As I mentioned on the wireless this week, churn is inevitable and indeed welcome in politics. Either by choice or at the hands of the voters. Better to stand down when folk are asking “why” you are going rather than “for any sake when”.

Still, that is a remarkable turn-over in SNP contenders for the Holyrood elections next May. Out go Cabinet Ministers Shona Robison, Fiona Hyslop and Mairi Gougeon. Also not standing, Humza Yousaf. And, above all, his predecessor as First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon.

There has been much talk of the Sturgeon legacy. Including from Russell Findlay, the Scottish Conservative leader, who dispensed with the customary polite farewell and launched a prolonged tirade against what he discerned as Ms Sturgeon’s toxic, divisive record of failure. She sat and listened, smiling stoically on the back benches.

Me, I think legacy matters much less than the next steps, post churn. But Nicola Sturgeon will be recalled as a potent leader on the Scottish and UK political stages, with credit to her name on issues such as early learning and tackling poverty. She offered daily reassurance during Covid.

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She fell short on the ambition of closing the attainment gap in education – while making progress, as John Swinney asserted. She became embroiled in gender politics, not entirely by choice. Latterly, business felt their audience was limited.

And, of course, there is the looming shadow of the prolonged inquiry into SNP finances. Until that cloud is finally dispersed, it will be impossible to offer a verdict upon Nicola Sturgeon.

But, for now, let us talk about the party........

© Herald Scotland