Thatcher was the motivation for my entire political career. I hated everything she stood for.

A good education is the most important gift we can give our young people.

To every woman out there who thinks that they might like to get involved in politics or stand for parliament, I say go for it. If I can do it, so can you.

It's not opinion polls that determine the outcome of elections, it's votes in ballot boxes.

I am a social democrat - I believe in pursuing greater equality and tackling social justice - but... you can't do that unless you have got a strong economy, unless you have got a vibrant business base earning the wealth that makes that possible.

It's very much the currency of discourse on social media where political disagreements very quickly become very personalised.

People don't want to go back to the days, pre-referendum, when the Westminster establishment sidelined and ignored Scotland. They want Scotland's voice to be heard.

I think you should always aim for more.

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.

Most people would agree that the E.U. is too bureaucratic, not transparent or democratic enough and that it often interferes too much in matters that are best left to national governments.

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

The U.K.'s debt belongs legally to Westminster, so Scotland, by definition, can't default on it.

The importance of education is ingrained in Scottish history.

Since I became First Minister, I have made clear my priority to alleviate poverty and tackle inequality in Scotland. Ensuring that everyone can do better in life will not only make Scotland fairer, but it will also make it a more prosperous place.

One of the attributes Glasgow is best known for all over the world is the friendliness of her people.

Equality and prosperity shouldn't be seen as enemies of each other, but as partners. One reinforces the other.

London has a centrifugal pull on talent, investment and business from the rest of Europe and the world. That brings benefits to the broader U.K. economy.

Polls can change; people's opinions can change. Voting intentions can change, and I think it would be a silly leader, a silly political party, that would assume that we have it sewn up.

One thing we've learned is that there's not anything that Nigel Farage won't blame on foreigners.

The U.K. needs a strong opposition, and Labour shows no signs of being capable of being that. The SNP is filling that void and will go on seeking to do that.

The oil and gas sector in the North Sea does have a strong future if we do the right things now, but we've got to make sure that the infrastructure is right to support the sector, but also to support, over the next few years, diversification as well.

Scotland almost invented the modern world. I mean, all of these televisions, telephones, penicillin, we all - all of these things were invented in Scotland.

I'll be arguing for Scotland to vote to stay in the E.U.

People who think of a nationalist party sometimes think 'inward-looking and parochial.' The kind of nationalism I represent is the opposite of that.

I do struggle to identify an occasion when I was held back because I'm a woman... You don't think about it at the time, but looking back at it, of course.

Scotland has a great deal to offer the world in terms of our approach to key economic and social issues.

Poverty is on the increase - due to welfare cuts - and demand for food banks has rocketed.

I bow to no one in my ambition to see Glasgow be as successful as it possibly can be.

Ed Balls has made it crystal clear that, left to its own devices, a Labour government would simply carry on with the same budget policies as the Tories.

Men - the colour of their tie is the most difficult decision they have to make every day.

I am quite hot-headed; I am quite impulsive. Fortunately, it doesn't last very long.

I don't cook very often. Actually, I'd go further: I can't cook.

I think it is important the communities are listened to and that their voice is heard, particularly with local government boundaries more than parliamentary boundaries, because you are talking very much about communities. It can be a very emotive thing.

I'm quite hypercritical of myself. It's a very Scottish thing, always thinking that you've got to be that bit better than everyone else to be good enough.

English businesses would face massive transaction costs if Scotland, their second biggest export market, used a different currency.

I am privileged to count many Muslims among my friends - some are amongst my closest friends.

The teachers who taught me at Dreghorn Primary and Greenwood Academy were fantastic.

Maybe unlike a lot of people who join the SNP today, I never had any expectation of a political career.

Do I look like one of the most dangerous women in Britain? Come on!

Because of lower life expectancy in Scotland - something that we are working hard to improve - the average woman will get £11,000 less in pension payments than counterparts in the rest of the U.K., even though she will pay exactly the same in contributions.

The truth of the matter is that countries the world over have deficits. Let us remember this about Scotland's deficit: it was not created in an independent Scotland; it was created on Westminster's watch.

I've not hidden and I'll never hide the fact that I want Scotland to be an independent country. But as long as we're part of the Westminster system, it's really important to people in Scotland that we get good decisions coming out of Westminster. So we've got a vested interest in being a constructive participant.

I've never had a voice coach, but I am about to name drop horrendously here: I did once get some advice on how to project my voice from Sean Connery, which was lovely. It's all about where you breathe. That's my claim to fame.

Sporting success doesn't happen by accident. It takes hard work and determination on the part of the individual athletes. And it also takes investment in facilities and training support.

As a veteran of many campaigns, I know how important it is not let up in the last few days.

There are lots of jobs and investment in Scotland dependent on our membership of the E.U. single market.

I consider myself a selfie specialist.

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.

Labour's support in Scotland depends on their ability to be electable. If they are divided and unelectable, what's the point?

Too often in the past, Scotland has been sidelined and ignored in the Westminster corridors of power, but that doesn't have to be the case anymore.