Alister Jack 'didn't believe for a minute' Sturgeon's pandemic claims

       Scottish Secretary Alister Jack rubbished Nicola Sturgeon's tearful claim that she did not seek to politicise the pandemic.

       The former Scottish first minister choked back tears during an appearance before the Covid inquiry yesterday as she denied suggestions the Scottish Government looked to weaponise the crisis to boost the independence cause.

       But giving evidence today, Mr Jack claimed Ms Sturgeon "could cry from one eye if she wanted to".

       He told the hearing in Edinburgh: "I watched that evidence from yesterday and I didn't believe it for a minute," he said.

       "I think Nicola Sturgeon could cry from one eye if she wanted to."

       Alister Jack arrives at the Covid inquiry on Thursday morning (Image: GETTY)

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       Mr Jack added that it was "inevitable there would be tensions" between the Scottish and UK governments given their different political positions on the union.

       He said: "The then-first minister saw her job as leader of a nationalist government to break up the UK.

       "Devolution works very well but works very well when both governments want to work together.

       "But when one government wants to destroy the UK and destroy devolution, then there are tensions.

       "Those tensions existed before the pandemic, during the pandemic and they exist now today."

       Ms Sturgeon became emotional as she said she will have regrets over decisions taken during Covid "for as long as I live"

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       Ms Sturgeon said: "People will make their own judgments about me, about my government, about my decisions, but for as long as I live, I will carry the impact of these decisions, I will carry regret at the decisions and judgments I got wrong, but I will always know in my heart, and in my soul, that my instincts and my motivation was nothing other than trying to do the best in the face of this pandemic."

       She also fought back tears she admitted a "large part" of her wished she had not been first minister when the pandemic struck.

       Responding to Mr Jack's evidence, an SNP source said: "Alister Jack is a man who couldn't believe that Boris Johnson was unpopular amongst Scots - his inability to believe the plainly obvious speaks for itself."

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