Nicola Sturgeon says Covid inquiry has copies of messages after hearing heard pandemic texts were 'all deleted'

20 January 2024, 17:37 | Updated: 20 January 2024, 17:40

Nicola Sturgeon said the UK Covid Inquiry has been provided with copies of messages between her and colleagues after the hearing heard the former first minister's pandemic WhatsApp messages were all deleted
Nicola Sturgeon said the UK Covid Inquiry has been provided with copies of messages between her and colleagues after the hearing heard the former first minister's pandemic WhatsApp messages were all deleted. Picture: Alamy

By Christian Oliver

Nicola Sturgeon said the UK Covid Inquiry has been provided with copies of messages between her and colleagues after the hearing heard the former first minister's pandemic WhatsApp messages were 'all deleted'.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

Sturgeon, who stepped down as Scottish first minister last year, said despite messages having "not been retained" on her own device, she was still able to obtain copies to submit to the inquiry.

The UK Covid inquiry is currently sitting in Edinburgh where it previously heard Sturgeon's messages, as well as her deputy John Swinney, were routinely deleted or were set to auto-delete.

In a statement on X on Saturday afternoon, Sturgeon said messages communicated through "informal means" had been recovered from other devices, however, and had been provided to the inquiry.

She had come under criticism from opposition parties following the revelations she had deleted messages.

Tweeting her statement, the former First Minister said: "I do not intend to give a running commentary on the ongoing Inquiry. Instead, out of respect to all those impacted by the pandemic, I will answer questions directly and openly when I give evidence at the end of this month."

"However, in light of recent coverage, there are certain points I feel it important to make clear.

Nicola Sturgeon MSP and John Swinney MSP during First Minster's Questions at the Scottish Parliament in Holyrood, Edinburgh. Picture date: Thursday January 11, 2024
Nicola Sturgeon MSP and John Swinney MSP during First Minster's Questions at the Scottish Parliament in Holyrood, Edinburgh. Picture date: Thursday January 11, 2024. Picture: Alamy

Read More: Sunak ‘not available’ for talks with Drakeford on steel job losses

Read More: Veteran Labour MP Sir Tony Lloyd dies aged 73 after revealing leukemia diagnosis

"Contrary to the impression given in some coverage, the Inquiry does have messages between me and those I most regularly communicated with through informal means.

"Although these had not been retained on my own device, I was able to obtain copies which I submitted to the Inquiry last year."

It comes after the Inquiry said Sturgeon's WhatsApp messages sent and received during the pandemic had all been deleted.

Jamie Dawson KC, counsel to the inquiry, said Sturgeon appeared to "have retained no messages whatsoever".

The former first minister previously stressed she never used informal messaging - such as WhatsApp - to make decisions during the pandemic. However, she has since been criticised for what opposition politicians consider an attempt to hide exchanges with key ministers and advisers.

"In the summary table that we see here, we can see that under the box 'Nicola Sturgeon' it says that 'messages were not retained, they were deleted in routine tidying up of inboxes or changes of phones, unable to retrieve messages'," Mr Dawson said in the inquiry.

"What that tends to suggest is that at the time a request was made, Nicola Sturgeon, the former first minister of Scotland, had retained no messages whatsoever in connection with her management of the pandemic."

He went on to ask Lesley Fraser, the director-general corporate at the Scottish Government, if that was correct. "That's what that indicates to me," she replied.

Nicola Sturgeon, former First Minister of Scotland and former John Swinney, former Deputy First Minister, at First Ministers Questions, December 21, 2023
Nicola Sturgeon, former First Minister of Scotland and former John Swinney, former Deputy First Minister, at First Ministers Questions, December 21, 2023. Picture: Alamy

Read More: Humza Yousaf's brother-in-law arrested over man's fall from flat window

Read More: Starmer vows to ‘fight fire with fire’ in general election against Conservatives after Sunak quelled talk of May poll

When the inquiry asked for messages retained by the Scottish Government, Mr Dawson said: "You provided us with none," to which Ms Fraser said: "Correct."

He went on to ask if the inquiry had "no access" to Ms Sturgeon's messages in connection with the pandemic.

Ms Fraser said: "Ms Sturgeon will be able to explain this much better.

Ms Sturgeon would have worked with her private office in order to ensure that her views and instructions were clearly understood and they may well have been informed by some of the exchanges she had with her chief of staff or with other ministers, but she would have relayed that to her private office and that would be then the instruction that went from private office and that would be retained."

Asked if she is sure that is what would have happened, Ms Fraser said that course of action is "how Government works", adding it is a "necessity" for information to be recorded, but she was unable to be absolutely sure.

In 2021, during one of the regular Covid-19 briefings she held, Ms Sturgeon gave an assurance that correspondence - including messages - would be handed to any future inquiry.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Gunner Beck

Women in Army subjected to 'disgusting' comments from male colleagues amid misogynistic culture, inquest hears

The aircraft can be seen upside down, with its wheels in the air, and the area thick with snow

Emergency crews responding after Delta Airlines flight 'flips over' during landing in Toronto - injuring 15

Paula Miluska had started working from home in November 2022 due to her pregnancy illness

Woman awarded £93k payout after boss fires her for morning sickness by sending jazz hands emoji

c

Britain must take a ‘leading responsibility’ for peace in Ukraine, says PM as he calls for US ‘security guarantee’

Andrew Tate is facing allegations of trafficking of minors, sexual intercourse with a minor and money laundering

Trump team 'pressuring Romania to lift restrictions on Andrew Tate'

Skyrora, a rocket company with its headquarters in Edinburgh

Scottish company promises to blast rockets into space from 2026

A petition calling for major driving licence changes has received almost 100,000 signatures

Petition calls for ban on newly-qualified drivers carrying passengers under 25

The Princess of Wales has shares portraits drawn by her three children during the half-term break.

Princess of Wales shares heartwarming portraits drawn by George, Charlotte and Louis - but who drew who?

Double Olympic champion and Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas will retire from cycling this year.

Tour de France winner and double Olympic champion Geraint Thomas to retire from cycling at end of season

A 13-year-old boy has died and five others have been arrested following  a car crash on A672 Oldham Road.

Boy, 13, dies and five others arrested as Vauxhall Corsa spins off road in horror car crash

Lisa Smith, 43, was named by Kent Police

Pictured: Mother-of-two shot dead at pub on Valentine's Day - as police search river Thames for partner

Julia Wandelt who has claimed to be Madeleine McCann

Woman who claims to be Madeleine McCann releases bombshell new DNA test results

Pope Francis will need to remain in hospital with a respiratory tract infection

Pope to remain in hospital with infection as doctors tackle 'complex clinical picture'

One lucky punter scooped £65m on the EuroMillions

Lucky UK ticket-holder claims £65m Valentine's Day EuroMillions jackpot

A life-drawing class that has been running for over 30 years has been told its models must cover-up or find a new venue.

Models at life drawing class in posh London neighbourhood told to cover up over child 'safeguarding' concerns

Exclusive
An investigation by LBC can reveal there are more than 1.1m homes sitting empty across England - the equivalent of one in every 23.

More than 1.1m homes sitting empty across England as thousands left at risk of homelessness