Nicola Sturgeon has downplayed her use of WhatsApp and informal messaging during the pandemic as she gives evidence to the Covid Inquiry in Scotland.
She denies that it was used for decision-making, claiming there was a “high degree of formality” within her administration.
The inquiry has already heard that she wiped all of her messages, meaning they could not be handed over.
She claimed she used WhatsApp to communicate predominantly with two people, Liz Lloyd, her chief of staff, and then health secretary Humza Yousaf.
“The communication of that nature was not used by me for anything other than routine exchanges, logistics, passing on information,” she said.
She added that she was “absolutely firmly of the view that there is nothing, and the Inquiry has seen some of these messages, in any informal messaging that I would have been party to that could not have been seen and understood through formal systems.”
However, messages have already been provided to the inquiry by Ms Lloyd, showing Ms Sturgeon used to platform to discuss restrictions and plot political attacks.
The former Scottish first minister is giving evidence at the UK Covid-19 Inquiry amid ongoing scrutiny around the deletion of WhatsApp messages.
She will give evidence for a full day in Edinburgh today. Several key figures in her government have already appeared before the inquiry.
Last week Liz Lloyd, Ms Sturgeon’s former chief of staff, revealed messages where Ms Sturgeon described Boris Johnson as a “f—ing clown”.
In his evidence to the inquiry on Thursday, Humza Yousaf, the current First Minister, offered an “unreserved” apology for the Scottish Government’s “frankly poor” handling of requests for WhatsApp messages. He announced an external review into the government’s use of mobile messaging.
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William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
