As the BBC reports:
The former Scottish deputy first minister said the stresses and strains the job placed on his family life had become too great.
However, he will remain as the MSP for Aberdeen South…
Mr Stephen, who has four children aged between four and 12, said in a statement that family now had to take priority.
“Everyone involved in politics knows that there are stresses and strains on family life. But when it goes beyond that, when it crosses a line, something has to be done.”
“And at that stage – when you have to make a choice between family and politics – there can only be one answer.
“The health and wellbeing of your family has got to come first.”
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14 Comments
I have a great deal of respect for Nicol. He gave an enormous amount of support to the Dunfermline campaign despite having the workload of Deputy First Minister. And he did so without an ounce of pomposity. And the trip from Norwich to Aberdeenshire to help in the K&D by-election is still one of the funniest weekends I have ever had.
Hmm, Dunfermline. Wasnt that a by-election we won? At a time when we were a leaderless national laughing stock? Seeing off a more likely challenger in the SNP? With far fewer helpers than we would have liked? Fancy that…
Its a shame he felt the need to resign RIGHT now, when I think his leadership is needed what with Labour in disarray post Alexander and a crucial byelection in Glasgow. Couldn’t he have waited until August?
Matt the Liberal Democrats have a 100% record in Scotland of winning by-elections without a leader…
Nicol is to be praised for taking such a difficult decision in the interests of his family. And I would also like to express my thanks to him for his leadership of the Scottish party. He was well-liked and respected, and was also the only party leader capable oflanding blows on Alex Salmond.
As Ed says, Nicol put a lot of effort into supporting the party’s campaigning efforts across Scotland. As well as Dunfermline, he also made several visits to the campaign in the Moray by-election, despite it being a rather less winnable seat.
I never got to know him very well at all, but thought he was a very decent and highly credible bloke.
Good luck to him and his family.
Just another sign that the demands of modern politics are detached from the real world.
A good man with a bright future, but now is the time to be pushing forwards with confidence.
By putting up a good showing in Glasgow East the scottish leadership will do themselves a big favour in reestablishing our credentials north of the border as an independent and positive voice.
Matt
Surely the timing is rather appropriate: at the end of the Scottish Parliamentary Session, so that the election can take place over the summer.
Despite the Lib Dem obsession with by-elections, perhaps a leader is more important in a chamber.
I agree. Nicol is a good man and landed some really good blows on Salmond during First Ministers Questions.
We have a number of excellent candidates to replace him and I look forward to the contest.
Nicol’s resignation was clearly timed to fit in with the recess, however it does beg the question – what if we had to have a leadership election when parliament was sitting? Our constitution currently states that the Deputy Leader has to be an MP, it is madness that the Deputy Leader of the Scottish party cannot represent us in the Scottish Parliament when s/he is Acting Leader.
Well fate has finally caught you out, pity you’re not telling the full story.
But as it’s from a politician of your worth I didn’t expect anything else.
Please do the world a favour and at least resign from politics totally!!!!
What a snide little comment from David Allan and completely unfounded. If he has any allegations to make then he should be brave enough to publicly make them and face his day in court.
I didn’t vote for Nicol as Leader and have publicly questioned some of his positions. I do think he was first rate at questioning wee Eck and was the only opposition Leader to regularly lay blows on the FM at question time.
I wish Nicol, Caris and family all the very best in the future and am sure that nicol will have much more to contribute to Scotland’s Liberal Democrat future.
I think Mr David Allan would do better to offer himself as a candidate for election rather than make unjustified calls for resignation of those he disagrees with or dislikes (from his comment it’s not clear which). Perhaps he could help himself by backing up his innuendo regarding the ‘full story’ behind this resignation with something more substantive.
Nicol was undoubtedly the best opposition leader in scotland (but then the Tories seem to support the SNP and Labour are still rabbits in the headlights, the SSP imploded)
But, the party made a big mistake in opposing a referendum on independence, as Wendy Alexander belatedly realised.
1. It played to the SNP game plan
2. It marginalsied the party in the scottish elections. It ruled out a deal with the SNP and left the elctorate thinking it’s either SNP or Labour, the Lib Dems aren’t relevant.
3. All this referendum flip-flops (you can have one on the EU constitution, in and out of europe, electoral reform but not on scottish indepedence or the Lisbon treaty)
whether justifed or not, is incomphrensible to most of the public and smacks of the old top-down politics the Lib Dems are against.
I deliberately three a few extra words into my first post on Nicol to see just what sort of innuendo’s others may start coming up with. So far there has only been one search that combined any potentially libelous combination of words.
Nicol is most certainly someone who gives 100% to whatever he sets his mind to. Having witnessed him at both the Livingston and Dunfermline by elections first hand. Having had the pressure of politics affect one relationship in my past I can fully understand the strains it puts more often on the partner which often the politician fails to notice.
If Nicol, as it appears, has realised this in his situation and taken this step to prevent total fall out then he is just the man I did vote for 3 years ago and I wish him, Caris and the bairns a wonderful future together as he gives more of his hands on self to his family.
The Dunfermline by-election was won during a vacancy is the Federal Party leadership! Will history repeat itself?