Nicola Sturgeon's self-doubt is so very typically Scottish

The National

a day ago

I suggested to him that while the former first minister's personal thoughts and fears came across as entirely human and genuine – and they are – perhaps it was far too early for her to try to defend a legacy that will take years to determine.
But my friend countered that the biographies of political figures are caught in a trap these days. Publishers feel they have to be available very soon after they leave office – or the market will dry up.
So, yes, it feels too early for her, too raw, and she's still trying to process everything, But she clearly wanted to do a book early to secure a lucrative advance – reportedly £300,000.
We also talked about the disconnect in the book between her much-vaunted love of literature and the almost complete absence of any cultural hinterland in almost 460 pages – apart from the obligatory few lines of Burns. It almost feels like books were a sanctuary, rather than intellectual stimulation. I hope that's not true, because she's going to need a lot of hinterland in the days and years ahead.
Strangely, I found myself, thinking of an interview that Rishi Sunak – who held the highest office for a much shorter period than Sturgeon – gave after leaving his post, in which he admitted he didn't actually enjoy a single day of it. Not one.
You get the impression that Nicola Sturgeon wasn't far off that position. The contrast with Alex Salmond is total – you always got the impression he was having the time of his life.
I've a great picture of my youngest, Lachlan, with Nicola Sturgeon during a visit to Stranraer in 2017. Big smiles from them both. When did you see any of that in late-career Nicola? The job gets to them all in the end.
Sympathy for Sturgeon seems almost entirely absent but given her stated lack of confidence, her shyness and her doubt in her own judgement and ability, part of me really feels for her.
She pushed herself well beyond her comfort zones. You get the impression she was more comfortable as a manager than a first minister and that she never really believed she was a leader.
There's a real sense of imposter syndrome there, and perhaps we are all complicit in that. 'I kent her faither', we say. Dinnae get above yourself. Know your place. Nicola's is a very Scottish story, and not in a good way.
We all need a challenge but it must be terrifying to work the peak of your career way out of your happy place. And, in the book, that's what she is essentially saying she did for nearly a decade.
I'm chairing an event with Henry McLeish next month. He strikes me as the kind of guy who has really grown in public respect in the two decades since he was first minister. He's really engaged with civic Scotland, not least in his contributions to the future of Scottish football.
My fear is that, without any indication that she will engage similarly, Sturgeon's reputation, as she fades into obscurity in London, will go in a different direction.
But the dogs bark and the caravan moves on. And maybe the book draws a line under the whole affair, and allows the party – and the movement – the chance to rethink, renew and restrategise. Because it's later than we think.
A couple of things don't sit right with me. Firstly, Nicola Sturgeon used an English publishing house. Wouldn't some normal-sized Scottish firm have gladly welcomed the business? What does it say about a self-proclaimed proud Scot when she off-shores the contract?
And, secondly, she's strongly hinted that she's off to London. This maybe shouldn't matter much in the greater scheme of things but I think it's instructive. Maybe deep down she thinks that London is bigger, better. Maybe she always did.
I think she believes in independence on some theoretical level but not on an immediate, practical one. And, with a fresh referendum nowhere to be seen – and that really is on her – that's may also be true for most of Scotland.
It feels like a line is about to be drawn under the whole affair, which is positive and provides an opportunity. Perhaps we should now accept that she moved the dial on independence not one iota, hope that she finds her peace, and then says – right, what now?
Alec Ross
Lochans, Wigtownshire
IN reply to the letter from John Hutchison about election problems at the John Muir Trust (Aug 14). A former trustee and spouse, on Skye, still hadn't received their voting papers by Tuesday of this week.
An urgent email to the Returning Officer resulted in emailed papers being sent.
I remain unconvinced that all members who are eligible to vote have received their papers. I have had no assurance from the Returning Officer that an underlying problem has been identified and addressed, merely a response that 'we have identified the issue and are taking action to resolve' (two days prior to the election deadline).
Alison Russell
Strathcarron
IT'S good news that there is a process for recovering from amnesia and regaining your memory – as seen by Nicola Sturgeon's biography. During the Scottish Parliament's investigations into the aborted investigation by the Scottish Government into alleged sexual advances towards staff by Alex Salmond, Ms Sturgeon routinely stated that she could not recollect anything from that period.
Apparently she had lost her memory, and failed to answer most of the questions put to her, but almost miraculously she regained her memory when writing her autobiography! Of course her new memories don't seem to match her actions from that period, and have to be viewed with some suspicion. I wonder if the Scottish Parliamentary Committee can reconvene and now ask Ms Sturgeon to answer their questions this time?
Alex Beckett
Paisley