Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation echoes Jacinda Ardern’s exit over burnout

The explanation Sturgeon gave in a speech is eerily similar to the kind of burnout Ardern described when she said she “no longer had enough in the tank” to do the job of PM. Sturgeon described the “brutality” of serving in the top leadership role, which she said left no room for a private life or even to “meet friends for a coffee or go for a walk on your own.” The pressures of the 24/7 news cycle and the political media’s focus on lawmakers’ personalities rather than policies made the job no longer sustainable for her, she said.

Funnily enough, Sturgeon used the same language as Ardern just three weeks ago but came to the opposite conclusion at that time. She said last month that she had “plenty left in the tank” for the job of first minister.

Jane Barlow—AFP/Getty Images

So what changed? As Scotland’s leader, Sturgeon has often been cast in opposition to the U.K.’s conservative government in Westminster. She was a critical supporter of Scottish independence at the time of Scotland’s 2014 referendum on the question. More recently, she clashed with U.K. Politicians who blocked a Scottish bill that would have made it easier for people to change their gender identification on government documents. Trans rights have become a flashpoint issue in the U.K.; Sturgeon called Westminster’s obstruction of the bill a “full-frontal attack on our democratically elected Scottish parliament.”

But like Ardern, the popularity of Sturgeon and the Scottish National Party she leads is falling in public opinion polls, in part because of the gender ID bill debacle. She’s been the subject of scandals, including an investigation into a loan her husband made to the SNP. (Sturgeon said her decision was not related to “short-term pressures.”) Similar to Ardern’s Labour Party in New Zealand, the SNP has no obvious successor to Sturgeon.

Sturgeon isn’t stepping off the political stage entirely; the 52-year-old plans to serve out the rest of her term as a member of parliament until her seat’s May 2026 election. But she’s certainly stepping back.

The past three years saw the emergence of female leaders on the global stage as many were credited with successful responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. We heard endless talk of how women lead more successfully, no matter how difficult the election, once in office. With Ardern and Sturgeon out of the spotlight, we can hope it won’t take another pandemic for others to emerge with the kind of star power that COVID-era leaders wielded. After all, women should be given the opportunity to lead in moments of calm—not just in crises.

Emma Hinchliffe
[email protected]
@_emmahinchliffe

The Broadsheet is Coins2Day’s newsletter for and about the world’s most powerful women. Today’s edition was curated by Kinsey Crowley. Subscribe here.

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PARTING WORDS

"Now I think being the best role model is being honest, even with the ugly and complicated parts of yourself."

–Selena Gomez, on opening up about her mental illness after growing up as a Disney star