The First Minister of Wales has claimed that UK Government ministers were “afraid of Nicola Sturgeon” during the pandemic.
Mark Drakeford made the comments at the UK Covid inquiry, explaining how her “underlying ambition” for Scottish independence meant that other politicians treated her differently.
He called her a “formidable politician” and claimed some ministers attempted to avoid confrontation with the former leader of the Scottish National Party.
However, Ms Sturgeon has previously said none of her decisions during the crisis were influenced by political factors.
The UK Covid inquiry is nearing the end of three weeks of sessions held in Wales, having previously heard from witnesses in London and Edinburgh.
Mr Drakeford also described Boris Johnson as an “absent” football manager during the pandemic.
He said it was “extraordinary” that the then-Prime Minister failed to regularly meet with leaders as the pandemic got underway in 2020.
The Welsh first minister said he had the “highest regard” for his counterparts in Scotland and Northern Ireland during the global health crisis, adding “they were never anything but collegiate people”.
But he continued: “The UK Government was always anxious about their interactions with the FM of Scotland because she had a different underlying ambition for the future of Scotland and that coloured their attitude towards her.
“She’s also a formidable politician. Many UK ministers were afraid of her and would not like to be involved in a confrontational dialogue with her.”
Ms Sturgeon was praised during the pandemic, for holding daily media briefings in Scotland to update citizens on the spread of Covid.
She told the inquiry: “I will always know in my heart, and in my soul, that my instincts and my motivation was nothing other than trying to do the best in the face of this pandemic.”
