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Sturgeon excluded ministers from Covid decisions, inquiry says
The inquiry criticized Scotland’s pandemic response for centralized decision-making and underpreparedness, with devolved administrations overly reliant on the UK government, delaying action.
- On Thursday, Baroness Heather Hallett published a more than 700-page report that found Nicola Sturgeon used a 'Gold Command' inner team which reduced transparency and sidelined the Scottish Cabinet.
- The inquiry says the devolved administrations became too dependent on the UK Government, failing to plan adequately and delaying escalation to the Scottish Cabinet.
- Evidence showed patients discharged from hospitals into care homes without adequate testing included over 100 positive and over 3,000 untested patients, preceding thousands of care-home deaths among over 10,000 Scots.
- Nicola Sturgeon, former First Minister, said on November 20, 2025 she accepts mistakes from early 2020 and will carry that responsibility, while John Swinney, Deputy First Minister, admitted deleting WhatsApp messages and expressed regret.
- NHS figures show outpatient waiting lists rose from 391,938 to 559,077 since Parliament began, and the Scottish Government says it scaled up activity with over 31,000 extra appointments and 10,000 outpatient attendances, pledging to learn lessons.
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Quick Take...The Covid inquiry's (incredibly predictable) findings
The UK's Covid Enquiry has published its second report, and its conclusion is as relevant as it is predictable. To quote Sky News: The response of the UK's four governments to the pandemic was a "repeated case of too little, too late" and tens of thousands of lives could have been saved had lockdowns been introduced faster, the COVID-19 Inquiry has found That's all they were ever going to say, and it's all we really need to know. The full report…
Nicola Sturgeon's government criticised in Covid Inquiry report for 'failing to conduct own planning'
Despite the criticisms, Sturgeon was praised as a "serious and diligent" leader who "took responsibility" for her decisions in the official covid inquiry report
·Glasgow, United Kingdom
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources19
Leaning Left6Leaning Right2Center6Last UpdatedBias Distribution43% Left, 43% Center
Bias Distribution
- 43% of the sources lean Left, 43% of the sources are Center
43% Center
L 43%
C 43%
14%
Factuality
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