Michael Gove slams SNP’s Covid handling in Edinburgh enquiry
Leveling Up Secretary Michael Gove has criticised the Scottish government for its attitude towards devolved powers during the Covid enquiry.
Speaking during week three of the hearings in Edinburgh, Gove told the enquiry how Nicola Sturgeon “irritated” Downing Street.
Gove, who made headlines while clubbing in Aberdeen during the pandemic, insisted his Westminster colleagues were “unhappy” at Sturgeon “jumping the gun” by announcing a mass gathering ban before the UK government revealed similar measures. A move he labelled “unwise of the first minister”.
Giving evidence today he said: “We can learn from our virus response how to improve the devolution settlement”, but added that current devolved responsibilities are “broadly right” before claiming that the Scottish government “push the boundaries of devolution”.
Gove continued: “While I have great respect for the integrity and professionalism of Scottish ministers we have to bear in mind that the political aim of the SNP is to destroy the United Kingdom”.
Addressing the enquiry, he argued that the Scottish government were “tempted to engineer a row in order to reinforce that political point” and that doing so was part of Sturgeon’s “political agenda”.
The enquiry heard text messages between Gove and former Health Secretary Matt Hancock in which the latter described public health as “a reserved matter”. Gove backed his controversial colleague suggesting the health secretary was “determined in dealing with the virus”.
Former health secretary Jeane Freeman followed on from Michael Gove as the inquiry reaches its third week.
The inquiry heard from First Minister Humza Yousaf last week who apologised for the Scottish government’s inability to share WhatsApp messages relating to their handling of the pandemic.
Investigating discussions between ministers the inquiry read text messages between Nicola Sturgeon and her chief of staff and strategic advisor Liz Lloyd. An expletive message from Sturgeon calling Prime Minister Boris Johnson a “clown” was shared during last week’s hearing.
Lloyd insists this was in retaliation to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s unclear announcement whether the second lockdown applied to Scotland. Lloyd also informed the inquiry that she was unable to recover her messages in the early months of the pandemic, up until September 2020.
WhatsApp messages between Humza Yousaf and national clinical director Jason Leitch were released last weekend.
The texts revealed Leitch and Yousaf using expletive language and derogatory terms when describing opposing politicians. Messages between the pair showed Yousaf joke that he was “winging” his new role as health secretary.
Shown in the inquiry the texts also heard Yousaf using expletive language when describing former Labour MSP Neil Findlay while Leitch was shown describing a female MSP as a “new girl” and describing another MSP as “harrumphing like a child”. Leitch also denied advising Yousaf of “workaround” Covid rules including handling alcohol at all times to remain “exempt” from wearing a face mask.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said there was “a rotten culture at the top that permeates to senior officials”.
