Ash Regan asserts her resignation triggered the downfall of Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell, reshaping Scottish politics.
Edinburgh: Ash Regan, a candidate for Alba leadership, claims she brought down Nicola Sturgeon and her husband, Peter Murrell. She believes her resignation over gender reform plans started Sturgeon’s decline.
Regan was Sturgeon’s community safety minister. She quit in 2022, opposing gender self-ID for trans people. After Sturgeon stepped down, Regan ran for SNP leadership but later joined Alba.
Now, she’s in the race to lead Alba after Alex Salmond’s passing. Regan thinks being the only Alba parliamentarian gives her an edge. She believes being elected allows one to influence politics effectively.
Regan argues her resignation focused attention on Sturgeon’s gender ID plan. This led to public outrage, especially after a rapist was placed in a women’s prison. She feels this made the issue real for many people.
During the SNP leadership contest, Regan pushed for transparency about party membership. She claims her efforts led to Murrell’s departure from SNP HQ. She also stated she ended the Green/SNP coalition by tabling a no-confidence motion against Green co-leader Patrick Harvie.
Regan’s comments about bringing down Sturgeon and Murrell were dismissed as “delusional” by an SNP source. Despite Alba’s poor election performance, she believes she can broaden its support base.
When asked about her rival Kenny MacAskill, she said he might struggle to engage the press without being elected. Regan noted that since she joined Alba, the party has started to resonate more with the public.
She emphasized the importance of having elected representatives and her own profile in gaining support. Regan also pointed out that MacAskill was absent from Alba’s recent election broadcast, which aimed to attract younger voices.
While MacAskill has support from Salmond’s family, Regan believes the party should evolve. She aims for Alba to return 15 MSPs next year and is open to a coalition with the SNP, but insists on independence as a non-negotiable issue.
