Scotland's Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon   vowed to finish the job of winning independence today after the SNP confirmed she would be the next party leader. Ms Sturgeon will be the only candidate to succeed Alex Salmond at the party’s conference next month, the SNP confirmed. After taking over as SNP leader she will become Scotland's First Minister in Holyrood shortly after. Ms Sturgeon said her ‘immediate focus’ will be to force Westminster to honour its pledge to hand extra powers to Scotland, following last month’s referendum. But she said: ‘I believe we will become an independent country. I believe that will be well within my lifetime.’ Scotland's next First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will be the only candidate to succeed Alex Salmond at the SNP's conference next month . She said ‘circumstances and public opinion’ would decide when another Scottish independence referendum would take place. ‘It's people who will decide if and when there's another independence referendum, not politicians. ‘But circumstances and public opinion will determine whether people want to have another opportunity to choose independence in a referendum.’ She said for there to be another referendum the SNP ‘would have to offer that in a manifesto and be elected with a majority’. Ms Sturgeon's new role will not be officially confirmed until the SNP conference next month, and her appointment as First Minister will be approved by the Scottish Parliament, with the assent of the Queen, shortly after that. She will become Scotland's fifth First Minister since Holyrood was set up in 1999, and will also be the first woman to take on the top job. The SNP today angrily rejected comparisons between Nicola Sturgeon and Margaret Thatcher . Mr Salmond announced his intention to step down as both SNP leader and First Minister after last month's referendum saw Scotland reject independence and vote to remain in the United Kingdom. Despite being the first female First Minister there is ‘absolutely no similarity between Nicola Sturgeon and Margaret Thatcher’, the Scottish National Party's Westminster leader has said. Angus Robertson took offence at Scotland Minister David Mundell's suggestion that the new SNP leader was like the former prime minister in being a female leader of her party. Mr Robertson said new Scottish first minister Ms Sturgeon will be leading Scotland's most popular party whereas the former Tory leader destroyed her party in the country. He said Mr Mundell was ‘living proof’ of Mrs Thatcher's effect on her party in Scotland - he is currently the Tories' only Scottish MP. Mr Mundell had echoed Mr Robertson's congratulations for Ms Sturgeon, telling the Commons: ‘Can I join you in congratulating Nicola Sturgeon on emulating Margaret Thatcher and becoming the female leader of her party? ‘I most certainly look forward to working with her as the first female first minister of Scotland and my experience of Nicola Sturgeon previously is that she has adopted a constructive approach to discussions with the UK Government.’ Mr Robertson replied: ‘I'm sure you wouldn't want to be creating a false impression. There is absolutely no comparison between Nicola Sturgeon and Margaret Thatcher. ‘Nicola Sturgeon will be leading the most popular political party in Scotland. ‘Margaret Thatcher destroyed the Tory Party and you are the living proof - they have only one seat in Scotland.’
Alex Salmond's long-serving number two only candidate to succeed him .
Ms Sturgeon says 'immediate focus' is winning more powers for Scotland .
But she refuses to rule out holding a fresh independence referendum .
New SNP leader also predicts independence 'well within my lifetime'
Scotland's Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon vowed to finish the job of winning independence today after the SNP confirmed she would be the next party leader. Ms Sturgeon will be the only candidate to succeed Alex Salmond at the party’s conference next month, the SNP confirmed. After taking over as SNP leader she will become Scotland's First Minister in Holyrood shortly after. Ms Sturgeon said her ‘immediate focus’ will be to force Westminster to honour its pledge to hand extra powers to Scotland, following last month’s referendum. But she said: ‘I believe we will become an independent country. I believe that will be well within my lifetime.’ Scotland's next First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will be the only candidate to succeed Alex Salmond at the SNP's conference next month . She said ‘circumstances and public opinion’ would decide when another Scottish independence referendum would take place. ‘It's people who will decide if and when there's another independence referendum, not politicians. ‘But circumstances and public opinion will determine whether people want to have another opportunity to choose independence in a referendum.’ She said for there to be another referendum the SNP ‘would have to offer that in a manifesto and be elected with a majority’. Ms Sturgeon's new role will not be officially confirmed until the SNP conference next month, and her appointment as First Minister will be approved by the Scottish Parliament, with the assent of the Queen, shortly after that. She will become Scotland's fifth First Minister since Holyrood was set up in 1999, and will also be the first woman to take on the top job. The SNP today angrily rejected comparisons between Nicola Sturgeon and Margaret Thatcher . Mr Salmond announced his intention to step down as both SNP leader and First Minister after last month's referendum saw Scotland reject independence and vote to remain in the United Kingdom. Despite being the first female First Minister there is ‘absolutely no similarity between Nicola Sturgeon and Margaret Thatcher’, the Scottish National Party's Westminster leader has said. Angus Robertson took offence at Scotland Minister David Mundell's suggestion that the new SNP leader was like the former prime minister in being a female leader of her party. Mr Robertson said new Scottish first minister Ms Sturgeon will be leading Scotland's most popular party whereas the former Tory leader destroyed her party in the country. He said Mr Mundell was ‘living proof’ of Mrs Thatcher's effect on her party in Scotland - he is currently the Tories' only Scottish MP. Mr Mundell had echoed Mr Robertson's congratulations for Ms Sturgeon, telling the Commons: ‘Can I join you in congratulating Nicola Sturgeon on emulating Margaret Thatcher and becoming the female leader of her party? ‘I most certainly look forward to working with her as the first female first minister of Scotland and my experience of Nicola Sturgeon previously is that she has adopted a constructive approach to discussions with the UK Government.’ Mr Robertson replied: ‘I'm sure you wouldn't want to be creating a false impression. There is absolutely no comparison between Nicola Sturgeon and Margaret Thatcher. ‘Nicola Sturgeon will be leading the most popular political party in Scotland. ‘Margaret Thatcher destroyed the Tory Party and you are the living proof - they have only one seat in Scotland.’
taking over as SNP leader she will become after. Ms Sturgeon said her ‘immediate focus’ that will be well within my lifetime.’ Scotland's only candidate to succeed Alex Salmond at the when another Scottish independence referendum