Scotland's former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon spoke to the United Kingdom's COVID Inquiry in Edinburgh and gave evidence while also defending her decisions during the pandemic.
Sturgeon said that none of the decisions she made during the health crisis were based on political considerations or attempts to advance the cause of independence. She argued that she was motivated solely by trying to do the best that they could to keep people as safe as possible.
UK COVID Inquiry Hears Nicola Sturgeon Speak
The former Scotland first minister also denied that the government's strategy was based on her instincts and that decisions were made by her and a small band of trusted advisers. She also fought back tears while saying that part of her wished that she had not been in her position when the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
Sturgeon noted that she did not use informal communications like WhatsApp to reach decisions or to have substantial discussions with colleagues. She also admitted to deleting her messages but argued that everything of relevance was available on the public record, as per BBC.
She also said that she did not "jump the gun" on implementing a ban on public gatherings in March 2020. Sturgeon added that her only regret was not taking the decision earlier on during the health crisis.
During the morning session, the COVID inquiry focused on the way that Sturgeon and her cabinet used WhatsApp and other messaging platforms to conduct government business. She argued that messaging was never a part of official government decision-making.
After Sturgeon stepped down from being Scotland's first minister, she spent a lot of time being questioned by police about the Scottish National Party's (SNP) finances. The lead counsel of the COVID inquiry, Jamie Dawson, questioned Sturgeon why she said in 2021 that she would have overall her messages when she already knew that had deleted them all, according to The Guardian.
Controversies Over Decisions During COVID-19 Pandemic
Dawson also asked Sturgeon whether the former Scotland first minister could take any decision without seeing it through the "prism of Scottish independence and your burning desire to achieve it."
Sturgeon rejected the claim but in the minutes of a Scottish Cabinet meeting that was dated June 30, 2020, SNP ministers were shown to have "agreed that consideration be given to restarting work on independence and a referendum" that used the experience of the coronavirus crisis.
However, she said that this did not directly result in any action to restart a separation campaign, arguing that it was merely a comment. However, Lady Hallett, chairing the inquiry, intervened to note that the minutes stated that this had been "agreed."
Another email that was shown to the inquiry, which was dated July 2020, advised Sturgeon and her ministers against imposing travel restrictions to Spain. It argued that this was because they would never approve EU membership for an independent Scotland as a result.
Sturgeon was also accused of pursuing a doomed "zero COVID" strategy because she wanted to be known as the person who drove out the health crisis in Scotland. She insisted that the relaxation of the lockdown protocols was slower in Scotland compared to the rest of England, said the Telegraph.
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