WHEN Tony Blair became Labour Prime Minister it was to the strains of Things Can Only Get Better.

As Nicola Sturgeon becomes our second SNP First Minister and the first woman to occupy Bute House, it is legitimate to ask whether for her and her party it is possible that things can get any better.

Her assured, commanding and gracious performance on election at Holyrood yesterday was a fine start and on Saturday she will get a rock-star reception at the 12,000-capacity Hydro in Glasgow, many present wearing "Nicola on tour" T-shirts. Her party's membership has risen by 60,000 to 86,000, her personal and party poll ratings are off the scale, and no rough-house tactics were required to take her to the top of the greasy poll.

What could possibly go wrong? Events, dear girl. In politics, what has appeared to be a gilded succession could easily become a poisoned chalice given any number of circumstances. But should political forces conspire against her, in this tough, experienced 44-year-old Ayrshire woman, they will find a doughty opponent.

Ms Sturgeon comes to office as Scotland's First Minister 10 years younger than Margaret Thatcher was when the Iron Lady entered Downing Street, and with an extraordinary apprenticeship which saw her learn the ropes by jousting against Jack McConnell at First Minister's Questions as deputy leader a decade ago while Alex Salmond was still the prince over the water at Westminster.

Her time as Health Secretary drew open admiration from some foes, while the wide infrastructure and investment portfolio she carried into the referendum campaign as "Yes Minister" showed her to be a formidable operator for whom the sexist dismissal as a "nippy-sweetie" has now deservedly vanished on the wind. She had a superb referendum campaign, appearing a class above most of those she was put up against in broadcast debates.

The first thing she did on becoming leader-elect of her party was to zero in on the emergent Europhobia south of the Border and demand a double-lock on any EU referendum in which each nation of the UK would have to vote for withdrawal for it to be valid. This was never going to be granted, but it meant that in London and the other capitals of these nations she swiftly stepped out from behind the shadow cast by Mr Salmond.

If as expected her mentor becomes a force at Westminster again will that be a problem for the new First Minister? Probably not; they are a trusted team. Will she cope with the unknown quantity of the influx of members, probably from the left of the spectrum? If anyone can, she can. Can she maintain the SNP poll lead in the face of a new Labour leader and convert that into seats won? That will be tough.

Above all, can her social democratic pledges for health and childcare survive the next wave of austerity? That is the real question. Whatever the Smith Commission comes up with, there is still going to be a public spending crisis for the foreseeable future and her biggest task will be to manage expectations.

Her theme music for this? The feminist anthem I Will Survive.