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On the off chance that you haven’t already heard, Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s longest-serving first minister, has announced that she won’t be seeking re-election as an MSP.

The decision, which wasn’t a surprise, means the end of the parliamentary career of one of the most consequential figures in the recent history of this country.

Unsurprisingly, there’s already a lot of analysis and commentary available.

The Herald’s political correspondent Kathleen Nutt has explored some of the ups and downs of Sturgeon’s time in office, while writer-at-large Neil Mackay has come to the conclusion that the former FM “didn’t do enough that mattered”. Senior politics writer Alison Rowat has pointed out that it will be a long time before Sturgeon (and her predecessor) are out of the headlines.

Meanwhile, Professor James Mitchell has argued that Sturgeon failed to take advantage of the incredible levels of support the party enjoyed post-indyref. On the other hand, however, Professor John Curtice reckons that she remains “a formidable politician, a formidable speaker” and a powerful asset for both the SNP and the pro-independence cause.

I have my own feelings on all of this but,........

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