Frankly

Memoirs by politicians are not my typical first choice for a means of relaxation and enjoyment, but for Nicola Sturgeon I have made an exception owing to her fascination value. At first sight, Nicola has always seemed to me to be a feisty and newsworthy individual. I have admired her from afar over the border in England. My views on her character have now changed, but definitely not my feelings of respect.

This book is an honest review of Nicola's history from her formative years to date. I was shocked to discover that Nicola is a shy, introverted individual who wears a mask of bullishness and resilience for her public persona. She has had some unenviable experiences, most notably the handling of the COVID pandemic which she recounts candidly, and in many instances sets otherwise media distorted records straight.

I particularly savoured her recollections of meeting and associating with ex-prime ministers David Cameron and Theresa May. HM Queen Elizabeth II was another favourite excerpt. It was appalling to hear of her shoddy treatment by other political figures, some named, some remaining circumspectly anonymous. The alleged two-facedness of Alex Salmond was a disappointment especially in light of his earlier mentoring role for Nicola. Bravo to her for her stoicism, endurance and spirit of forgiveness.

As expected, much of Nicola's narrative concerns independence for Scotland and the equally controversial subject of Brexit. Whilst fundamentally opposed to the question of independence myself, I appreciated her steadfastness and resolve over an issue which is manifestly close to her heart. As a Novocastrian, however, I fully sympathised with her stance that the Westminster Parliament should perhaps be less inflexible and Londoncentric in its approach. Other areas of the country deserve a bit of the resource cherry too. As for referenda, post Brexit I'm not in favour of these at all for their divisiveness and negative nationwide impact. It sat somewhat uncomfortably with me that Nicola regarded the once in a generation Scottish mandate as a warning, but not a promise. Everyone is entitled to an opinion in a democracy I dare say.

This is an excellent and commendable read. Nicola expresses herself exceedingly well and doesn't shy away from mentioning the tough times: SNP financial irregularities, her arrest and that of Peter Murrell and becoming unwittingly embroiled in a dispute over transgender matters. I wish for nothing more than a smoother and relaxing path ahead for Nicola on stepping away from frontline politics. It thrills me that she might venture into the foothills of novel writing and, I would love it if she were to establish a UK online bookclub.