Scottish Prime Minister Sturgeon resigns How China is dealing with the balloon affair – and what that does for relations with the US

Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon surprisingly wants to resign from office. The 52-year-old wants to step down after more than eight years as party leader and ‘prime minister’, British media reported on Wednesday based on government sources. She is currently giving further details at a press conference in Edinburgh. It was initially unclear when Sturgeon will relinquish their positions.

In the fight for Scotland’s independence from the United Kingdom, Sturgeon has recently had to deal with several setbacks: London is blocking a renewed vote she is seeking on whether Scotland should remain part of the United Kingdom or not. In addition, the supporters of independence lost in the UK’s highest court. The Supreme Court has ruled that Scotland’s regional parliament has no right to call a referendum without the consent of the British government. Sturgeon said she was disappointed with the decision, but accepted it. Independence must be achieved by legal and democratic means.

In addition, the dispute over a controversial gender law recently weighed on the Scottish Government. The bill, voted in favor of the Scottish Parliament last year, aims, among other things, to abolish the requirement of a medical report as a condition for changing gender entry. The minimum age for an application should be lowered from 18 to 16 years. Transgender people are people who do not identify with the sex they were assigned at birth.

There was a lot of criticism, with Harry Potter author Joanne K. Rowling being one of the most prominent critics. She and her fellow activists fear that men could take advantage of the simplified rules to enter areas reserved for women, such as women’s changing rooms or toilets, for sexual motives. Supporters, on the other hand, see the law as a long overdue reform that could make life easier for transgender people and enable them to lead self-determined lives.

Sturgeon has been in office since 2014. She is Scotland’s longest-serving head of government. She succeeded her then party colleague Alex Salmond, who has since founded a new party. (aeg/sda/dpa)