February 15, 2023: Nicola Sturgeon speaking during a press conference at Bute House in Edinburgh where she announced she will stand down as First Minister of Scotland in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. Nicola Sturgeon has resigned after eight years as the leader of the SNP and First Minister Of Scotland, taking over from Alex Salmond in 2014.Getty Images

Nicola Sturgeon announced her intention to step down as First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party earlier today, Wednesday, February 15.

Sturgeon, who will remain in office until a successor is in place, is Scotland's longest-serving First Minister ever, having been in the role for eight years. She previously served as Deputy First Minister for nearly eight years prior.

In her announcement on Wednesday, Sturgeon said she does not plan to fully depart from politics due largely in part to her dedication to Scottish independence from the United Kingdom.

“Winning independence is cause I have dedicated a lifetime to,” she said on Wednesday.

“It is a cause I believe in with every fibre of my being.

“And it is a cause I am convinced is being won.

“I intend to be there – as it is won – every step of the way.”

In 2014, Scottish voters said no to independence in a nationwide referendum. However, Sturgeon has since called for another independence referendum - "indyref2" - after Scotland overwhelmingly voted to remain during the UK-wide Brexit vote in 2016.

Michelle O'Neill, the Vice President of Sinn Féin, said on Wednesday that she regretted to learn that Sturgeon was resigning.

O'Neill said: “I wish to pay tribute to the huge strides she has made in advancing the campaign for Scottish independence, the strong stance against Brexit, and the undermining of devolution by the Tories in London."

Mary Lou McDonald, the President of Sinn Féin, offered similar sentiments, saying Sturgeon "has taken a strong stance against Brexit and its impact on Scotland, as well as the undermining of devolved institutions by the Tories in London."

Extending his best wishes to Sturgeon, Colum Eastwood, head of the Social Democratic and Labour Party in Northern Ireland, said: "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."

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, head of the Democratic Unionist Party in Northern Ireland, said: "We are on different sides of many debates but her length of service and electoral success must be recognised."

Ireland's Taoiseach Leo Varadkar wished Sturgeon the best in the future, adding that he always found her to be "a very warm person, articulate and thoughtful, and a very capable politician, who showed huge commitment to her country. She was also a true European."

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin extended his best wishes to Sturgeon, noting how she "demonstrated strong leadership rooted in her vision for Scotland."