Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Watch: Nicola Sturgeon faces questions at UK Covid inquiry

Oliver Browning
Wednesday 31 January 2024 16:46 GMT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

Watch as Nicola Sturgeon faced questions in the UK Covid inquiry on Wednesday 31 January.

The former first minister gave evidence for a full day as the inquiry, before Baroness Heather Hallett, held hearings in Edinburgh.

Several figures in Ms Sturgeon’s government have already faced questions about their deletion of WhatsApp messages during the pandemic.

Ms Sturgeon has conceded that messages had not been retained on her own devices but said she has managed to retrieve copies to submit to the probe.

She has said informal messages were handed over to the inquiry last year.

Scottish government ministers and officials have said decisions were routinely recorded on the official system even if messages were deleted in line with policy.

In one message already seen by the inquiry, as former chief of staff Liz Lloyd gave evidence, Ms Sturgeon referred to then prime minister Boris Johnson as a “f****** clown.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in