Nicola Sturgeon to resign as Scotland's First Minister today

The BBC is reporting the Scottish National Party leader will step down at a press conference in Edinburgh today.

Ms Sturgeon has served as Scottish First Minister for more than eight years, taking over from Alex Salmond following the 2014 Scottish Independence referendum.

She is the country’s longest-serving first minister.

It is not yet clear when she will leave office.

The Scottish National Party leader will give a press conference at her official residence Bute House in Edinburgh at 11am.

BBC chief political correspondent Nick Eardley reported a source close to First Minister said: “She’s had enough.”

It comes weeks after Ms Sturgeon told Laura Kuenssberg she had "plenty left in the tank".

The First Minister has been mired in controversy in recent months as her Government sought to push through gender reforms, only for them to be blocked by the UK Government.

And recent weeks have seen her forced to deal with the housing of transgender prisoners in women’s facilities.

Rising to power unopposed after the ill-fated independence referendum in 2014, Nicola Sturgeon took over from Alex Salmond, the mentor with whom she would come into conflict in the years to come over the handling of sexual harassment allegations made against him.

But the First Minister stands down without realising her key political mission – independence for Scotland.

Her party will meet next month to discuss the holding of treating the next UK election as a “de facto referendum”, with more than 50% of the vote being considered a mandate to begin negotiations for Scotland to become an independent country.