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Nicola Sturgeon has faced criticism for her approach to decision-making during the coronavirus pandemic, with the UK Covid-19 Inquiry noting that she often operated within a tight circle of advisers and ministers. While the inquiry acknowledged Sturgeon as a “serious and diligent leader,” it also highlighted that she frequently excluded other government ministers and advisers from crucial discussions. Sturgeon defended her leadership style, asserting she acted in “good faith” and deliberately took a front-facing role, emphasizing that “the buck stopped with me.”
The inquiry, chaired by Baroness Hallett, outlined that the Scottish government had been heavily dependent on UK ministers to steer the pandemic response and was “significantly under-prepared” for the challenges that COVID-19 would present. The extensive report, which spans over 760 pages, scrutinizes political decision-making throughout the crisis. It raised concerns about the informal decision-making structures in Scotland, particularly the “Gold Command” group comprised of Sturgeon, her deputy John Swinney, and other senior officials, which met frequently without keeping formal minutes. Despite Sturgeon’s claim to the inquiry that these meetings were not where decisions were made, the report disagreed, stating their existence “diminished the role of the Scottish cabinet and reduced the transparency of decision-making.” One notable example given was the decision to close schools, which was made solely by Sturgeon and Swinney, bypassing the full cabinet.
According to the report, many decisions were effectively predetermined before being presented to the Scottish cabinet, which ended up ratifying choices rather than exercising true oversight. This was contrasted with the Welsh government’s approach, where cabinet members were fully involved in pandemic decisions, working towards consensus. Sturgeon’s dominance in public communications was also noted: she led 98% of all Scottish government briefings related to Covid-19. The inquiry suggested that a more shared approach to public messaging could have helped mitigate polarization among the public.
The inquiry also addressed tensions between the Scottish and UK governments during the health crisis. The UK government led by Boris Johnson was described as having a “toxic and chaotic culture,” while relations between Sturgeon and her UK counterparts were labelled “poor,” with neither side making efforts to improve cooperation. Michael Gove, former Chancellor to the Duchy of Lancaster, pointed out that Scottish ministers sometimes viewed pandemic policies through a political lens, considering how divergence from UK decisions could support the case for Scottish independence. Despite these frictions, the inquiry found no evidence that political motives influenced actual pandemic-related decision-making, although the perceived politicking “hindered intergovernmental relations at a time when trust between the administrations was paramount.”
The report briefly touched on ministers’ use of WhatsApp and other private messaging apps, despite widespread criticism during the inquiry over messages being routinely deleted. It noted Sturgeon’s exchanges with health expert Professor Devi Sridhar on X (formerly Twitter) about the pandemic response and criticized the use of private communication channels. However, it acknowledged that the Scottish government has since banned the use of mobile messaging apps by ministers, requiring that official business be conducted on corporate devices.
In response to the findings, Sturgeon admitted that “inevitable” mistakes were made given the “unprecedented and uncertain” circumstances, saying, “I have no doubt that I made my share of those… And that’s a burden I will carry for the rest of my life.” She insisted that decisions were based on the best available advice at the time and reaffirmed her choice to take personal responsibility for leading the response, stating, “I stand by that decision and if time could be turned back I would make that decision again.” She also defended her leading role in nearly all daily briefings as a strategy aimed at delivering “visible and consistent leadership.”
The inquiry further concluded that all four
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