Bute House in Edinburgh, the first minister's official residence.

Humanist Society Scotland on Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation

February 15, 2023

Humanist Society Scotland notes the resignation of Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon. As first minister Ms Sturgeon has led Scotland through a time of progressive change, including improving LGBT+ inclusive education in schools, strengthening children’s rights and, more recently, overseeing GRA reform. We also note her recent strong commitment to improving abortion care, and we are looking forward to seeing the passage of buffer zone legislation through Holyrood.

Commenting on the selection of a new first minister, Fraser Sutherland, CEO of Humanist Society Scotland, said:

We hope that Scotland’s next first minister will respect the country’s overwhelmingly secular profile and act with a commitment to humane, compassionate legislation on issues such as end-of-life care and abortion services, putting aside personal faith if necessary. We also hope that whoever earns the right to lead our country will surround themselves with sound scientific evidence on the most important issues, as the First Minister did during the Covid-19 pandemic, rather than being driven by populist positioning or swayed by the power of empty rhetoric.
Fraser Sutherland