Nicola Sturgeon has used an Edinburgh Fringe appearance to take swipes at two of her most prominent critics, describing both JK Rowling and Joanna Cherry as “obsessed” with her.
The former First Minister took to the Fringe stage in what turned out to be a pretty candid and at times sharp performance, using the platform to address some of the most high-profile feuds of her political career.
Rowling and Cherry, two figures who have clashed repeatedly with Sturgeon over gender recognition reform and trans rights, were both called out directly. Sturgeon suggested the attention both women direct her way says more about them than it does about her.
The relationship between Sturgeon and Rowling has been frosty for years. The Harry Potter author has been one of the most vocal opponents of Scotland’s Gender Recognition Reform Bill, which Sturgeon championed during her time leading the SNP government. Rowling made no secret of her opposition, and the two have exchanged pointed public comments on more than one occasion.
Joanna Cherry, the SNP MP and KC, has also been a persistent critic of Sturgeon’s approach to gender reform, representing a significant internal voice of dissent within the party. Cherry has long argued that women’s sex-based rights were being sidelined, putting her directly at odds with Sturgeon’s position on the issue.
Sturgeon resigned as First Minister in February 2023 after more than eight years in the role, citing the toll the job had taken on her. Since leaving office she has kept a relatively lower public profile, though appearances like this one suggest she is far from done making her views known.
The Fringe show gave her a less formal setting than the Scottish Parliament chamber she dominated for so long, and by all accounts she used that freedom. Taking aim at critics in front of a live audience is a different kind of politics, but Sturgeon has always been comfortable in front of a crowd.
Reaction to her comments has been predictably divided. Supporters saw it as Sturgeon being refreshingly direct now that she is no longer constrained by the demands of high office. Critics, including those sympathetic to Rowling and Cherry, accused her of using a comedy platform to dismiss legitimate concerns rather than engage with them seriously.
Rowling has not been shy about responding to Sturgeon in the past and it remains to be seen whether she will fire back following these latest remarks. Cherry, for her part, has consistently pushed back against any suggestion that her concerns about gender reform amount to a personal fixation.
The gender recognition debate remains one of the most divisive issues in Scottish politics. The Scottish Government’s reform bill was blocked by the UK Government using a Section 35 order in early 2023, a move that triggered a legal challenge from Holyrood. The whole saga dominated the final stretch of Sturgeon’s time in power and continues to rumble on under her successor Humza Yousaf, and now John Swinney.
For Sturgeon, the Fringe appearance looks like another step in figuring out what her public role looks like post-politics. She remains one of the most recognisable figures in Scottish public life, and clearly still has plenty to say.