compatibility and energy security' criteria. In April, he said: 'There is no hostility in this Government to oil and gas. 'We are committed to a rational transition to net zero that enables us to fulfil our climate objectives. We will have to rely on elements of oil and gas for some time to come.' The Lockerbie Bomber THE release of the Lockerbie bomber could have spelled the end of Nicola Sturgeon's career and the fledgling SNP government, the former first minister revealed. Ms Sturgeon claimed she was not involved in the controversial decision to free Abdelbaset al-Megrahi in 2009 and only learned about it from BBC's Newsnight. 12 Ms Sturgeon claimed she was not involved in the controversial decision to free Abdelbaset al-Megrahi Credit: PA And she said Alex Salmond washed his hands of it too despite being obsessed with Scotland's image on the world stage – and left the decision to then Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill. Ms Sturgeon recalls bereaved constituents who lost loved ones in the attack informing her that they would see the release of Megrahi a 'betrayal of their loved ones' memories' and she says she did not support his release or transfer. She said: 'The opposition could have united to bring us down, but they didn't. I could have resigned, given my deep misgivings, and I did consider it. But I opted instead to accept collective responsibility.' Indy promise SCOTTISH nationalists' insistence that the 2014 referendum would be 'once in a generation' was 'a warning not a promise', Nicola Sturgeon has claimed. The former SNP leader, who was in charge of referendum strategy during the campaign, said repeatedly that an independence referendum was a 'once in a lifetime' event. 12 She claims she wrote much of Scotland's Future, the independence white paper, single-handedly Credit: Alamy Ms Sturgeon said she wrote much of Scotland's Future, the independence white paper, single-handedly with little help from Alex Salmond. "The opening paragraph said the referendum was a 'once in a generation opportunity to follow a different path'. In her book, she admitted these comments 'came back to haunt her' when she pushed for a second referendum just three years later. She said: 'Our opponents claimed it meant that I was going back on my word. In their shoes I might have done the same, but it was a gross misrepresentation. 'Once in a lifetime / generation' was a warning, not a promise. I hadn't said I would never argue for another referendum.' School bullies BULLIES beat up Ms Sturgeon at primary school where she was targeted for being a bookworm, she says. Ms Sturgeon writes that she was 'occasionally bullied' and 'always felt different' and she 'worried that people would think spending hours with my head in a book was a bit weird'. She said there were some girls with 'dominant personalities' in her class who ended up 'battering' her on two occasions after school in Dreghorn, Ayrshire. 12 Ms Sturgeon told how she was beat up in primary school Credit: Getty She wrote: 'They followed me down Dreghorn Main Street, taunting me all the way with what was about to happen and then, just before I was due to turn into my street, one of the girls, who was tall, heavyset, and who weighed much more than me, jumped on my back and pummelled me with kicks and punches. 'The first time it happened, I kept it from my mum and dad, but the second time, one of my other classmates ran to get them. 'My parents then complained to the school and the girl got into trouble. Even though I wanted the bullying to stop, I remember being mortified that my mum and dad had got involved.' Ms Sturgeon said that as a result, she's now 'instinctively drawn to anyone who might be struggling to fit in'. 'Gnasher' jibe A MALE MSP who repeatedly called Nicola Sturgeon 'Gnasher' will remain anonymous as he would 'enjoy the notoriety', the former First Minister said. Ms Sturgeon said she was 'subjected to some nasty bullying' in the early years of the Scottish Parliament by a male MSP of another party who called her the name to others and even to her face. 12 An MSP in Holyrood referred to Ms Sturgeon as "Gnasher" Credit: PA:Press Association She said: 'At first I didn't understand it.' But she said that eventually, she 'discovered that it was a reference to a story being spread around that I had once injured a boyfriend' during an intimate moment. Ms Sturgeon said she 'cried in the toilets in the Parliament' when she heard the story but his behaviour escalated. She wrote: 'I can still visualise the gleeful sneer on his face. He seemed to revel in my discomfort and I became quite scared of him.' Ms Sturgeon said in an interview yesterday that she would not name the MSP as 'he would enjoy the notoriety'. Her 'destiny' THE ex-First Minister claimed she realised as a child it was her'destiny' not to be 'ordinary' in life. She wrote: 'From as far back as I can recall, I didn't just have an ambition to go to university but, rather, a certainty I would do so. 12 She claimed she realised as a child it was her'destiny' not to be 'ordinary' in life. Credit: PA:Press Association 'No one else in the history of my family had ever studied for a degree, so it is hard to know where that came from. In fact, back then I was a walking contradiction. 'Alongside shyness, a crippling lack of confidence and fear of failure, was a burning ambition, a drive to succeed, a craving to be 'seen'. 'I had - at risk of sounding daft a very strong sense of 'destiny'; a feeling that whatever I did would not be 'ordinary', that it would attract attention." The future THE United Kingdom will completely dissolve in less than 20 years and the monarchy will be gone within a century, Nicola Sturgeon claimed. Writing at the end of her autobiography, she said: 'I predict that in 20 years, perhaps sooner, the UK in its current form will no longer exist. What will emerge in its place will be stronger, healthier and more democratic. 12 She reckons the UK will be dissolved in 20 years Credit: Alamy 'An independent Scotland, a more autonomous Wales and reunified Ireland will join England, enjoying the benefits of the home rule it will gain as a result, in a new British Isles confederation of nations.' She added the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 was 'the beginning of the end' of the British Royal Family. And yesterday, she said in an interview: 'I'm not saying it will be ten, it could be 100 years. 'But…over time perhaps the absurdities of monarchy will start to come to the fore much more without the personality of the Queen to keep it going.'