'I've Searched My Soul' Sturgeon Blends Personal With Political in a Memoir With Clout

Nicola Sturgeon's political memoir, Frankly, is now on sale after a cascade of hype and teasing interviews.

- Libby Brooks

The once stratospherically popular Scottish National Party leader, who led it to repeated electoral success before becoming, by her own admission, a polarising force in Scottish politics, reflects on her working-class upbringing and the "burning sense of destiny" that drove her.

As Scotland's first female first minister, she participated in some of the most significant moments of modern political history – the independence referendum, the Brexit vote and the Covid pandemic. But her revelations have already inflamed many of the divisions she discusses in the book. So what have we learned?

Her relationship with Alex Salmond

Sturgeon's political partnership with her predecessor as first minister, Alex Salmond, dominates the memoir far more than any of her romantic relationships. She describes tensions that existed long before their catastrophic falling out over her government's handling of sexual harassment complaints against him. Salmond later stood trial and was cleared of all 13 charges, although a pattern of bullying and inappropriate behaviour towards female staff emerged in court. Asked directly in pre-publication, described Sturgeon's allegation as "a conspiracy theory too far".

Gender recognition

Writing about the bruising parliamentary passage of her flagship gender recognition measures, aimed at making it easier for a trans person to change their legal sex, Sturgeon uses far more ameliorative language than she has done before.

She admits she should have considered pausing the legislation as the debate around it became increasingly toxic, although she says she still "fervently believes" that the rights of women and the interests of trans people are not irreconcilable.