Nicola Sturgeon wrongly excluded colleagues from Covid decisions, inquiry finds

2 days ago7 min read2 comments

The official inquiry into the United Kingdom's pandemic response has delivered a damning indictment of governance under pressure, revealing systemic failures that transcended partisan lines and national borders within the union. For Nicola Sturgeon, the former First Minister of Scotland long praised for her communicative clarity during the crisis, the findings strike at the heart of her administration's purported transparency.The report meticulously details how critical decisions were funneled through exclusive 'gold command meetings,' a tightly held circle that effectively sidelined senior advisers and established government structures. This centralization of power, while perhaps intended for expediency in the face of a rapidly evolving threat, created a dangerous democratic deficit, reducing accountability and oversight at a moment when both were most critical.The parallels to historical crises of governance are stark, reminiscent of the 'kitchen cabinet' dynamics seen in other democracies where small, unelected groups wield disproportionate influence during national emergencies. This approach stands in direct contrast to the collegiate, evidence-based model professed by her government at the outset.Across the border, the inquiry portrayed Boris Johnson's Westminster administration as presiding over a 'toxic and chaotic' culture at the heart of the UK government, where delayed decisions and internal warfare likely cost lives. The juxtaposition is telling: while the public faces of the devolved and central governments differed markedly—Sturgeon's daily briefings projected control against Johnson's often shambolic persona—both systems succumbed to a failure of process.The inquiry suggests that the very architecture of the UK's devolved settlement was stress-tested and found wanting, with competing messaging and policy divergences between Edinburgh, Cardiff, and London creating confusion for citizens and complicating a coherent national strategy. The long-term political consequences for Sturgeon's legacy and the Scottish National Party's narrative of competent, distinct governance are profound, potentially undermining a key pillar of the independence argument. For the public, it raises enduring questions about the balance between swift executive action and democratic scrutiny, a tension that will inevitably inform future emergency planning and legislation.

#lead focus news

#Nicola Sturgeon

#Covid inquiry

#pandemic handling

#transparency

#accountability

#Boris Johnson

#UK government

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