Nicola Sturgeon branded Boris Johnson 'f****** clown' in Covid WhatsApp messages
Secret WhatsApps between Nicola Sturgeon and her former aide show the former First Minister branded Boris Johnson "a f****** clown".
The scathing description came when the ex-PM announced a second national lockdown on October 31 2020 after weeks of ignoring calls for more stringent restrictions.
In messages uncovered by the Covid Inquiry, Ms Sturgeon said his address was "f****** excruciating" and that the UK communications were "awful". She added: "Their comms are behind awful. We're not perfect but we don't get nearly enough credit for how much better than them we are."
The former First Minister and ex-SNP leader also told her former chief of staff Liz Lloyd: "His utter incompetence in every sense is now offending me on behalf of politicians everywhere." Ms Lloyd said she was "offended" on behalf of special advisers everywhere. Ms Sturgeon replied: "He is a f****** clown." She went on: "They really are a shower... "
During the Inquiry hearing on Thursday Ms Lloyd was also asked if the relationship between the ex-First Minister and the then-PM had "broken down". She replied: "That overstates what was there to break."
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WhatsApp messages between Nicola Sturgeon and her former chief of staff Liz Lloyd shown to the Covid InquiryShe said of the ex-PM Mr Johnson: "He didn't want to be on those calls, he wasn't well briefed, he wasn't listening, engagement with him became slightly pointless. They didn't get us anywhere. We started with the approach we should work together, in co-ordinated fashion, but a substantive discussion isn't what we got.
"The Prime Minister was reading a script and would largely ignore points made." She said Ms Sturgeon's strong language showed her "frustration" towards Mr Johnson.
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The former chief-of-staff also told Ms Sturgeon she wanted a "good old-fashioned rammy" with the UK Government so she could "think about something other than sick people" in WhatsApp messages.
She told the First Minister she had "set a timetable" for the UK Government to answer the Scottish Government on furlough as a "purely political" move in the messages on November 12020. Ms Sturgeon said: "Yeah, I get it. And it might be worth doing. I've sent a rough formulation of what I might say tomorrow."
The Covid Inquiry announced on Thursday that Ms Sturgeon will take the stand for the first time next week where she will be grilled on the Scottish government's handling of the pandemic. The former SNP leader stood down as First Minister in a shock announcement almost a year ago, saying she had been "wrestling" with the massive decision for some time.
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