SNP has created ‘hostile’ environment towards journalists as Nicola Sturgeon accused of 'arch antagonism'

The SNP has helped to create a hostile atmosphere towards journalists in Scotland, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives has claimed.

Russell Findlay said former first ministers Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon were “particularly hostile”.

Russell Findlay | Andrew Milligan/PA Wire

He accused Ms Sturgeon of “a kind of arch antagonism towards particular journalists” during her Covid briefings, which he found “quite inappropriate and quite disturbing”.

Mr Findlay became the new leader of the Scottish Tories at the end of September, seeing off his rivals Murdo Fraser and Meghan Gallacher. A former journalist, he was elected as an MSP in 2021 and served on the party’s frontbench as justice spokesperson.

In an interview with Holyrood magazine, Mr Findlay said the SNP had “reached the same levels of entitlement” as the Labour administration in the noughties, and were “taking the public for granted, looking after their cronies and trying to shut down scrutiny”.

On the party’s attitude towards the press, he said: “I think from Alex Salmond through to Nicola Sturgeon and continuing, there has been this fairly unpleasant hostility towards journalism and journalists and any scrutiny.

John Swinney speaks at Holyrood, with former first minister Nicola Sturgeon watching on in the background. Picture: PA | PA

“And I know that journalism is not a popularity contest, and I’ve come across some bad faith media stuff in the short time I’ve been doing this. But I know better than to complain about it. I think that they [Salmond and Sturgeon] were particularly hostile.

“I mean, even taking some of Nicola Sturgeon’s Covid briefings, which were little more than political grandstanding half the time and seeking to build her brand while differentiating from the rest of the UK for no discernible benefit to the people of Scotland, that was often laced with a kind of arch antagonism towards particular journalists that I found to be quite inappropriate and quite disturbing. It’s about shutting journalists down, stopping scrutiny, and that is fundamentally wrong.”

An SNP spokesman said: “The SNP fully respects journalists and the vital role they perform in keeping the people of Scotland fully informed on latest news and developments.”

A spokeswoman for Ms Sturgeon said: "Throughout the pandemic, whilst the Tory politicians acted unlawfully by partying during lockdown, Nicola displayed competence and compassion as she spoke directly to the public every day to provide important information - a responsibility she took incredibly seriously.”

Elsewhere, Mr Findlay claimed the Conservatives were the “anti-establishment party” in Scotland, but admitted it was unlikely they will make big gains at the 2026 Holyrood election.

“We’ve got 31 MSPs who I’m confident will want to put their shoulders to the wheel for 2026,” he told Holyrood. “I would love to grow that number, but the polling being what it is, for me to say, Jo Swinson-style, that I’m going to be first minister, you would just laugh at me.

“But who’s to say that Scotland couldn’t actually one day have a Conservative first minister or government, or some form of government that includes us?”

Mr Findlay admitted he felt sorry for some of his leadership predecessors for having to “spend a lot of their time defending” the actions of the Conservative UK government.

He said he felt “quite blessed” to start afresh following the general election defeat, because it meant there would be less comparison between the Scottish party and “unpopular or ill-judged” decisions being taken south of the Border.