Labour MP Stephen Kinnock called Nicola sturgeon an “impressive politician” but critised her “single-minded obsession”. The Welsh MP for Aberavon appeared on BBC’s flagship political programme, Question Time, and commented on Ms Sturgeon’s resignation.
On Wednesday, Sturgeon quit from the SNP, citing personal reasons but she has faced recent political difficulties, including a heated contreversy over transgender issues.
She said the funeral of independence activist Allan Angus on Tuesday had cemented her decision.
Speaking about her, Mr Kinnock said: “Nicola Sturgeon is an impressive politician. As a leader, she gave a gracious and thought-provoking speech yesterday.
“I don’t think it will make a huge amount of difference because support for independence is drifting away in Scotland.
“The realisation of the people of Scotland is that politics is about much more than one single issue, one obsession about one particular narrative.
“It is about the cost of living crisis, it’s about the National Health Service (NHS), it’s about anti-social behaviour, it’s about the bread and butter issues that really matter to people.
“I am afraid Nicola Sturgeon’s single minded obsession with that one issue, the SNPs single-minded obsession has distracted them as the Government of Scotland from getting on the people’s priority.
“What I really hope is that we will see nationalism as a cause withering on the vine because in the dangerous and turbulent world we live, we need politicians who bring people and communities together, not constantly dividing.”
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She is the longest-serving first minister and the first woman to hold the position.
Ms Sturgeon has been a member of the Scottish Parliament since 1999, and became the deputy leader of the SNP in 2004.
She has been first minister since November 2014, when she took over from Alex Salmond after the defeat in the independence referendum.
Ms Sturgeon has led the SNP to a series of election victories at UK, Scottish and local level.
Last year the UK Supreme Court ruled that Holyrood did not have the power to stage another independence referendum – a move which has been blocked by the UK government.
