The Rest Is Politics: Leading 150. Nicola Sturgeon: What Really Happened In The Scottish Referendum (Part 2)
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Aug 24, 2025 Nicola Sturgeon, the former First Minister of Scotland and leader of the SNP, discusses the highs and lows of the Scottish independence referendum. She shares insights on the media's influence and why she finds spin rooms pointless. The conversation addresses the growing concern of misogyny in politics, especially with the rise of social media. Sturgeon reflects on her interactions with various Prime Ministers, critiques political strategies post-referendum, and emphasizes the need for genuine dialogue about gender dynamics in the political arena.
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Process Wins Didn't Equal Practical Parity
- Nicola Sturgeon says the Edinburgh Agreement gave the Yes side favourable process terms like date, question, and votes for 16-17 year olds.
- She argues media and institutional bias still left independence arguing the unprovable and disadvantaged.
Institutional Weight Favoured The Status Quo
- Sturgeon highlights an institutional imbalance where statements from UK leaders were treated as gospel while SNP claims were distrusted.
- That imbalance made proving positive outcomes of independence much harder in the public mind.
Panic Over The White Paper
- Nicola describes a genuine panic attack while rushing the independence white paper and crying on the floor of her office.
- She recounts faxing the document to Alex Salmond in China and fearing he would be too drunk to sign off.