Nicola Sturgeon has said “you’ll have to wait” when asked if she planned to stand again as an SNP candidate at next year’s Holyrood election.
The former first minister submitted an application to her party to be considered for election in November last year – but could still pull out of the process.
There has been widespread speculation among MSPs that the ex-SNP leader is already planning the next stage of her career away from Holyrood.
But Sturgeon refused to be drawn today on whether she has made up her mind.
Asked if she would stand again, she told reporters: “You’ll have to wait”.
Party bosses set a closing date of November 11 for anyone wanting to run in 2026.
Sturgeon served as First Minister for nine years before standing down in 2023. She faced huge problems toward the end of her career in Bute House, most notably the Operation Branchform police investigation into alleged fraud in the SNP.
Sturgeon has been an MSP since 1999 and is currently writing a book about her time in office.
An SNP spokesperson said in November: “The SNP is lucky to count on a strong and diverse set of candidates. We look forward to offering people the opportunity to vote SNP in 2026 for SNP candidates who will work tirelessly to improve the lives of people across Scotland and for an SNP Scottish Government that provides an alternative to Labour cuts.”
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