Nicola Sturgeon unashamedly took the Scottish public for fools. We need to know why - Brian Monteith

Only now are the motives of many of Sturgeon’s actions open to question

As the evidence continues to mount that the First Minister unashamedly took the Scottish public for fools, the main issue left for debate is why?

During her record eight years and four months as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was, politically at least, unassailable. While opposition leaders came and went, she swatted away those that sought to hold her to account with relative ease.

Be it the Scottish media, not as universally craven as is often lazily alleged, or her political opponents, who struggled to pin her down as she deflected to bad behaviour by Westminster politicians, few managed to lay a glove on her.

Despite a parliamentary committee finding her guilty of misleading parliament, the fact is she was consistently given the benefit of the doubt by the majority of those who could have forced her to take responsibility for the human and financial catastrophes she was responsible for.

Party loyalty by SNP ministers and backbenchers meant there was never any doubt her credibility would go unquestioned and authority remain unchallenged. Browbeating the media was visibly treated as a sport.

Where were the SNP voices raising concerns about her conduct shutting Scotland down longer and harder than England – with no rational basis and no funding to provide support?

Where were the resignations from the administration like those of Douglas Ross over the handling of Dominic Cummings’ breach of travel restrictions; or Chris Green’s resignation at the Education department over the lockdown cure being worse than the disease – or that of Lord Frost, who opposed the Covid Plan B in December 2021?

There were many opportunities to reproach Sturgeon’s decisions – but none was taken.

Time after time Nicola Sturgeon was accepted as honest when telling us she would never put party or constitutional politics before beating the pandemic that was taking Scots’ lives; it was accepted she was telling the truth when telling us her motives behind policy decisions were beyond reproach; and she was believed when she told us she would make available to the public inquiries all the evidence that recorded how decisions were reached.

It was, as we can now see from the WhatsApp conversations that are being published by the UK public inquiry, all a pack of lies.

Party and constitutional politics were repeatedly put before what might be the best evidence-based policy by giving priority wherever possible to Scotland having a different approach from that decided in London.

Only now are the motives of many of Sturgeon’s actions open to question.

None of the messages by Nicola Sturgeon, her Ministers, her officials, or her very well paid advisors (whose loyalty is to the party of government – not the Scottish people) can be dismissed as them just letting off steam, just having a laugh, just being casual. There was a complete lack of professionalism shown by bad-mouthing other politicians to officials, the pandemic was no laughing matter worthy of black or sardonic humour, nor was it a time for larking about with emoji’s when people were unable to see their dying relatives, people were being intentionally scared into staying at home and businesses were condemned to going bust.

The fact we are now learning what happened is not because of whistle-blowers in the Scottish Civil Service, not because of SNP rebels, not because of freedom of information being available – too many involved in the government were active and complicit by turning a blind eye and helping to prevent the truth being available – no, it is because there was simply too much information recorded by too many people that the attempt at covering up the truth failed.

Some ministers in the WhatsApp messaging groups never followed the guidance that they should delete the evidence; maybe some ministers were confused, maybe some thought their comments might show they raised doubts about policy; maybe we shall learn more as the inquiry progresses? Whatever the truth, Sturgeon’s ability to pull a veil of secrecy over her decision-making ultimately failed.

This leaves us with the question of why did the First Minister decide to use the Covid pandemic as a means to argue for independence? Why did she agree at a Cabinet meeting to kick-start independence as a priority for her government (“indy’s back”) and then later in the afternoon announce in the most self-righteous of tones that party and constitutional politics would not be pursued?

And the question why is not just about the sordid motives of politics.

Why did Scotland need its schools shut against the scientific evidence? Why did she not call upon the advice of Professor Sir Hugh Pennington but prefer those who sycophantically cheered on her policy of zero Covid? Why did Sturgeon wait a full week to follow Matt Hancock by introducing compulsory Covid testing for hospital discharges to care homes?

We have learned these past two weeks that the Scottish Government went out of its way to prevent the public knowing the truth – why?

WhatsApp conversations were deleted en masse by the First Minister, and others encouraged to follow suit – why? Minutes were not taken of key meetings that shaped policy and directed the conduct of the Scottish public – why?

What could be more damaging than the tens of thousands that were dying from Covid, and the incompetent and failing Scottish Government policies planned to mitigate it that required the British Army to intervene?

Could it be that the reputation of Nicola Sturgeon came first? Could it be that for her accomplices the brand reputation of the SNP came before the good of the country? Could it be that the cause of independence – so exposed by the Covid pandemic requiring our island to pull together – could only look good by disposing of the evidence?

Nicola Sturgeon self-evidently lied to the Scottish people and encouraged others to join her by keeping quiet. The Scottish people deserve to know why.

Brian Monteith is a former member of the Scottish and European Parliaments and editor of ThinkScotland.org