Nicola Sturgeon

How did a 'nippie sweetie' from the West of Scotland become one of the most prominent politicians of her age? How has a life dominated by politics both inspired and repelled parts of the electorate? From the age of just 16, Nicola Sturgeon has devoted her life to the SNP - her determination and grit finally winning her one of Labour's stronghold seats in Govan in 2007, a constituency she battled to win for almost a decade. Self-evidently a rising star within the SNP, when the party formed its first (minority) administration in 2007 Sturgeon swiftly became one of the Scottish Government's most successful ministers. Her reputation for efficiency and shrewd political judgement grew even more during the referendum negotiations of 2012 and the subsequent independence campaign. By the time Alex Salmond resigned as First Minister and SNP leader in the wake of a No vote Sturgeon was viewed as his inevitable successor. Ten years earlier she'd been perceived as what some called a 'nippy sweetie', a street-fighting Glaswegian politician lacking Salmond's broad populist appeal. But in the intervening period she had softened her image and even begun to outstrip her mentor and boss in terms of voter approval. As the country prepares for a General Election, Nicola Sturgeon could hold the balance of power in her hands, not just in Scotland, but in the United Kingdom.