Nicola Sturgeon has come under fire after it emerged she failed to transfer any WhatsApps from the pandemic onto the Scottish Government’s official records system.
The Scottish Government confirmed “zero” WhatsApp messages were transferred to the electronic records and document management (eRDM) system by the former first minister.
Freedom of information requests from Sam Taylor of the These Islands think tank also show current Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf and ex-Scottish deputy first minister John Swinney also did not transfer messages.
Ms Sturgeon confirmed she had deleted her Covid-era WhatsApps as she gave evidence to the Covid inquiry last month.
She insisted the move was in line with official advice and that all “salient” points were placed on the corporate record.
But when Mr Taylor asked for a breakdown of messages transferred to the eRDM by Ms Sturgeon and other key ministers from January 2020 onwards, he was told in each case “the answer is zero”.
Scottish Conservative Chairman Craig Hoy MSP said: “This latest eye-opening discovery surrounding Nicola Sturgeon’s use of WhatsApp raises further very serious questions for her.
“It looks as though the former First Minister may well have misled the public inquiry and the public with her contradictory evidence.
“She boasted about leading the most transparent government ever, when the reality was one addicted to a culture of cover-up and keeping the public in the dark.
“Nicola Sturgeon owes it to grieving families to urgently explain why messages were not transferred as we know that formal decisions were taken on WhatsApp.”
Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie said it shows “the culture of secrecy and cover-up at the heart of the SNP Government is becoming more stark by the day”.
She added: “Nicola Sturgeon defended wiping her WhatsApp messages by claiming important information was retained on the record – but now it seems there isn’t a trace of any of them.
“This SNP Government still has huge questions to answer, including why it failed to live up to its promise of transparency.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said Ms Sturgeon, who is still the MSP for Glasgow Southside, should “stop dodging questions” and make a personal statement to Holyrood.
He said: “One year on from Sturgeon’s resignation and it seems this SNP Government is running out of excuses.
“One of the biggest scandals in Scottish political history is unfolding in front of us. If the former first minister has any shred of respect left for public life, she should heed my party’s calls to make a personal statement to Parliament and stop dodging questions.”
