The manner of her resignation as Scotland’s pro-independence first minister demonstrated why Nicola Sturgeon is one of Britain’s most effective politicians — and one of the few to be recognised overseas. Her admission that leadership “takes its toll” echoed last month’s departure of New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern, who similarly gained prominence through her empathetic handling of Covid-19. But Sturgeon conceded that the fact she has become a polarising figure at home no longer benefits the cause to which she has devoted her career. The Scottish National party leader leaves office with her goal of independence closer than when she began, but unachieved. Despite the antipathy felt towards her by supporters of the union, Sturgeon will go down as one of the pre-eminent Scottish public figures of the era. Her brand of nationalism, associating it not with social conservatism but with progressive politics, chimed with many Scots voters. After she succeeded Alex Salmond as SNP leader following the unsuccessful 2014 independence referendum, the party swept all but three Scottish seats in a general election a year later. When the Brexit plebiscite put the UK on a path to exiting the EU, Sturgeon capitalised on Scotland’s 62 per cent Remain vote to recast and reinforce the independence case.

Her government’s record in areas such as health and education was, though, unimpressive despite her dominance and reputation as a ruthless political operator. And though her resignation was a shock, her sureness of political touch had been slipping. Her support for a controversial gender recognition reform bill both put her on the wrong side of majority Scottish opinion and triggered a constitutional clash with the UK government to little useful effect.

After the UK supreme court ruled that the Scottish parliament could not hold a new independence referendum without Westminster approval, Sturgeon was also facing a rebellion at a special SNP conference next month. Many members are uncomfortable with her plan to use the next UK general election as a “de facto” poll on Scots independence. Her resignation is an admission that she can no longer offer nationalists a clear path to their desired goal.