Covid Scotland: Nicola Sturgeon refuses to apologise after ‘misrepresenting’ Conservative MSP

Nicola Sturgeon has refused to apologise after a Conservative MSP accused her of misrepresenting him in Holyrood.

The First Minister said she did not think there was "any need" to say sorry to Dr Sandesh Gulhane, who is also a practising GP.

She insisted she did not intend to misrepresent anybody.

It came after Dr Gulhane asked Ms Sturgeon to publish the data behind Covid restrictions.

Speaking during a special sitting of Holyrood, Dr Gulhane said "we all appreciate that Covid necessitates some restrictions".

He added: “But what information does the Scottish Government base its decisions upon? We simply don’t know.

"And so to help the people better understand, and in terms of transparency, will you commit to publish weekly, ahead of the announcement, all the data the Cabinet bases its decisions upon?”

Picture: Andy Buchanan/PA

Responding, Ms Sturgeon said she would "hazard a guess that the member, who I know is a clinician himself, is in a minority of clinicians right now who think that no protective measures are required".

She said she would "expect somebody clinically qualified, probably, to understand this better than most".

Ms Sturgeon said the Scottish Government has published “acres” of data.

Raising a point of order, Dr Gulhane said: "The First Minister completely misrepresented my position.

"At no point have I ever been against all restrictions.

"At no point have I ever been doing the things that I have been accused of and that was absolutely not my question."

Tory MSP Sue Webber later asked if the First Minister would apologise for her "blatant misrepresentation".

Ms Sturgeon said: "No, I don't think I've got any need to do that. I didn't intend to misrepresent anybody, I don't intend to misrepresent anybody.

"But Dr Sandesh was, as I heard it, suggesting that the restrictions and protective measures that were in place, as he put it, for some time, lacked evidence."

She added: "I heard what he said to me as indicative of him not agreeing with these protective measures.

"If that's not what he intended to say, then I accept that."

Tory MSP Craig Hoy later repeated the call for Ms Sturgeon to apologise.

The First Minister said: "I think we've all got more important things, frankly, to deal with right now because of the really significant challenge that the country is facing."