UK COVID inquiry: Nicola Sturgeon branded Boris Johnson a ‘clown’ in foul-mouthed messages during pandemic
Nicola Sturgeon branded Boris Johnson a “clown” during the pandemic, a series of foul-mouthed messages shown to the UK COVID inquiry has revealed.
The exchange between the former first minister and her chief of staff, Liz Lloyd, took place on 31 October 2020 as the then prime minister appeared on TV to announce the second national lockdown.
Ms Sturgeon hit out at the UK government’s communications, stating: “This is f****** excruciating – their comms are awful.
“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.”
The foul-mouthed exchange between Nicola Sturgeon and Liz Lloyd. Pic: UK COVID-19 Inquiry
Ms Lloyd’s evidence comes amid ongoing scrutiny over messages exchanged by ministers and officials during the pandemic.
Usman Tariq, junior counsel to the inquiry, highlighted an exchange made on 22 September 2020.
In a message sent to Ms Lloyd just two hours before a briefing in light of differing Westminster regulations, Ms Sturgeon said: “We haven’t thought about weddings. They are reducing but not sure what to.”
Special adviser Ms Lloyd responded they should “just leave it” as the Scottish government had recently increased the number of guests allowed to 20.
Ms Lloyd with former first minister Ms Sturgeon in 2019. Pic: PA
Mr Tariq asked: “Is this not an example of a decision that was made very much at the last minute over WhatsApp between you and Nicola Sturgeon?”
Ms Lloyd said she did not view this as making a decision because it had already been made in cabinet.
She refuted a suggestion the message implied the decision was “made on the hoof”, arguing that sticking with the numbers determined via scientific evidence was a “more coherent” position.
Ms Lloyd giving evidence. Pic: PA/UK COVID-19 Inquiry
Ms Lloyd was said to be in favour of telling the public about a Nike conference in Edinburgh – Scotland’s first recognised outbreak of COVID.
Then chief medical officer, Dr Catherine Calderwood, strongly advised against it, citing patient confidentiality.
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The inquiry is currently sitting in Edinburgh as it probes the devolved administration’s response to the pandemic.
Ms Sturgeon will appear at the inquiry next Wednesday.
Ms Lloyd’s appearance comes ahead of First Minister Humza Yousaf, who is due to give evidence on Thursday afternoon.
Liz Lloyd arriving at the inquiry on Thursday. Pic: PA
Earlier in the week, the inquiry was shown a WhatsApp exchange in November 2021 between Mr Yousaf, the then health secretary, and national clinical director Professor Jason Leitch.
At the time, COVID rules in Scotland meant people would not have to wear a mask if they were sitting down to eat or drink, but would if they were moving around a bar or restaurant while not drinking.
Ahead of an event, Mr Yousaf messaged: “I know sitting at the table I don’t need my mask. If I’m standing talking to folk, need my mask on?”
Mr Leitch responded: “Officially yes. But literally no one does. Have a drink in your hands at all times. Then you’re exempt. So if someone comes over and you stand, lift your drink.”
Professor Leitch rejected a suggestion that he had offered a “workaround” to the rules, while a spokesperson for Mr Yousaf said the exchange “simply shows the then health secretary seeking specific, up-to-date guidance from a senior adviser to ensure he was complying with the COVID rules”.
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The UK economy grew by 0.1% between July and September, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
However, despite the small positive GDP growth recorded in the third quarter, the economy shrank by 0.1% in September, dragging down overall growth for the three month period.
The growth was also slower than what had been expected by experts and a drop from the 0.5% growth between April and June, the ONS said.
Economists polled by Reuters and the Bank of England had forecast an expansion of 0.2%, slowing from the rapid growth seen over the first half of 2024 when the economy was rebounding from last year’s shallow recession.
And the metric that Labour has said it is most focused on – the GDP per capita, or the economic output divided by the number of people in the country – also fell by 0.1%.
Pic: Reuters
Reacting to the figures, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said: “Am I satisfied with the numbers published today? Of course not. I want growth to be stronger, to come sooner, and also to be felt by families right across the country.”
“It’s why in my Mansion House speech last night, I announced some of the biggest reforms of our pension system in a generation to unlock long term patient capital, up to £80bn to help invest in small businesses and scale up businesses and in the infrastructure needs,” Ms Reeves later told Sky News in an interview.
“We’re four months into this government. There’s a lot more to do to turn around the growth performance of the last decade or so.”
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The sluggish services sector – which makes up the bulk of the British economy – was a particular drag on growth over the past three months. It expanded by 0.1%, cancelling out the 0.8% growth in the construction sector.
The UK’s GDP for the most recent quarter is lower than the 0.7% growth in the US and 0.4% in the Eurozone.
The figures have pushed the UK towards the bottom of the G7 growth table for the third quarter of the year.
It was expected to meet the same 0.2% growth figures reported in Germany and Japan – but fell below that after a slow September.
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The pound remained stable following the news, hovering around $1.267. The FTSE 100, meanwhile, opened the day down by 0.4%.
The Bank of England last week predicted that Ms Reeves’s first budget as chancellor will increase inflation by up to half a percentage point over the next two years, contributing to a slower decline in interest rates than previously thought.
Announcing a widely anticipated 0.25 percentage point cut in the base rate to 4.75%, the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) forecast that inflation will return “sustainably” to its target of 2% in the first half of 2027, a year later than at its last meeting.
The Bank’s quarterly report found Ms Reeves’s £70bn package of tax and borrowing measures will place upward pressure on prices, as well as delivering a three-quarter point increase to GDP next year.
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