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First minister Humza Yousaf mentioned he’ll launch a assessment into the use of cellular messaging apps similar to Whatsapp by the Scottish government after his predecessor referred to as Boris Johnson a “f****** clown” in a message.
The announcement follows ongoing scrutiny into personal message exchanges between ministers and officers in the course of the pandemic.
The former first minister has come beneath fireplace for her use of Whatsapp in the course of the covid-19 pandemic
(PA)
Speaking at First Minister’s Questions, Mr Yousaf mentioned: “I do believe that there are challenges in relation to our use of WhatsApp, it has not been frankly the Government’s finest hour in relation to handling those requests and I put my hands up to that, unlike of course other governments.
“That’s why I have commissioned officials to deliver an externally-led review, not a government review but an externally-led review, into the use of mobile messaging apps and the use of non-corporate technology in the Scottish government, and that should take particular account of our interaction with statutory public inquiries.
“When it comes to being transparent, the government handed over 28,000 messages, 19,000 documents, I myself as First Minister of the government have handed over my WhatsApp messages.”
Last week, the previous Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon got here beneath fireplace after the inquiry heard that she had erased all messages despatched and recieved in the course of the pandemic.
The former chief of the SNP claimed beforehand she had by no means used casual messages to make selections in the course of the pandemic.
Nicola Sturgeon’s messages along with her chief of workers have revealed strained relations between the previous first minister and prime minister in the course of the pandemic
(PA)
However, it had been revealed that Ms Sturgeon had been routinely deleting her whatsapp messages, which she has since argued was according to governemnt coverage.
Today, the Covid Inquiry printed messages between Ms Sturgeon and her chief of workers, Liz Lloyd, the place Ms Sturgeon had described Boris Johnson as a “clown”, following the previous prime minister’s look on TV to announce the second nationwide lockdown.
In the Whatsapps, Ms Sturgeon hit out on the UK government’s communications, stating: “This is f****** excruciating – their comms are awful.
“His utter incompetence in every sense is now offending me on behalf of politicians everywhere.”
Ms Lloyd mentioned she was “offended” on behalf of particular advisers all over the place.
Ms Sturgeon replied: “He is a f****** clown.”
Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson have each failed handy over all their related Whatsapps to the Covid-19 inquiry
(PA Archive)
The revelations observe months of debate across the use of Whatsapps in inside authorities choice making, after Mr Johnson and Rishi Sunak failed handy over key Whatsapp messages to the Covid-19 Inquiry. Both the previous and present prime ministers have mentioned that they now not have entry to the messages.
Mr Yousaf’s announcement at this time follows feedback from Scottish Tory chief Douglas Ross and Scottish Labour’s Anas Sarwar, who’ve each mentioned the proof heard on the Covid-19 inquiry proved there was a “culture of secrecy” on the coronary heart of the Scottish authorities.
Mr Yousaf has maintained that he has personally handed over all his related whatsapps to the inquiry and the Scottish authorities have submitted 14,000 messages to the Inquiry.
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