UK Covid-19 Inquiry: Humza Yousaf and Nicola Sturgeon's former chief-of-staff Liz Lloyd to be questioned

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry is sitting in Edinburgh for three weeks to examine how Scotland managed the pandemic.

So far the hearings have focused on WhatsApp messages being deleted by ministers, civil servants and government advisors.

On Thursday Mr Yousaf and Liz Lloyd, Nicola Sturgeon’s former chief of staff and one of her most trusted advisors, are both due to be questioned.

Mr Yousaf was the health secretary during the coronavirus pandemic, holding one of the most important roles in government at the time.

He has already been discussed by the inquiry - on Tuesday the inquiry was shown a WhatsApp exchange between Mr Yousaf and National Clinical Director Jason Leitch discussing how to get around face mask rules.

In the exchange Mr Yousaf asked Prof Leitch about wearing a face mask ahead of a dinner event he was attending.

At the time Covid restrictions in Scotland meant people would not need to wear a mask if they were sitting down to eat or drink, but would have to put one on when moving around and not drinking.

Prof Leitch told Mr Yousaf to “have a drink in your hands at all times” to “get out” of obeying the face mask rules.

A spokesperson for the First Minister later said the messages “simply shows the then health secretary seeking specific, up-to-date guidance from a senior advisor to ensure he was complying with the Covid rules”.

Lead Counsel Jamie Dawson KC is likely to question Mr Yousaf on this exchange when he appears later today.

He is also likely to be asked about deleted WhatsApp messages.

It has been revealed his predecessor Ms Sturgeon has deleted her messages, along with former deputy first minister John Swinney and Prof Leitch.

However, despite this being government guidance at the time, Mr Yousaf has previously said he has kept all of his messages and has handed over the relevant material to the inquiry.

Ms Lloyd is also likely to be questioned on WhatsApps and other communications during the pandemic.

Earlier this week the inquiry was shown Twitter DMs between Ms Sturgeon and public health expert Professor Devi Sridhar, where Ms Sturgeon provided Prof Sridhar with her SNP email address so the two of them could talk privately.

Mr Yousaf is due to appear at the inquiry at 2pm after carrying out the weekly first minister’s questions in the Scottish Parliament at midday.

The Scottish Conservatives have since urged Ms Sturgeon to publish any emails to or from her SNP email account relating to government business during her time in Bute House.

Scottish Labour’s deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie has also written to Permanent Secretary John Paul Marks, Scotland’s top civil servant, asking what action he has taken to investigate this issue.