Yesterday’s Scotsman carried the above front-page. It related to the Scottish Government’s use of WhatsApp messages during the Covid pandemic. The same day, this issue was discussed on Good Morning Scotland, BBC Radio Scotland:
Graham Stewart, presenter: “So has the Covid inquiry exposed failings in the way politicians and officials communicate with each other in the digital age especially when faced with a global crisis like the Covid pandemic? Well I am joined by Andy Collier who is a political commentator and former advisor to the SNP and Adam Morris, former head of communications for the Scottish Conservatives. Andy, what did you make of the revelations this week that so many Scottish government politicians and officials, just as a matter of course, were deleting their WhatsApp messages or had it set to auto-delete?”
Andy Collier: “I mean, eh, it’s slightly embarrassing I think in terms that Nicola Sturgeon did say sometime ago that she would make all available evidence, em [coughs] put it in front of the inquiry, if you like, em, that will now not happen because the WhatsApp messages have been deleted. But frankly I think it’s much ado about nothing.”
Today, this issue remains front-page news as discussed on The Sunday Show, BBC Radio Scotland:
Fiona stalker, Presenter: “We are going to stay with politics, I want to move on to move on to the WhatsApps because that is in all the papers this morning”
Commentator: “ …. [it’s] all over the papers today”
It is clear that the Scottish media does not agree with Andrew Collier that concern over the deletion of Scottish Government WhatsApp messages is “much ado about nothing“.
Andrew Collier
Andrew Collier’s LinkedIn profile begins: “Top level communications and writing professional with experience at the highest levels of media, business and government. Working across UK, Ireland and internationally. Former media adviser and speechwriter to past and present First Ministers of Scotland.” Further information provided includes: “I also specialise in developing and actioning PR strategy, including crisis PR, particularly for the political and public sectors. I regularly deal with high profile clients in sensitive, high impact areas such as top levels of government, NGOs and blue chip multinational corporates.”
The concern over the WhatsApp messages is one about transparency. Andrew Collier is well aware of this, and its importance, as articulated in this newspaper column from quarter of a century ago:
