Matt Hancock has alleged that Nicola Sturgeon created “all sorts of difficulties” during the pandemic as he delivered a brutal four-word verdict on the former Scottish First Minister’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
The former UK health secretary has been giving evidence at the UK Covid-19 Inquiry which delves into the impacts on the healthcare systems across the four nations. On Thursday (November 21), Hancock reflected on the tensions between Downing Street and the Scottish Government – which were particularly heightened in 2020.
Evidence was presented to the inquiry regarding a May 2020 document requesting a “reset” of relations between England and Scotland. Hancock alleged that Scotland’s Then-First Minister had caused the consternation.
Hancock was asked if the “reset” of relations was needed because of healthcare policies. He responded: “No, this was all about how Nicola Sturgeon was causing all sorts of difficulties.”
Despite these claims, when probed about general cooperation levels, Hancock said the chief medical officers (CMOs) of England and Scotland co-operated and worked well with each other.
He said: “At a health level there was excellent collaboration between the CMOs who themselves had their own call, and then between the four health ministers. And you can see from the minutes and the WhatsApp group that we had a really, genuinely collaborative approach.”
The former SNP leader and first minister Nicola Sturgeon has already faced questioning at the UK Covid Inquiry in January. She was was grilled by lead counsel Jamie Dawson KC for an entire day, reports the Scottish Daily Express.
Countering accusations, Sturgeon vocally refuted making decisions with political motives during the health crisis. She said that she seldom considered politics or Scottish independence less than she did throughout the pandemic.
Previously, Michael Gove, a UK minister, had inferred that the Scottish Government pursued “political conflict” amid the emergency. Sturgeon, however, has denied this.
Sturgeon told the inquiry: “I was motivated solely by trying to do the best we could to keep people as safe as possible. We did that to some extent, but not to, and perhaps we never could have done it to the extent I would have wished we could have done.”
“I carry the regret for the loss of life, the loss of opportunity, the loss of education of our young people, I carry that with me every single day.”