What's happened
Scottish officials, including Nicola Sturgeon and Jason Leitch, have been accused of regularly deleting internal messages related to the Covid pandemic. The revelations have raised concerns about transparency and accountability within the Scottish government.
Why it matters
The accusations of regular deletion of Covid-related messages by senior Scottish officials raise serious questions about transparency and accountability in government. The public inquiry into the management of the pandemic may be impacted by these revelations, affecting public trust in the government's handling of the crisis.
What the papers say
The Times highlights the concerns raised by Scotland's information commissioner regarding the deletion of messages by senior officials, while The Guardian focuses on the accusations against Nicola Sturgeon and other officials for deleting Covid-related messages. The contrasting opinions shed light on the potential implications for the ongoing Covid-19 inquiry.
How we got here
The controversy stems from revelations during the UK Covid Inquiry that senior Scottish officials, including Nicola Sturgeon and Jason Leitch, routinely deleted internal messages related to the pandemic. The accusations have sparked concerns about the transparency and record-keeping practices of the Scottish government.
More on these topics
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Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon is a Scottish politician serving as the fifth First Minister of Scotland and the Leader of the Scottish National Party since November 2014. She is the first woman to hold either position.
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The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. It was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China.
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Jason Andrew Leitch CBE is the National Clinical Director of the Scottish Government.
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Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson Hon FRIBA is a British politician, writer, and former journalist serving as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party since 2019.