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Pandemic decisions were not made for political reasons, insists Yousaf

The First Minister also said he has commissioned an external review into Scottish Government policy on mobile messaging.

Neil Pooran
Thursday 25 January 2024 10:32 EST
Humza Yousaf said thousands of messages have been disclosed to the inquiry (PA)
Humza Yousaf said thousands of messages have been disclosed to the inquiry (PA) (PA Wire)

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Humza Yousaf has rejected accusations the Scottish Government made pandemic decisions for political reasons, as he clashed with Douglas Ross and Anas Sarwar over evidence emerging at the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.

The First Minister also said he has commissioned an external review into his Governmentā€™s use of mobile messaging.

First Ministerā€™s Questions took place at Holyrood on Thursday as Nicola Sturgeonā€™s former chief of staff, Liz Lloyd, gave evidence to the inquiry in Edinburgh and hours before Mr Yousaf was due before the panel himself.

Scottish Conservative leader Mr Ross referred to Scottish ministers and Government officials deleting their WhatsApp messages, saying: ā€œFrom politicians to civil servants, they sought to destroy evidence.

ā€œDoesnā€™t this show a culture of secrecy running through this entire SNP Government?ā€

My Yousaf denied the Government had been ā€œhiding from scrutinyā€, saying 28,000 messages had been handed over to the inquiry and highlighting Ms Sturgeon led more than 250 media briefings during the pandemic.

He sought to contrast the Scottish Governmentā€™s approach to the inquiry with that of the Prime Minister, who he said ā€œhasnā€™t handed over a single WhatsApp messageā€.

Mr Ross went on to refer to Ms Lloydā€™s evidence session at the inquiry, where her message exchanges with Ms Sturgeon were revealed.

I know our motivation, every step of the way, was to ensure we kept the people of this country safe

Humza Yousaf

He claimed it is clear a decision on how many guests would be allowed at weddings during Covid ā€œwas taken over WhatsAppā€.

Mr Yousaf said decisions were routinely recorded on the Governmentā€™s official system.

However he conceded the handling of requests for WhatsApp messages had not been his Governmentā€™s ā€œfinest hourā€.

Mr Ross pressed on, referring to a message from Ms Lloyd about starting ā€œa good old fashioned rammyā€ with the UK Government.

He said such messages confirm ā€œthe SNP made some crucial Covid decisions for purely political reasonsā€.

But Mr Yousaf responded: ā€œI reject the charge in its entirety.

ā€œI know our motivation, every step of the way, was to ensure we kept the people of this country safe.ā€

Meanwhile, Scottish Labour leader Mr Sarwar used FMQs to accuse Ms Sturgeon and her former deputy first minister John Swinney of deleting WhatsApp messages on an ā€œindustrial scaleā€.

He said: ā€œThis isnā€™t just about the inquiry, this is about how this Government operates.

ā€œThis is a party that over the last 17 years in Government has created a culture of secrecy and cover-up.

ā€œA culture that goes from the First Minister down, because the SNP believe that itā€™s one standard for them and another standard for everyone else.

ā€œThey have abused the trust that the people of Scotland have put on them.

ā€œFirst Minister, how can you ever expect the people of Scotland to trust you or your party ever again?ā€

Mr Yousaf said he had handed over all of his own WhatsApps and highlighted his own appearance before the inquiry.

He said: ā€œTo suggest that somehow there was a cover-up ā€“ I frankly do not believe the public agree with Anas Sarwar or Douglas Ross.ā€

Following FMQs the lead solicitor for the Scottish Covid Bereaved group, Aamer Anwar, said: ā€œThe First Minister Humza Yousaf needs to stop acting like a cheerleader for his former boss Nicola Sturgeon.

ā€œHe needs to take control, stop drip-feeding evidence to the public inquiry and hand over all the private emails that ministers used to bypass scrutiny during the pandemic.ā€

He continued: ā€œWe know now from the evidence today despite claims to the contrary, Liz Lloyd, chief of staff to Nicola Sturgeon, can provide no WhatsApps between her and Nicola Sturgeon prior to September 1 2020 ā€“ meaning that during the critical period of the pandemic for the first 10 months of 2020, the WhatsApps no longer exist.

ā€œHow very convenient for Ms Sturgeon and Ms Lloyd.ā€

Mr Anwar said the external review is ā€œtoo little too lateā€ and there had been a ā€œculture of impunity, of arrogance, of contemptā€.

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