Holyrood’s Presiding Officer, Tricia Marwick, has announced she will stand down at the next Scottish parliamentary election.
After recovering from serious cancer treatment, the Mid Fife and Glenrothes MSP told The Courier she wants to spend more time with her family having being struck by guilt during her illness.
Ms Marwick, who has served the Scottish Parliament as a regional list member since 1999 and a constituency member since 2007, would be 67 at the end of the next session and has been active in politics since the 1980s.
She said: “In my darkest days, just after I was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2013 and not knowing what the outcome of that might be, I had one great regret.
“That was that over the years I hadn’t spent enough time with my own family. I’ve now taken the opportunity to do so.”
She added: “When I was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2013 it made me realise I wasn’t invincible. The sad loss this session of four MSPs from the 1999 intake has affected me deeply.
“My health is good and all my tests show that I remain clear of cancer. However, my family have had to make many sacrifices over the years and I want to ensure that I can spend more time with them, particularly my two grandchildren.”
Ms Marwick said she hopes to continue to make a contribution towards Scottish public life and described representing her home area as “the greatest privilege” as she thanked her constituents.
“It is been the greatest privilege to represent the constituency I live in and where I have brought up my family,” she said.
“I want to thank my constituents and friends for their unstinting support over the years.
“I am proud of what we have achieved together and that I have been able to help many thousands of people.
“They can be assured that I will continue to represent them and their interests for the next 11 months.
“It is an honour to be the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament. I never thought that when I became an MSP I would end up achieving that office.
“As the first woman Presiding Officer I hope that I have provided some inspiration to other women to follow in my footsteps.”
As well as being Holyrood’s first female Presiding Officer Ms Marwick will be the longest to serve in the post when she quits next May.
Having brought in reforms including the introduction of Topical Questions, changing the working week and taking the Parliament out of Edinburgh to places across Scotland, including Arbroath, Ms Marwick said she wants further changes to the committee system to follow.
She added: “I will continue to put my energies into the Parliament and my constituency until I step down.”
Nicola Sturgeon praised Ms Marwick for having “blazed a trail” and “giving a greater voice to backbenchers”.
The First Minister added: “She will certainly be missed by all MSPs and staff.”