Campaigners in Angus have called on Nicola Sturgeon to emulate a movie hero when her time as first minister comes to an end.
Local activists have called on the SNP leader to become the Obi Wan Kenobi of Scottish independence when she finally lays down her lightsaber at Bute House.
They are calling on the party boss to take more of a guiding role within the grassroots movement when she is no longer constrained by leading the country.
And one even went as far as to compare her to the Star Wars character made famous by the late Alec Guinness and later portrayed in the prequels by Perthshire star Ewan McGregor.
‘It is the people’s movement’
Ruth Watson from Yes Kirriemuir said her group’s fight to make Scotland an independent country will continue after Ms Sturgeon’s leadership comes to an end.
She said: “It is the people’s movement, a people whose time has come.
“Most people will say thank you for your service, but it may be she can be like Obi Wan Kenobi now she is no longer fettered by her political role.
“She may become a more dominant presence when she is not constrained by the niceties of being first minister.”
Ms Watson added that Ms Sturgeon has been a “remarkable figurehead” for the independence movement and has done a “huge amount” for the people of Scotland.
‘This was never about one person’
Following on from her resignation announcement, other independence groups in Tayside have vowed to carry on their campaigning, saying independence will not end with Ms Sturgeon’s premiership.
Colin Clement from Yes Dundee said: “The Yes movement put a lot of investment in Nicola Sturgeon because they like what she did and the way she behaved.
“She was the kind of politician people put emotional investment in because they felt like she did the right things for the right reasons, even if she was not always popular.”
Mr Clement added: “Nothing changes because this was never about one person, it is a movement.
“Nicola Sturgeon will still be a part of that.
“Having a new leader will mean starting with a blank sheet of paper and it is up to them to convince the nation that independence is the solution.”
Vow to carry on campaigning
In Perth, independence activists came together to watch Ms Sturgeon’s resignation speech at the Destiny Perth and Kinross Yes Hub on the old High Street.
Jacqui Jensen from the group said she was “saddened” by the news, but added she is also feeling “optimistic” about what this change could mean for independence.
She said: “I don’t anticipate the fight for independence to change, despite Nicola Sturgeon being a big figure for us.
“She was our leader and as a feminist I looked up to her and had a lot of respect for her.
“But the independence movement is bigger than just one person.”
Conversation