Nicola Sturgeon responds to reports she deleted her Covid WhatsApp messages

Nicola Sturgeon has responded to claims made in the Covid Inquiry that she deleted all of her WhatsApp messages during the pandemic.

The former Scotland First Minister claimed in a statement the Inquiry has copies of messages between her and colleagues she regularly communicated with through “informal means”.

Ms Sturgeon also said that although the messages were no longer on her mobile she obtained copies of them which she handed to the Inquiry last year and that her use of informal messaging was “limited”.

Her statement comes after she faced criticism from political opponents, who alleged she had attempted to hide exchanges with ministers and advisors during the pandemic.

Ms Sturgeon wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “I do not intend to give a running commentary on the ongoing Inquiry. Instead, out of respect to all those impacted by the pandemic, I will answer questions directly and openly when I give evidence at the end of this month.

“However, in light of recent coverage, there are certain points I feel it important to make clear.

“Contrary to the impression given in some coverage, the Inquiry does have messages between me and those I most regularly communicated with through informal means.

“Although these had not been retained on my own device, I was able to obtain copies which I submitted to the Inquiry last year.

“The number of people I communicated with through informal messaging at all was limited.

“Also, any handwritten notes made by me were passed to my private office to be dealt with and recorded as appropriate. Throughout the entire process, I acted in line with Scottish Government policy.”

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Ms Sturgeon added she will “answer questions directly and openly” when she gives evidence to the inquiry at the end of January and she was commenting “out of respect for all those impacted by the pandemic”.

She also reiterated her previous claims that she never used WhatsApp to make decisions during the pandemic, and that she had not joined any groups on the messaging service.

On Friday the Inquiry heard all WhatsApp messages sent and received by Ms Sturgeon during the pandemic were erased.

Jamie Dawson KC, counsel to the inquiry, said she retained no WhatsApp messages “whatsoever” and a table submitted by the Scottish Government confirmed that was the case.

The hearing in Edinburgh was also told that her then-deputy John Swinney’s WhatsApp messaging was set to auto-delete.

Ms Sturgeon previously said she had “nothing to hide” about her handling of the pandemic, but had not clarified if her WhatsApp messages were deleted.