SDLP Leader Colum Eastwood MP has paid tribute to outgoing SNP Leader and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Colum Eastwood MP said:

“Nicola Sturgeon has made an immense contribution to her country as First Minister, her party as SNP Leader and the politics of these islands as the leader of the Scottish independence movement. Her decision to resign is, of course, a shock but no one can question the enduring commitment and care she has demonstrated to Scotland and the Scottish people.

“Nicola’s legacy stretches far beyond Scottish politics. She has undeniably demonstrated that a movement for independence is made stronger when you set out an ambitious plan for what a new country will look like, how it will care for its citizens and how it can deliver on the aspirations of all its people. But more than that, she has shown how that can be done using the power and potential of devolved government for more than a decade. There are lessons in that for those of us who believe in a New Ireland.

“On behalf of the SDLP, I want to pass on my sincere well wishes to Nicola Sturgeon as she begins a new phase of her political life.”