During a hearing at the UK Covid inquiry, it was revealed that Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon deleted all of her WhatsApp messages related to the pandemic, a practice Prof Jason Leitch referred to as a 'pre-bed ritual'. The Scottish Government had previously denied such claims, but the confirmation at the inquiry has led to significant reactions. Opposition figures, including Jackie Baillie, Alex Cole-Hamilton, and Douglas Ross, have criticized Sturgeon's actions as a betrayal and a scandal, with Ross stating that her reputation 'now lies in tatters.' Furthermore, the Sunday Mail's exclusive from October 29, which reported that Health Secretary Humza Yousaf also did not retain messages, was mentioned in the inquiry. In August 2021, Sturgeon had stated in a TV briefing, when asked by @C4Ciaran, that she would keep the messages, contrasting with the recent revelations.
The stuff coming out about WhatsApp from the Scottish trip of the covid inquiry is astonishing - and shows how much of a twist the government there, as well as the UK govt, got itself into over this stuff WhatsApp isn't going away, so govts need to get better at managing it https://t.co/yCwidip79Q
💥This Sunday Mail exclusive from October 29 finally confirmed by the Scottish Government at the Covid inquiry today. 💥The same story revealed Humza Yousaf initially told the inquiry his Whatsapps were not retained either. Will he finally also admit that this was accurate? https://t.co/AACS9Rh1VU
Reaction to Nicola Sturgeon WhatsApp deletions: Jackie Baille: "A shocking betrayal." Alex Cole-Hamilton: "One of the biggest scandals in Scottish political history." Douglas Ross: "Sturgeon’s reputation now lies in tatters.
Now confirmed: Nicola Sturgeon wiped all of her WhatsApps during the pandemic In August 2021, she said in a TV briefing that she'd keep the messages (when asked by @C4Ciaran) The tone of her response back then is quite something given what we now know https://t.co/czYF6hDpMf
Staggering. The face of the Scottish Government pandemic response, Prof Jason Leitch, having a laugh with officials about wiping his WhatsApps and clearing group chats... https://t.co/trwPdeiVnW https://t.co/kUpxKzv51t
UK Covid inquiry: Nicola Sturgeon's Covid WhatsApp messages 'all deleted' https://t.co/GTSWBAe8iU
🔺 BREAKING: Nicola Sturgeon deleted all her WhatsApp messages during the pandemic, the UK Covid inquiry has heard https://t.co/IobnYm4LX8
Remember when the Scottish government denied this story was true? https://t.co/4Nm2YIeeZi https://t.co/JsZdk8afFX
All Nicola Sturgeon’s pandemic WhatsApp messages deleted, Covid Inquiry hears https://t.co/v7i9xL1BgD
A conversation between senior Scottish Government officials is shown to @covidinquiryuk in which Prof Jason Leitch says: ‘WhatsApps deletion is a pre-bed ritual’ https://t.co/JpYrlbKFg7
Quite something watching this back following today's confirmation that Nicola Sturgeon failed to retain her Covid WhatsApps. https://t.co/Lxr2AOESCi
BREAKING: A Covid inquiry hearing in Scotland has heard that Nicola Sturgeon deleted all her pandemic WhatsApp messages. https://t.co/8u9iauDVIl
🔴 BREAKING: Nicola Sturgeon deleted all pandemic WhatsApp messages, Covid Inquiry told https://t.co/msrJNRfXiq
@covidinquiryuk hears @NicolaSturgeon deleted her WhatsApps from the pandemic. Table shown how senior figures dealt with WhatsApps 1/2 https://t.co/h5SnGkzqNk