Nicola Sturgeon has insisted she has “nothing to hide” from the COVID inquiry, as questions continue to swirl about whether WhatsApp messages she sent and received during the pandemic were deleted.

It was reported over the weekend Ms Sturgeon‘s data from the messaging service had been destroyed, alongside other members of the Scottish government, including the current first minister, Humza Yousaf.

The Scottish government pledged on Tuesday to hand over 14,000 messages to the inquiry.

But it is not clear to what extent this will cover the communications to and from Ms Sturgeon.

COVID inquiry latest: Johnson’s final message to Cummings revealed

Sky News Monday to Thursday at 7pm. Watch live on Sky channel 501, Freeview 233, Virgin 602, the Sky News website and app or YouTube.

Matters were not cleared up by Ms Sturgeon herself when she spoke to journalists.

She referred to a published policy document which said “business conversations” through informal channels should be deleted “at least monthly” once decisions were logged officially.

Final message between Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings revealed at COVID Inquiry before then PM blocked

Dominic Cummings, Lee Cain and Martin Reynolds to give evidence to COVID Inquiry next week

Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf to ‘fully investigate’ concerns messages not handed to UK COVID Inquiry

Ms Sturgeon said she “did not manage the COVID response by WhatsApp” – on the same day the COVID inquiry exposed the myriad messages and groups on WhatsApp used by the UK government.

Read more:
Key WhatsApp messages from the COVID inquiry
No 10 in ‘complete chaos’ as COVID hit – Cummings

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

“I have nothing to hide – I am committed to full transparency to this inquiry and to the Scottish inquiry when it takes place, and I’m committed to that in the interests of everybody across this country who was affected by COVID,” she said.

“I gave my all to the management of the pandemic.

“Transparency for the families affected, by everybody affected by the pandemic, matters really a lot to me.”

Jamie Dawson KC, the inquiry’s lawyer for the Scotland module, said last week that no messages had been received from the country’s government.

The deputy first minister, Shona Robison, said a legal order was required before the request could be complied with, and that the 14,000 message would be provided in full and unredacted form by 6 November.

Click to subscribe to the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts

But Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross claimed “the stench of secrecy from this government is overpowering”.

He added: “This hastily-arranged Nicola Sturgeon press conference followed a familiar pattern to all those she’s held since leaving office: ‘I’ve done nothing wrong but I’m not answering your questions’.”

Scottish Labour’s deputy leader, Jackie Baillie, claimed messages had been “destroyed on an industrial scale”.

Related posts:

NHS chief Sir Simon Stevens stays tight-lipped when asked whether Matt Hancock is ‘hopeless’ Senior Tory MP calls for face-to-face meetings with constituents to be paused in wake of Amess killing Terror suspect accused of killing MP is son of former top aide to Somali PM Remaining COVID restrictions in England will be scrapped on Thursday and free testing to end in April Five Russian banks and three wealthy individuals targeted in UK sanctions on Russia PM looks increasingly isolated over Pincher saga – and it could get worse still Sunak under fire for claiming he worked to divert money from ‘deprived urban areas’ when chancellor Corbyn to be blocked from standing as Labour MP at next election, Starmer to confirm Humza Yousaf: The life, political path and controversies of the new SNP leader Labour unveils five-point plan for mortgage crisis – but PM says beating inflation must come first Tory MP faces six-week Commons suspension for bullying and sexual misconduct More than half of people do not trust NHS to deliver timely cancer treatment – poll