Northern Ireland political leaders pay tribute to Nicola Sturgeon

Political leaders in Northern Ireland have paid tribute to outgoing Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Sinn Fein vice president Michelle O’Neill said she “very much regrets” Wednesday’s shock announcement by Ms Sturgeon that she intends to step down.

She described the Scottish First Minister as a colleague and a friend with whom she shared a “very close working relationship over many, many years”.

Ms O’Neill also said she felt Ms Sturgeon had been “very honest”, adding leadership takes its toll, and is a “tough station”, and at times “very lonely”, but also very rewarding.

“We have many shared interests and I have no doubt in my mind that she will always be regarded as one of the most formidable leaders of our generation,” she told reporters in Co Tyrone.

“She leaves a legacy of compassion in Scotland, a legacy of strength, a legacy of standing up to the Tories and a legacy of advancing independence in Scotland.”

Asked whether she feels Ms Sturgeon has left the fight for Scottish independence “half done”, Ms O’Neill said she thinks Scottish independence is “very much on the cards”.

She said outlasting five UK prime ministers, serving as the first female Scottish first minister and longest-serving Scottish first minister is something “to be rightly proud of”.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson extended his best wishes to Ms Sturgeon.

“We are on different sides of many debates but her length of service and electoral success must be recognised,” he tweeted.

SDLP Colum Eastwood said Ms Sturgeon has made an “immense contribution” and the politics of these islands.

“Nicola’s legacy stretches far beyond Scottish politics. She has undeniably demonstrated that a movement for independence is made stronger when you set out an ambitious plan for what a new country will look like, how it will care for its citizens and how it can deliver on the aspirations of all its people,” he said.

“But more than that, she has shown how that can be done using the power and potential of devolved government for more than a decade. There are lessons in that for those of us who believe in a New Ireland.”