Nicola Sturgeon under fire after ditching four nations lockdown summit for daily briefing

Nicola Sturgeon has come under fire after it emerged she left a four nations discussion over lockdown easing early to speak at the televised daily coronavirus briefing at Holyrood.

The First Minister admitted the discussion – led by Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove, and including representatives from the Northern Irish and Welsh governments – was still ongoing as she led the daily briefing, which is broadcast on the BBC.

Opposition parties hit out at the decision, branding the briefing “a TV appearance” and criticising the First Minister for prioritising the briefing over “working constructively with other governments”.

Nicola Sturgeon, pictured here in 2019 outside Bute House, left the four nations briefing with Prime Minister Boris Johnson to attend the daily coronavirus briefing.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to lay out his road map for England’s lockdown easing later on Monday, which Ms Sturgeon said was “not identical” to Scotland’s, but the principles will be the same.

She will update Parliament with the Scottish Government’s plan on Tuesday.

Ms Sturgeon said she had left a “four nations discussion that is probably still under way” after it was set up yesterday at short notice – to be able to attend the daily briefing.

She said: “I do this briefing every day. I wasn’t in charge of the timing [of the four nations briefing].

"We pointed out that I do this briefing when a call was scheduled for quarter to 12. I joined it for as long as I could, consistent with my regular commitments. I went to it for as long as I could.

"It wasn’t a discussion, it was a report about what the Prime Minister was about to announce. People will criticise me for whatever I do in relation to the UK Government. I am just going to do what I think is right and what discharges my responsibility.”

The Scottish Conservatives reiterated their belief that the briefings should be led by public health officials, rather than the First Minister.

A spokesman said: “It will raise more than a few eyebrows that Nicola Sturgeon’s priority is the BBC briefing over working together constructively with other governments.

“She missed a pivotal discussion in favour of a TV appearance where nothing was announced. It shows the value that the SNP leader puts on these BBC briefings in the run-up to the election in May."

The spokesman added: “We continue to be in favour of the briefings continuing, fronted solely by public health officials who would not miss vital discussions or misuse the platform to make political points.”

A UK Government source told The Scotsman: “These meetings between the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster [Michael Gove] and the FMs are an important forum for sharing information, so of course it is disappointing when someone cannot attend.

"It is a decision for the Scottish Government, but perhaps another minister could have taken part on Nicola Sturgeon’s behalf or the chief medical officer could have given the televised daily briefing.”

The BBC last month refused to release the number of complaints it had received in relation to the Scottish Government’s daily coronavirus briefings.

In response to a Freedom of Information request from The Scotsman, the broadcaster said the information would be kept secret due to its use for the purposes of “journalism, art of literature”.

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