Nicola Sturgeon was Scotland's first minister during the Covid pandemic (Image: GETTY)
Nicola Sturgeon's WhatsApp messages from the pandemic have all been deleted, the Scottish Covid Inquiry has heard.
At a hearing in Edinburgh, the inquiry was told that the former Scottish first minister had “retained no messages whatsoever” from the period.
Jamie Dawson KC, counsel to the inquiry, referred to a document provided by the Scottish Government about what WhatsApp messages it could provide.
He said: “Under the box ‘Nicola Sturgeon’, it says that messages were not retained, they were deleted in routine tidying up of inboxes or changes of phones, unable to retrieve messages.
Powered By
00:00/01:06
10
10
DX Car driver runs over cyclist
Share
Next
Stay
“What that tends to suggest is at the time that request was made Nicola Sturgeon, the former first minister of Scotland, had retained no messages whatsoever in connection with her management of the pandemic.”
Stay up-to-date with the latest Politics news Join us on WhatsApp Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info
Trending
Ms Sturgeon, who was widely praised for her handling of the pandemic, has previously refused to say if she kept Covid-era WhatsApp messages.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said the ex-SNP leader's reputation "now lies in tatters".
He said: “Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney have huge questions to answer over their conduct in the wake of this devastating revelation.
“By deleting all their WhatsApp messages, they defied the inquiry’s clear instructions from June 2021 that all relevant messages had to be retained.
“Their actions may be illegal and beg a very simple question: what were they trying to hide? Shamefully and outrageously for families of those who died during the pandemic, we may never know.
“Nicola Sturgeon’s reputation, which has been tarnished by a series of scandals in the last year, now lies in tatters.
“Secrecy and evasion were the hallmarks of her government – and this shameful cover-up, which amounts to a digital torching of vital evidence, is the most scandalous example of it.
“Both Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney must urgently answer questions in parliament on this.”
A spokesman for Ms Sturgeon said on Thursday: “In the interests of everyone who has been impacted by the Covid pandemic, Nicola is committed to full transparency to both the UK and Scottish Covid inquiries.
DON'T MISS
Powered by
Nicola Sturgeon's WhatsApp messages from pandemic all deleted, Covid inquiry told
197 Comments
Nigel Farage erupts as 3,000 jobs to be axed in hammer blow for UK steel industry
205 Comments
POLL: Who would you prefer to be mates with - Rishi Sunak or Keir Starmer?
49 Comments
Ursula von der Leyen's look of dismay as Guy Verhofstadt rages at EU caving to 'blackmail'
465 Comments
Lord Cameron warns UK must not appease 'evil' Vladimir Putin in warning over 1930s Europe
24 Comments
Fury at Hammersmith Bridge ‘road to nowhere' farce with call to rename it after Sadiq Khan
45 Comments
NATO warns WW3 with Russia looms in next 20 years
554 Comments
BBC Question Time audience member shuts down Emily Thornberry over Rwanda row
1274 Comments
Keir Starmer given brutal one-word verdict from British voters in humiliating new poll
1291 Comments
Outrage at EU's silence as Donald Tusk 'deploys riot police to purge those who oppose him'
583 Comments
China's axis with Iran at breaking point as Xi cracks down on mosques after Israel attack
98 Comments
How Rishi Sunak beat Tory right with Priti Patel deal, Keir Starmer's PMQs and 'wimp' MPs
870 Comments
Former Post Office worker claims second IT system led to conviction
50 Comments
Tories urged to oust Rishi Sunak now as ex-minister reveals exact number of letters needed
166 Comments
'Embarrassing and telling!' Hundreds of Scottish civil servants pay lower tax in England
152 Comments
Humza Yousaf makes 'significant' Scottish independence admission in live TV interview
45 Comments
Andrew Neil rips into Humza Yousaf for 'most absurd speech by politician of recent memory'
323 Comments
Humza Yousaf accused of having 'no bearing on reality' with fresh Brexit swipe
375 Comments
Humza Yousaf ruthlessly mocked over claim independence could make Scots ￡10k better off
144 Comments
Sadiq Khan will introduce new tax on drivers if he is re-elected as London Mayor - warning
81 Comments
Nicola Sturgeon's WhatsApp messages from pandemic all deleted, Covid inquiry told
197 Comments
Nigel Farage erupts as 3,000 jobs to be axed in hammer blow for UK steel industry
205 Comments
POLL: Who would you prefer to be mates with - Rishi Sunak or Keir Starmer?
49 Comments
Ursula von der Leyen's look of dismay as Guy Verhofstadt rages at EU caving to 'blackmail'
465 Comments
Lord Cameron warns UK must not appease 'evil' Vladimir Putin in warning over 1930s Europe
24 Comments
Fury at Hammersmith Bridge ‘road to nowhere' farce with call to rename it after Sadiq Khan
45 Comments
NATO warns WW3 with Russia looms in next 20 years
554 Comments
BBC Question Time audience member shuts down Emily Thornberry over Rwanda row
1274 Comments
Keir Starmer given brutal one-word verdict from British voters in humiliating new poll
1291 Comments
Outrage at EU's silence as Donald Tusk 'deploys riot police to purge those who oppose him'
583 Comments
China's axis with Iran at breaking point as Xi cracks down on mosques after Israel attack
98 Comments
How Rishi Sunak beat Tory right with Priti Patel deal, Keir Starmer's PMQs and 'wimp' MPs
870 Comments
Former Post Office worker claims second IT system led to conviction
50 Comments
Tories urged to oust Rishi Sunak now as ex-minister reveals exact number of letters needed
166 Comments
'Embarrassing and telling!' Hundreds of Scottish civil servants pay lower tax in England
152 Comments
Humza Yousaf makes 'significant' Scottish independence admission in live TV interview
45 Comments
Andrew Neil rips into Humza Yousaf for 'most absurd speech by politician of recent memory'
323 Comments
Humza Yousaf accused of having 'no bearing on reality' with fresh Brexit swipe
375 Comments
Humza Yousaf ruthlessly mocked over claim independence could make Scots ￡10k better off
144 Comments
Sadiq Khan will introduce new tax on drivers if he is re-elected as London Mayor - warning
81 Comments
Nicola Sturgeon's WhatsApp messages from pandemic all deleted, Covid inquiry told
197 Comments
Nigel Farage erupts as 3,000 jobs to be axed in hammer blow for UK steel industry
205 Comments
POLL: Who would you prefer to be mates with - Rishi Sunak or Keir Starmer?
49 Comments
Ursula von der Leyen's look of dismay as Guy Verhofstadt rages at EU caving to 'blackmail'
465 Comments
Lord Cameron warns UK must not appease 'evil' Vladimir Putin in warning over 1930s Europe
24 Comments
Fury at Hammersmith Bridge ‘road to nowhere' farce with call to rename it after Sadiq Khan
45 Comments
NATO warns WW3 with Russia looms in next 20 years
554 Comments
“Any messages she had, she handled and dealt with in line with the Scottish Government’s policies.
"Nicola has provided a number of written statements to the UK inquiry – totalling hundreds of pages – and welcomes the opportunity to give oral evidence to the inquiry again this month when she will answer all questions put to her.”
Become an Express Premium member Support fearless journalism Read The Daily Express online, advert free Get super-fast page loading
Start 30-day
FREE trial
Related articles Nicola Sturgeon 'pretended she was PM of an independent country' SNP savaged after spending ￡3.5m chasing independence Humza Yousaf 'nothing like as popular' as Nicola Sturgeon - pollster