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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
National
Brendan Hughes

Nicola Sturgeon: Northern Ireland parties react to SNP leader's resignation as First Minister

Northern Ireland politicians have given mixed reactions to Nicola Sturgeon resigning as Scotland's First Minister.

In a shock announcement, the SNP leader said her decision was the best step for herself, her party and for Scotland.

Nationalist politicians at Stormont praised Ms Sturgeon's leadership, while unionists said her resignation was a warning to those who "pander to the woke agenda".

Sinn Féin vice-president Michelle O’Neill praised Ms Sturgeon's "dedication, commitment and energy" and said the "world of politics" would miss her leadership.

Read more: Northern Ireland centenary stone approved by Stormont body

Ms O'Neill said: "I wish to pay tribute to the huge strides she has made in advancing the campaign for Scottish independence, the strong stance against Brexit and the undermining of devolution by the Tories in London.

"The world of politics and all those of us who have had the great pleasure of working with Nicola Sturgeon will miss her leadership.

"She leaves a legacy for which anyone in politics or public life would be rightly proud and I want to take this opportunity to offer every good wish to Nicola and Peter for the future."

DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson tweeted: "Best wishes to Nicola Sturgeon as she steps down as First Minister of Scotland and SNP leader.

"We are on different sides of many debates but her length of service and electoral success must be recognised."

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood described Ms Sturgeon's "immense contribution" to the Scottish independence movement and praised her "enduring commitment and care" to the Scottish people.

The Foyle MP added: "Nicola's legacy stretches far beyond Scottish politics. She has undeniably demonstrated that a movement for independence is made stronger when you set out an ambitious plan for what a new country will look like, how it will care for its citizens and how it can deliver on the aspirations of all its people.

"But more than that, she has shown how that can be done using the power and potential of devolved government for more than a decade. There are lessons in that for those of us who believe in a new Ireland."

TUV leader Jim Allister said Ms. Sturgeon resigns "with her goal of breaking up the UK as far away as ever".

He said: "With polls showing support for maintaining the unity of our country is strong and consistent, Ms Sturgeon whatever her electoral success quits as First Minister of a devolved region of the United Kingdom and with her goal of independence a distant pipe dream.

"Her pursuit of a woke agenda when it came to the gender recognition was the final nail in her political coffin and should act as warning to other politicians who would seek to go down a similar road."

Ms Sturgeon rose to power unopposed after Scotland's ill-fated independence referendum in 2014.

She has suffered a series of political challenges in recent months as her government sought to push through gender recognition reforms, only for them to be blocked by Westminster.

Last year, the UK's Supreme Court ruled the Scottish Government does not have the power to hold another independence referendum without Westminster approval.

DUP Upper Bann MLA Jonathan Buckley tweeted: "Nicola Sturgeon's demise and sudden resignation should be a warning to all those politicians that pander to the woke agenda.

"The public are not fools, they see right through agendas and believe in biological facts that being a man is a man and a woman, a woman."

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