Nicola Sturgeon called Boris Johnson a ‘f***ing clown’, Covid WhatsApps reveal

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Scotland’s former first minister Nicola Sturgeon called Boris Johnson a “f***ing clown” on the time of the second Covid lockdown, bombshell messages have revealed.

WhatsApp messages shared between the ex-SNP chief and her high adviser Liz Lloyd proven on the Covid inquiry demonstrated the utter disdain with which the then-prime minister was held.

Ms Sturgeon mentioned Mr Johnson’s deal with asserting a second nationwide lockdown on 31 October 2020 was “f****** excruciating” and “awful”.

She advised Ms Lloyd: “His utter incompetence in every sense is now offending me on behalf of politicians everywhere”, including: “He is a f****** clown.”

The surprising new messages shared on the inquiry additionally revealed the extent to which Ms Sturgeon and her officers mentioned the political implications of pandemic insurance policies.

The SNP authorities has come beneath fireplace in current days after messages revealed high officers had mentioned how one can use the Covid disaster to ahead the reason for Scottish independence.

Ms Lloyd advised Ms Sturgeon she needed a “good old-fashioned rammy” with the Tory authorities so she might “think about something other than sick people”.

The high adviser advised Ms Sturgeon she had “set a timetable” for the UK authorities to reply the Scottish authorities on the furlough scheme as a “purely political” transfer within the November 2020 messages.

Ms Sturgeon replied to her high adviser: “Yeah, I get it. And it might be worth doing. I’ve sent a rough formulation of what I might say tomorrow.”

Asked if she was searching for a spat, Ms Lloyd replied: I used to be searching for a spat with a goal.”

Handwritten notes additionally confirmed Ms Lloyd prompt a doable technique of “calling for things” that the Scottish authorities couldn’t do to “force the UK government to do things”.

Ms Lloyd advised the inquiry that the Scottish authorities have been “clearly not complimentary” concerning the UK authorities’s manner of speaking new guidelines with the general public. “We had to mitigate the chaos that appeared around some of the decisions they took.”

Discussing calls between the federal government, she mentioned Mr Johnson “wasn’t well briefed, he wasn’t listening – engagement with him became slightly pointless”. Ms Lloyd added: “They didn’t get us anywhere.”

Last week, it emerged from Sturgeon cupboard assembly minutes from June 2020 that her ministers agreed to think about how the Covid disaster might be used to spice up help for Scottish independence.

Her ministers “agreed that consideration be given to restarting work on independence and a referendum” with the case up to date primarily based on “arguments reflecting the experience of the coronavirus crisis”.

The Scottish Tories mentioned it was “disgusting” to make use of the disaster to “further plans to break up the United Kingdom”.

Ms Sturgeon’s use of personal occasion emails is ready to be additional examined, as Scottish Labour requires an investigation into the ex-SNP boss’s communications.

The then-first minister had supplied a public well being knowledgeable with an SNP e-mail deal with – saying she might be contacted “privately”. She advised Prof Devi Sridhar: “Don’t worry about protocol”.

Scottish Labour’s deputy chief Dame Jackie Baillie has written to Scotland’s everlasting secretary asking him to research the problem.

But a supply near Ms Sturgeon denied concealment – saying any emails related to the pandemic she obtained in her non-public inbox “were passed to the Scottish government”.

Ms Sturgeon has additionally come beneath fireplace after the inquiry heard that she had erased messages despatched and obtained through the pandemic.

The ex-SNP chief beforehand prompt that she had by no means used casual messages to make Covid selections. It then emerged that messages have been routinely deleted. But Ms Sturgeon has insisted that casual messages deleted on her personal gadgets have been later obtained and submitted to the inquiry.

First minister and SNP chief Humza Yousaf is because of give proof to the inquiry later right this moment, amid ongoing scrutiny about his use of masks throughout pandemic.

In a November 2021 WhatsApp change, Mr Yousaf requested nationwide scientific director Professor Jason Leitch concerning the masks guidelines forward of an occasion he was attending.

Covid guidelines in Scotland meant folks wouldn’t should put on a masks in the event that they have been sitting all the way down to eat or drink – however would in the event that they have been shifting round a bar or restaurant whereas not ingesting.

Prof Leitch advised Mr Yousaf to “have a drink in your hands at ALL times” then he can be “exempt” from sporting a masks – however he denied he had given Mr Yousaf a solution to “get out” of the principles.

A spokesperson for Mr Yousaf later mentioned the change “simply shows the then health secretary seeking specific, up-to-date guidance from a senior adviser to ensure he was complying with the Covid rules”.

Meanwhile, Ms Lloyd denied that a resolution about visitor limits on weddings confirmed she was concerned in making up coverage was made “on the hoof”. She was proven messages exchanged on 22 September, 2020, the place Ms Sturgeon mentioned: “We haven’t thought about weddings.”

A media briefing was then delayed so a resolution might be made to maintain wedding ceremony and funeral numbers at 20. Ms Lloyd mentioned a resolution taken to alter numbers can be “on the hoof”, however “sticking with a decision already taken was more coherent”.