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For long the pre-eminent figure in Scottish politics, Sturgeon has experienced a dramatic fall from grace in the time since she was at the helm of her government’s response to the pandemic.
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But while she was lauded by many at the time, she faces a range of awkward questions during an examination that is likely to see her draw on all of her experience as a lawyer and political representative.
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Those questions are likely to cover the following areas, and more:
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• The inquiry has previously heard that the former SNP leaded did not retain any of her Whatsapp messages. Why?
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• Sturgeon had pledged to hand over all of her communications from the pandemic. In what circumstances did they disappear or were deleted?
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• Guidance on the use of Whatsapp was issued by the Scottish government in 2021. Did she follow those rules and, if not, why not?
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• Sturgon has been accused of seeking to use the pandemic as a way of leveraging support for Scottish independence. Did she seek to deliberately engage in a politically self-serving row with the UK government over issues such as the Furlough Scheme?
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This covering her answers to those questions – and anything else – on this liveblog, along with in-person reporting at the Inquiry from my colleagues Severin Carrell and Libby Brooks.
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important events
Ms Sturgeon said she had no recollection of receiving an email sent by a Scottish Government civil servant asking: “Please do not destroy the notice urging government officials to keep records”.
“That is not the case. As far as I know, I have not received any such communication,” Ms Sturgeon told Ms Dawson, who went on to recall that such communication had been sent. He suggested that he was deaf.
“I don’t think I needed to see it to know that the relevant matters, the substantive matters, the salient matters related to the investigation should be retained.”
Whatsapp has become – perhaps – too popular as a means of communication within government, Ms Sturgeon says.
But she insists that no government decisions were made on the platform.
One reason she doesn’t think this information should be used in government decision-making is that politicians should be careful about how much what they say in public can be misinterpreted. That means you need to consider it.
“Sometimes when we send something on Whatsapp, including myself, we don’t think too carefully about how it will be interpreted,” she added.
Ms Sturgeon said it was unclear whether Scottish people had seen any of the past messages seen by the inquiry, which included content they would not otherwise have seen.
“It may be up to the Scottish people to decide that,” interjects Jamie Dawson KC from the panel.
“Of course…” Ms Sturgeon responded, insisting this had been an “open dialogue” with the public throughout the pandemic.
The issue of Whatsapp came to the fore in a hurry, with Ms Sturgeon saying she was never a member of the Whatsapp group and had been communicating with more than a dozen people through “informal messaging systems”.
She was primarily to communicate with her former chief of staff, Liz Lloyd, and her successor, Scottish First Minister and SNP leader, Hamza Yousaf, who was then a member of the government. Dew.
Communication of that nature would not be used for me outside of routine interactions and would be “littered” with things like “I have a letter for you.”
Ms Sturgeon said she was operating on the basis of ensuring that all communications of a sensitive nature were recorded in Scottish Government systems.
Jamie Dawson KC asks if your position still stands today, that you and the Scottish Government have been openly “open, transparent and accountable” in words as well as actions?
“Yes, that is still my position. Openness and transparency with the Scottish public has been very important to me from the beginning,” Sturgeon says.
She added that there may have been some bad decisions and that, on reflection, she could have done better.
After the former SNP leader takes his seat, he is asked: “Are you Nicola Sturgeon?”
“I..”
And with this, interrogations are underway. In addition to her previous statements, Ms Sturgeon confirmed last week that she had provided additional material to the inquiry.
Questions quickly focus on communication during the pandemic.
Nicola Sturgeon gives evidence at UK coronavirus inquiry
ben quinn
Former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is appearing at the coronavirus inquiry in Edinburgh, the biggest day of the inquiry focusing on that part of the UK.
Ms Sturgeon has long been a prominent figure in Scottish politics, but has suffered a dramatic fall from grace since taking the helm of the government’s response to the pandemic.
But while she was admired by many at the time, she would face a range of thorny questions on the exam, which would have put all her experience as a lawyer and political representative to use.
These questions may include areas such as:
The investigation previously found that the former SNP leader did not save any of his Whatsapp messages. why?
Ms Sturgeon had promised to hand over all correspondence from the pandemic. Under what circumstances did it disappear or be deleted?
Guidance on the use of Whatsapp has been published by the Scottish Government in 2021. Did she follow those rules? If not, why not?
Mr Stragon has been accused of trying to use the pandemic as a way to leverage support for Scottish independence. Was she deliberately trying to pick a politically advantageous fight with the UK government over issues such as the furlough scheme?
It covers her answers to the questions in this live blog, and everything else, as well as my colleagues Severin Carell and Libby Brooks’ first-hand reporting from the panel.
