Nicola Sturgeon interview ‘embarrassing in its attempt to rewrite history’, says Jackie Baillie 

Jackie Baillie has described Nicola Sturgeon’s interview with ITV as “embarrassing in its attempt to rewrite history”.   

Scottish Labour’s deputy leader made the comments following the broadcast last night, saying the former first minister“chose to use her time in office as first minister by dividing our country rather than focusing on improving public services”. 

Speaking to ITV’s Julie Etchingham, Sturgeon discussed a range of topics related to her time in frontline politics, including suggesting she should have “paused” divisive gender recognition reforms when she was first minister. 

She also revealed she misses Alex Salmond and said she cried when she was told he had died. 

Sturgeon said: "I still miss him in some way.” 

She added: “I thought I had made my peace with it. I'd got to a point where I felt nothing, and then I got a call to tell me that Alex Salmond had died. I started crying on the phone, and I just was hit by this wave of grief.” 

It has also been reported that in her memoir, Frankly, which will be published later this week, Sturgeon has claimed that Salmond “hadn’t read” the white paper on independence. 

Reacting the interview, Baillie said: “Nicola Sturgeon offers absolutely no apology for the dire state that she has left our country in - from our health service in crisis to a lack of affordable housing, from her failure to close the attainment gap in our education system to launching a ferry with painted on windows that has yet to sail. 

“The truth is Nicola Sturgeon chose to use her time in office as first minister by dividing our country rather than focusing on improving public services. 

“And now, her long-time political fixer John Swinney has picked up her mantle and is charting exactly the same course.”