Nicola Sturgeon

'Very good: extremely thorough, fair, well-written, and informed by a deep knowledge of Scottish politics' Andrew Sparrow, THE GUARDIAN How did a working-class girl from Ayrshire become one of Scotland and the UK's most prominent politicians? Nicola Sturgeon was identified as a rising star by the SNP leadership shortly after she joined the party aged only 16. When the Nationalists formed their first (minority) Scottish Government in 2007, she swiftly became one of its most successful ministers. Originally perceived as a tough, street-fighting politician lacking Alex Salmond's broad populist appeal, over the years Sturgeon softened her image and began to outstrip her mentor in terms of voter approval. By the time Salmond resigned as First Minister and SNP leader in the wake of the No vote in the Scottish independence referendum of 2014, she was viewed as his natural successor. In this book, David Torrance traces the life and career of a remarkable woman. This new edition has been updated to include the SNP's extraordinary performance in the 2015 UK general election, the 2016 Scottish Holyrood election and the aftermath of the EU referendum in June 2016.

David Torrance was born and brought up in Edinburgh and educated at Leith Academy, the University of Aberdeen and Cardiff School of Journalism. He was formerly political reporter for STV and is now a freelance writer, journalist and broadcaster. He currently lives in Edinburgh.