Sturgeon’s WhatsApp messages sought in Covid-19 inquiry by bereaved families

The legal team representing families who lost loved ones to Covid-19 in Scotland has requested complete transparency regarding former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s WhatsApp messages. Although counsel for Scottish ministers has claimed Sturgeon has no relevant informal correspondence, lawyers for the bereaved argue that inquiry officials should determine what is considered relevant, including private messages, emails, or diaries related to the pandemic response.

Aamer Anwar, the lead solicitor for the Scottish Covid Bereaved group, has submitted additional legal documents to the UK Covid Inquiry, demanding the provision of all unredacted WhatsApp messages and other pertinent materials. The Covid inquiries aim to evaluate the successes and failures of government officials and ministers throughout the pandemic.

In a recent statement, Anwar emphasised the importance of transparency from both the Scottish and UK governments, stating, “The government is, and should be, answerable to the people.” He also sought clarification on the status of Sturgeon’s WhatsApp messages and why they have not been disclosed in their entirety.

Anwar maintained that Sturgeon and other Scottish ministers should be held to the same standards as UK politicians such as Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak, and Matt Hancock. He added, “We have said before and say it again, no individual, no matter how powerful, can be allowed to interfere with the pursuit of truth, justice and accountability in this inquiry. Those who lost their lives to Covid-19 deserve nothing less.”

Sturgeon is expected to provide evidence to the Scottish inquiry at a later date, alongside former Deputy First Minister John Swinney, Health Secretary Jeane Freeman, and Scotland’s former Chief Medical Officer Catherine Calderwood. This development follows a transparency dispute between the UK inquiry and the Westminster government, as senior aides’ WhatsApp submissions have been redacted. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has agreed to give unredacted WhatsApp messages dating back to May 2021 directly to the Covid inquiry, bypassing the UK government’s refusal to provide them. The Cabinet Office has initiated a legal challenge against the inquiry’s demand for texts from the former prime minister and officials, arguing that many messages are irrelevant to the investigation and citing the need to protect ministers’ privacy.