Nicola Sturgeon

I drove my mum and dad mad.

My political awakening, if I can be as grand as to call it that, was all about what was happening around me. It wasn't some romantic, patriotic vision of Scotland going back to what it had been 300 years previously.

The importance of education is ingrained in Scottish history.

When I was growing up, I was lucky to benefit from a first class education.

I am the granddaughter of an English woman. I love England and her people and, regardless of politics, consider you to be family... and always will.

I worry about the direction of the U.K. and U.K. politics and governance in the event of a Brexit.

I am quite driven. I know what I think, and I know what I want to achieve, but I also hope that people who are asked to describe me would describe me as pretty down-to-earth, loyal, friendly. The more experience I have got in politics, I think the more I have allowed me to shine through.

Let us put the normal divisions of politics aside. Let us come together as one country let us seize this historic moment to shift the balance of power from the corridors of Westminster to the streets and communities of Scotland.

Social media is natural to me, and it's a very immediate way of saying something. It's the way politics are done these days. In modern politics, you can't ignore that even if you wanted to. I can't imagine doing politics without it.

I know you've got to earn people's trust, and you've got to earn it day after day after day.

I feel comfortable in a position of leadership, but that's not to say I feel complacent about it. I take it incredibly seriously.

I stand here today as the first woman first minister of our country. Every day I hold this office, I will work to ensure that every woman, every wee girl across this country, gets a chance to do what I've done and follow their dream.

As a young woman in politics, with few women around, you start to subconsciously behave like men in politics. That comes across as quite hard, tough and humorless, but you're trying to be taken seriously.

Scotch beef, salmon and shellfish are recognised the world over for their excellence and Scottish provenance. People recognise the Scottish brand. They associate the country with quality food and drink, and clearly other Scottish sectors, such as dairy, can benefit from that, too.

Scotland is not a region of the U.K.; Scotland is a nation, and if we cannot protect our interests within a U.K. that is going to be changing fundamentally, then that right of Scotland to consider the options of independence has to be there.

I want there to be another independence referendum at some stage. I want Scotland to be independent, but I wouldn't choose to have it happen because England votes to come out of the E.U.

I don't feel we need to be independent for me to feel confident in my Scottish identity. I think Scotland is pretty comfortable in its identity. We won't need independence to preserve it... if we don't become independent, it won't disappear; it isn't under existential threat.

I'm not making any secret of the fact I still believe in independence. We'll continue to argue the case.